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BSD Article: Wake Forest Student Section

I've been as big a critic of the AD/sports marketing as anyone, but as I said earlier I'm not going to jump on board with "nothing we can do folks, so why try?" I mean if that's the logic let's just fire the entire sports marketing department. Just win and people will come! No need to market.

I would rather see Sports Marketing grow the local fanbase than try to bend over backwards for students that don't care.
 
I'm all for whatever puts students in the stands for entire games. I'm happy to support anything that accomplishes that. However, I remain cynically skeptical about our student body.

Every student body, except for large state schools, and a few others - all of them are struggling.

They've got:

- distractions and multiple campus commitments (leadership, SGA, club activities) - this is sort of a good problem to have
- youtube/instagram/netflix binge watching
- homework - this is a good problem
- we have generally sucked; thanks Wellman
- players are unfamiliar (not staying 4 years) and like Nascar, players and teams and quality of play a little boring compared to the "old days." I mean, how many of our students truly hate players on other teams in the ACC right now? Duke excluded. I mean, I hated UVA, just because they are/were UVA.
- watered down ACC; no real rivalries; who wants to go see us play Virginia Tech on a Tuesday night?
- they're nerds - sort of a good problem I suppose
- they don't drink heavily before and after the game - as they have class the next day - this is a good problem
- we are no longer LOWF academically, we have arrived, so no need to go and heckle NC State, UVA and others as much as we are now "better than them."

Unfortunately, I believe we would need to have actual students on the court, prior to games and at half-time; competing against each other (say Theta Chi versus Sigma Nu) in some sort of mocking sporting game where people fall down and embarrass themselves. Quidditch? Who knows. Anything that leads to students in the stands, being entertained, but not necessarily by a basketball game. A blend of real things happening, and faux-life online or social media.

Actual basketball, not as much fun at all, with zero online and cell phone integration. If I am not in class, I am on my phone.

I mean I actually do not think we could fill the student section if we hosted Mr. and Mrs. Enfield and the Southern Cal sweater girls. Literally, that would cause a protest or boredom (lack of attendance), which seems unfathomable to my generation.

Football is a whole other problem.

Just my 2 cents.
 
I suggested doing a promotion to encourage the girls to wear black dresses to the games using "Long Cool Woman(in a Black Dress)" by the Hollies. I don't think they ever tried it though.
 
Someone mentioned it earlier, but free stuff (food, in my opinion), is a great way to increase student attendance. In addition, there's another variable that needs to be mentioned - alcohol. The student section was a different scene this year, with lots of Bud Light cans in hands and on the floor. With a winning team, commitment to student attendance, and alcohol, the student section could be wilder than ever. Maybe change to the Drunken Deacons?
 
It seems like people are ignoring the fact that the student fan base has ~25% turnover every year.

People at SEC schools are bombarded with options for gameday attire across town in school colors.

My wife and I get a catalog every quarter from a boutique that exclusively sells UF preppy game day apparel.

ETA: my point being that if you make an effort you can get a new and improved brand.
 
I mean I actually do not think we could fill the student section if we hosted Mr. and Mrs. Enfield and the Southern Cal sweater girls. Literally, that would cause a protest or boredom (lack of attendance), which seems unfathomable to my generation.

This is a good post except that if Mr and Mrs Enfield was our coach we would have all sell outs because everyone would want to see the court side celebrities who would flock to the Joel like George and Amal Clooney and Elon Musk and Pippa Middleton.
 
I'm all for pushing black as the school color of choice. Hope it catches on.
 
This is a good post except that if Mr and Mrs Enfield was our coach we would have all sell outs because everyone would want to see the court side celebrities who would flock to the Joel like George and Amal Clooney and Elon Musk and Pippa Middleton.


I had forgotten how hot Mrs. Enfield is since the FGCU Sweet 16 run. Good lord. She's just a vision of pure beauty.
 
I'm gonna use the "c" word because I think it's actually appropriate for this discussion....the culture of the student body flows with wins and loses, unlike other schools who have enough students who care enough about sports to show up in the right colors whether they win or lose.

Let's not kid ourselves, winning will change the culture of the students at wake. But it's tough to sustain that momentum when losing begins because of the amount of students, along with how many of them actually care. I mean go look at the pictures in the article...take out the wake forest bball players and you wouldn't know what school is storming the court. It's sad.

You gotta ride the wave. The sanctuary is by far the best nickname. I also think an organic student led initiative would probably work the best to get more people involved. Not from the top down.
 
It seems like people are ignoring the fact that the student fan base has ~25% turnover every year.

People at SEC schools are bombarded with options for gameday attire across town in school colors.

My wife and I get a catalog every quarter from a boutique that exclusively sells UF preppy game day apparel.

ETA: my point being that if you make an effort you can get a new and improved brand.

Yeah this is a great point. The coaches need to be out at orientation events and interact with prospective students taking tours, etc.


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600 Cameron style benches betweeen the free throw lines. 1000 more behind the basket in a 6800 seat new gym designed for winning. You're welcome.
 
600 Cameron style benches betweeen the free throw lines. 1000 more behind the basket in a 6800 seat new gym designed for winning. You're welcome.

As usual, DR, you miss the point. Configuration and location doesn't matter if they are empty.
 
Winning is the only thing that will truly revive the student section. It's true at pretty much every school and really isnt that complicated.

This is especially true at Wake however. Wake is a more socially competitive school than most and the overwhelming majority of students have no allegiance to Wake sports when they set foot on campus. That means they are only going to go to a sporting event if it's cool to go to a sporting event. Winning is cool. Ideas generated by the AD or Screamin Demons are generally not cool since both organizations consist of a bunch of donks.

That being said, that article is on to something. Black is cool and demonic shit is cool. Go all black, call it the Joel Mausoleum, get a sick intro video set to heavy metal, turn the fight song into more of a Gregorian chant and generally just try to scare the shit out of opposing teams.

OWG's and parents with little kids won't like it but whatever.
 
Replace zombie nation with the creepy chant from Wizard of Oz and play the Rains of Castamere once the game is in hand. It's time to shed our Switzerland image
 
This is a good post except that if Mr and Mrs Enfield was our coach we would have all sell outs because everyone would want to see the court side celebrities who would flock to the Joel like George and Amal Clooney and Elon Musk and Pippa Middleton.

Like Mrs. Enfield would ever move to W-S.

 
Also think the band should wear dark hooded robes and the conductor should dress as the Undertaker. Replace thise big bricks with Tombstones with opposing players' names on them.
 
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