Fan Experience Committee - Basketball

[fastdrivEER]

Hey Folks,

The committee is having a meeting this weekend and I just wanted to ask for some feedback about what WVU can do to help the fans for their gameday experience. I am open to any and everything to bring up, within reason.

As you all may know this committee was started by the Oliver Luck athletic department and has been running a few years now. I have seen many positive changes that were a result of this committee and have posted one big update a while back. While attending these meetings, I have certainly seen a big focus on football, for obvious reasons, but would like to focus this discussion on the basketball gameday experience. My family is season ticket holders, but I, living 7 hours away, don't get as many chances as I would like to see games, so I do as many of you and watch on TV or online. That is a particular perspective that I think the athletic department is interested in as they say, "We are constantly competing with the 50" LCD screen in homes." Actually, they need to look at maximizing the gameday experience for fans attending and afar, while trying to maximize revenue, with huge regard to success of the teams.

My particular experiences with Mountaineer sports has been overwhelmingly positive, with very, very few disappointments (those are actually usually reserved to an individual with too much to drink, but when you have a town of 60k condensed into a 1/4 square mile during football gameday that is to be expected. Well, that and and my record attending bowl games.). My particular opinion is that those types of negative circumstances have been diluted from an administrative execution standpoint, but also a different mindset that was permeated when we joined the Big 12.

The committee really is focused on items from a Marketing perspective, but also there are opportunities to bring up for more social and economic issues too. Items like parking prices/locations, season ticket payment plans, player engagement, social media, long distance visiting and home team fans are discussed. There are so many things that the marketing dept has to consider for games with planning and scripting for each game is really down to the minute/second, so I have a ton of respect for those people.

You have my assurance that I will bring up as many things that are possible in the time we have to cover, but would prioritize for the face-to-face and then follow up in email or calls with the Athletic Department. I will also promise to send any updates that I may have from our meeting on this board. I can also say that folks in the athletic department also read these boards, so fire away, but please be respectful.

Thanks

 

[MoTownWV]

They have got to figure out a way to address the parking and traffic flow around the Coliseum on game days particularly midweek games where there is school and work traffic to contend with.

It's tough enough for those of us that live in the southern half of the state totry to attend games midweek. But the extra travel on a work night becomes a real disincentive when you combine it with not being able to reach your seats in time for tip off because traffic comes to a standstill once you get off the interstate.

 

[bleedbluegold3]

Some kind of ticket exchange would be nice. If seats are bought and people know they will not be using them they should be allowed to call the coliseum and let them open the seats to the public. That would create a full coliseum and better atmosphere .

 

[CThruU]

Specifics:

Turn off the stoplight and go to demand-based traffic direction. Designate the right lane of Mon Blvd for general parking lot entry only. Direct parking pass holders to the left lane around that mess, then into the right lane after passing that entrance to their respective entrances. I do this anyway, but sometimes you have cones blocking re-entry to the right lane. No reason for that.

Turn off the stoplight and direct traffic.

Move the students to 39, 41, and 43 lower and 56, 58 upper.

Ticket exchange systems are already in place but never used. Either promote them better or create a system that is more likely to be used. Maybe give MAC points for each game attended to the account holder.

Some of the halftime shows are pretty good. More dogs and trampoline dunkers, please. Many (of both) could come from the BL.

Turn off the stoplight and direct traffic.

After the game, turn off the stoplight and direct traffic.

Look into hanging acoustic panels from the ceiling ala Hilton Coliseum.

Turn off the stoplight and...well you get the idea.

 

[skygusty]

I commend you on your efforts. Anything you could do to bring new fans in, particularly from the student body would be great. They show up for big games but not so much the games with less hype. New fans from the local high schools and Jr. high schools would be great - get them involved in creating atmosphere. Whatever they have done at Iowa State for basketball would be a good model, that place is electric almost all the time. Parking and traffic are a problem and tough to fix. Put the Civil Engineering Dept on the problem and get the city and state involved.

 

[CThruU]

And another thing: stop directing those portable lights used in the pedestrian areas at the incoming traffic. Spotting pedestrians in dark clothing is difficult enough over the age of 50 without shining bright lights directly in my face.

Otherwise better lighting is needed.

And turn off stoplight to direct traffic into the main entrance.

 

[jpf578]

To go along with the horrific traffic control, or shall I say lack of, why in the world do they need to punch our parking passes? So much time is spent waiting in line it's to the point where I really don't care if I go or not. Moving the traffic would solve a lot of their problems. It shouldn't take 45 minutes to an hour to go from the interstate to the parking lot.

Oh, and turn off traffic signal and direct traffic to get it moving.

 

[Falconeer]

@jpf578 I know where you are coming from here, but I think there has to be some control placed on parking passes, whether punching, scanning or whatever. Otherwise, parking passes could be passed along and used by different parties for the same game. When I had season tickets and a parking pass, I found getting there early was always the key.. Of course, some can not do that for various reasons..

 

[mtawv]

Parking, traffic, parking, and, umm, parking. Seems like getting on to the Coliseum lot is all but impossible, and Morgantown Police have a field day ticketing anyone parking on the shoulder of the roads nearby, or even in residential areas. The last basketball game I attended, traffic was directed after the game- for what seemed like 10 minutes. Then it was back to a stoplight and waiting almost until time for the next game before you could exit the Coliseum lot.
It always seems to me that those directing traffic do only what they have been forced to do, for as little time as is possible, and then vanish, leaving huge numbers of cars still on the Coliseum lot. It's like I heard someone else say- he just had the feeling that the University really did not care whether he attended, or not, That will make those 50" LCD tvs look better than ever.
Make it easier- much easier- to get parked and get inside, and exit the lot relatively promptly when the game is over, and I think that quite a significant number of fans will show up regularly to the games, even on weeknights. I don't think this can happen without a roomy, multi-level parking garage.

