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Date Posted: 09:39:25am 01/09/06 Mon,
Author: JoeStag
Subject: Re: Fan support
In reply to:
FU73
's message, "Fan support" on 08:14:17am 01/09/06 Mon,
Quinnipiac seems more organized in communicating with their fan base. And I do really like this one statement in their Mission statement from the website ....... "To reconnect alumni to a specific aspect of their undergraduate experience." Four years ago, I used those exact words "Re-connect Alumni back to the University" in a letter that started the 6th Man Club. However, that connection is not being made. Its the same 25 people that attend a post Game reception, the same 30-40 people that go to Doc's Roundtables, and even Fr. von Arx pregame receptions (St Joes and Fordham) sponsored by the University drew very few people.
Unfortunately, this is not just an Athletics issue, its a University issue. Homecoming is very reflective of that. However, Athletics is the best vehicle that can Re-connect Alumni. The University has to create the environment to make that happen, and Alumni have to step up and voice their opinion of what they want. out of the University and Athletics. We can talk Marketing and TV and Video broadcasting and all of those are nice and good things...... but the biggest issue by far is that only 200 Alumni out of 35,000 own season Tickets (for about 600 seats). That is a DIS-CONNECT. That is the problem that needs to be solved. There has to be thousands of Alumni that support this team by Buying Season Tickets, Donating Money, Attending events/away games, or sponsoring something (youth groups, radio bradcasts, TV broadcasts)....... People think we should be like Villanova and St Joes and Providence, but we are no where close in School spirit because our Alumni don't do the above things. That is issue #1, ignoring that is like ignoring a crumbling foundation and decaying plumbing on a house, while putting a new coat of paint on the on the outside of the house.
Back to Quinnipiac, while QU is do some good things they are only drawing between 200 and 900 fans for their basketball games this year. Hoever they are doing very well in Hockey with about 1000 people for some games, and 3,000 for local rival Yale.
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Re: Fan support -- FU73, 10:31:23am 01/09/06 Mon, [1]
You are right in that the University needs to "re-connect" with it's alumni. The University through Fr. von Arx needs to let the alumni know what his plan and vision for Fairfield Athletics are. Part of this plan should include an athletics capital campaign to have the resources to improve and or replace campus facilities, better marketing but most importantly reach out to the students who are future alumni and reconnect with the present alumni. This needs to be done through the President, AD, and Alumni departments.
Joe, you do a great job with the "6th Man Club" and the University should be grateful but they need to step up big time with a vision, a plan and a commitment before it is too late.
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Re: Fan support -- Stagophile, 10:51:17am 01/09/06 Mon, [1]
I think I speak for everybody here when I say that we greatly appreciate all your work on the Sixth Man Club. Unfortunately, it's a shame that it takes your efforts as an alumnus to make this happen absent very little support and assistance from the University. If fully supported, I believe the Sixth Man Club could be the foundation of a very effective development and alumni relations effort. In its current state, very few alumni are actually aware of the Sixth Man Club and it purpose. The only information absent the Sixth Man Club is buried at the bottom of Men's Basketball page. And interesting enough the Sixth Man Club page contains one of two links to the Lyons-Lademan Athletics Fund page on FairfieldStags.com and these links are broken...hmmmm!? The connection between the Sixth Man Club and the Lyons-Lademan Athletic Fund is not clear, if non-existent. I believe this state of affairs reflects a lost opportunity for Alumni Relations, Development, and Athletics and further reflects a disconnect amongst each of these departments.
Fairfield can learn a lot from the Quinnipiac model on how Alumni Relations, Development and Athletics can work together to maximize their effectiveness and to fully engage alumni in the support of Fairfield Athletics. Another great example of this model to consider is The Buckeye Club at Th Ohio State University. The interesting thing to note is that The Buckeye Club is run by an extensive development staff that reports to the Athletics Director.
http://ohiostatebuckeyes.collegesports.com/boosters/buckeyeclub/BC-front.html
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Re: Fan support -- Stagophile, 11:44:13am 01/09/06 Mon, [1]
Just as a way of making my suggestion more concrete, the following could have taken place in support of the Sixth Man Club event at the last basketball game...
1.) Alumni relations could have co-sponsored the event and assisted by sending a notification via email and snail mail to local alumni or by posting an event notification on the Fairfield.edu Website.
2.) Development could have co-sponsored the event and utilized the opportunity to solicit alumni donations or utilized the event as incentive reward for donating money to the Lyons-Lademan Athletic Fund in order to become a Sixth Man Club member.
3.) Athletics could have provided the Sixth Man Club a more prominent link on the front page of FairifeldStags.com and posted an event notification in the "Events" window on the front page. Further, the event could have been billed as an opportunity to meet with Coach Hobbie and discuss Fairfield basketball.
If each of the departments came together to support your Sixth Man Club events, I suspect your attendance figures would improve significantly and the University would see a more effective means to soliciting donations to the Lyons-Lademan Athletic Fund.
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Re: Fan support -- FU73, 02:48:54pm 01/09/06 Mon, [1]
You're right, the Ohio State Buckeye Club is another great example of how the University through the Development Office, Athletics Department and Alumni Relations could be promoting Stag sports and Fairfield University. It's not just at the Ohio State level but Iona has the Goal Club, Siena has Saints Alive, Marist has Red Fox Club, Niagara has Purple and White even Sacred Heart has the Pioneer Club.
If the people who read and write into this forum can see a need for a vision and plan of action at Fairfield, then why isn't there one? Should it be the job of alumni to try to help solve the problem themselves or should the University through it's Alumni Office, Development and Athletics Department be addressing the problem and doing something about it?
Is the administration content with the way things are going along or do they see a need for change?
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Re: Fan support -- Bridgeport, 12:41:01pm 01/09/06 Mon, [1]
sports fans
the 6th man club shoud be about fan intrest, fan attendence,
and finding a way to find more fans.
raising money ( donations ) would be a side effect, probably a large side effect but It should not be the primary goal.
( see paragraph 1 )
in its infinite wisdom, the administration disbanded a small group of people working toward accomplishing paragraph one.
the 6th man club is now a paper tiger composed of one hard working, dedicated, passionate, worker. the program administrator should give joe stag half his salary.
without joe stag there would be no board to post your thoughts about the program, no popcorn ball after weekend home games, no fall team picnik , and probably a ( further ) diminished attendence.
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