 

[MoTownWV]

Parking, traffic, parking, and, umm, parking. Seems like getting on to the Coliseum lot is all but impossible, and Morgantown Police have a field day ticketing anyone parking on the shoulder of the roads nearby, or even in residential areas. The last basketball game I attended, traffic was directed after the game- for what seemed like 10 minutes. Then it was back to a stoplight and waiting almost until time for the next game before you could exit the Coliseum lot.
It always seems to me that those directing traffic do only what they have been forced to do, for as little time as is possible, and then vanish, leaving huge numbers of cars still on the Coliseum lot. It's like I heard someone else say- he just had the feeling that the University really did not care whether he attended, or not, That will make those 50" LCD tvs look better than ever.
Make it easier- much easier- to get parked and get inside, and exit the lot relatively promptly when the game is over, and I think that quite a significant number of fans will show up regularly to the games, even on weeknights. I don't think this can happen without a roomy, multi-level parking garage.

Turn off the stoplights and direct traffic. The lack of traffic management makes us look like amateur hour and frustrates our loyal fans.

 

[EnginEER 89]

I posted here a few days ago that it would be nice if a new PRT station could be placed right at the Coliseum entrance. It might be far-fetched, but I do think it would help with parking, traffic, and student attendance. Someone else posted that a foot bridge would help too.

Lgm!

 

[VaultHunter]

1. WVU needs to display great players from our past more, even if its just a mural.

2. Sell beer to anyone over 21

3. Put the students behind the baskets.

4. DJ

 

[skygusty]

Parking, traffic, parking, and, umm, parking. Seems like getting on to the Coliseum lot is all but impossible, and Morgantown Police have a field day ticketing anyone parking on the shoulder of the roads nearby, or even in residential areas. The last basketball game I attended, traffic was directed after the game- for what seemed like 10 minutes. Then it was back to a stoplight and waiting almost until time for the next game before you could exit the Coliseum lot.
It always seems to me that those directing traffic do only what they have been forced to do, for as little time as is possible, and then vanish, leaving huge numbers of cars still on the Coliseum lot. It's like I heard someone else say- he just had the feeling that the University really did not care whether he attended, or not, That will make those 50" LCD tvs look better than ever.
Make it easier- much easier- to get parked and get inside, and exit the lot relatively promptly when the game is over, and I think that quite a significant number of fans will show up regularly to the games, even on weeknights. I don't think this can happen without a roomy, multi-level parking garage.

You can't change this without spending money. There is a lot of room for improvement. A multi-level parking garage could be built between the CAC and the Rec center, also near the Engineering PRT. Put a pedestrian tunnel under Monongalia BLVD or a pedestrian bridge over it to the Coliseum. Bring another spur off of I79 along Dents Run in Westover, cross the river and connect to 119 where old Hawley Field is near the natatorium. Bring another spur off 79 between Westover and I68 and run it up the hill from the River Road and build a new bridge near the Westover Bridge. This would make two stunning entries to the city and give traffic two more ways out. Someone needs to take a long view and a daring view to bring this city into the future. They can't just keep building student housing and patching potholes. Some investment needs to be made in infrastructure there and it isn't cheap but it sure isn't going to get any cheaper in the future when land that is currently relatively vacant gets developed and built up.

 

[LowFatMilk]

The OP brings up one of the biggest problems (although despite him not attending maybe others do)... ...season tickets that are not used for every game.

As another poster mentioned...make those tickets easily available to the rest of the fan base when those people know they won't be attending.

 

[I.M.Right]

I attend games when I can. I park at the CAC. There are always free spaces and its a short walk. I have no idea why all the complaining about that.
I see the problem as the big money boosters who buy up the prime floor level seats and don't use them. I will not attend a game if I have to sit in the upper section. I find reasonably priced tickets in the lower and floor level seats through friends or in a secondary market and I don't buy them unless I can attend the game. I applaud the big money booster who make the donations but many obviously use their seats irregularly. My solution is to let the upper level fans fill in the unused seats on the floor and lower levels after the start of the game.

 

[jpf578]

@jpf578 I know where you are coming from here, but I think there has to be some control placed on parking passes, whether punching, scanning or whatever. Otherwise, parking passes could be passed along and used by different parties for the same game. When I had season tickets and a parking pass, I found getting there early was always the key.. Of course, some can not do that for various reasons..

I wouldn't mind them punching the pass if they had more than 1 guy there doing it. How about getting 3-4 people lined up so they can move more cars off the road while they punch away. We always have 2 women punching our pass at the football games and there is nowhere near the amount of traffic going into the brown lot.

They need 1 person at the entrance checking to ensure you have the proper pass and several punching them once on the property.

 

[fastdrivEER]

Hey Lowfatmilk,
Great point. There is no doubt that it takes considerable effort to get those extra tickets into fans hands, but our local family tries to make sure that someone is in the seat.

 

[MoTownWV]

I wouldn't mind them punching the pass if they had more than 1 guy there doing it. How about getting 3-4 people lined up so they can move more cars off the road while they punch away. We always have 2 women punching our pass at the football games and there is nowhere near the amount of traffic going into the brown lot.

They need 1 person at the entrance checking to ensure you have the proper pass and several punching them once on the property.

It would help some if they would punch the passes further into the lot. It backs the traffic up onto the road when the punch just off the road. I think some engineering students could look at it and figure out efficiencies like that and improve things some without spending a lot of money.