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New
coach, ranked women’s team should be enough for fans A new dawn looms on the horizon for the TCU men’s and women’s basketball teams. The women finished the 2002 season ranked 25th in the nation, while the men look to an energetic new coach to revive the program. However, one question remains — will anyone be there to watch? With a capacity of 7,200 Daniel-Meyer Coliseum is usually filled halfway for basketball games. The women’s basketball attendance average for this year was approximately 2,700, while the men’s average was just under 4,000, according to the official athletics Web site on (www.gofrogs.com). In comparison to other Conference USA schools, TCU’s attendance levels are not quite as bad as the numbers might suggest, said Jeff Crane, assistant director of sports marketing. “Our women’s team has one of the top attendance levels in Conference USA,” Crane said. “Additionally, the excitement of having a new men’s coach is definitely increasing interest in our men’s basketball program.” However, in the most recent NCAA statistics from the 2000-01 season, TCU women ranked 46th in attendance, while the men did not even make the top 100. If TCU is ever going to reach the next level of competition, it will require a large devotion of fans who come to games on a regular basis and who are interested in being vocal enough to actually give our teams something they don’t get very often — a home team advantage. Though the attendance numbers may be decent in comparison to our C-USA opponents, no statistics can illustrate what the atmosphere is like at the Coliseum. Rarely does the crowd get excited about anything. Students tend to show up late and leave early, talking on their cell phones half the time, making plans for what they’re going to do when TCU gets behind and they lose interest and leave. The crowd will occasionally gain interest when the score is close, but often they don’t expend their energies on cheering until the last five or six minutes of the game. As TCU attempts to boost the basketball program, an ongoing dilemma exists as to what it will take to get students to come to games. Certain lucrative promotions have been offered to fans, with chances to win a Jeep Cherokee or $500 cash as prizes. Crane said they had success with these promotions and look to do more of them next year. “Though our attendance levels are good compared to other C-USA teams, we are always looking for new ways to attract students and fans to the games,” Crane said. One problem that TCU must consider involving the DMC, may be the venue itself, or at least the seating arrangement inside. The TCU student section is far removed from the action on one end of the DMC, whereas many schools with spirited student sections have students sit on floor level near the players’ bench. A slight alteration such as a rearrangement in seating might increase student attendance. TCU is working on many fronts to make attendance grow, but as long as we make the individual decision to ignore our teams, they will always lack the support that a strong fan base can provide a team. It is a sad state of affairs that school spirit has dropped to a point that we are too pre-occupied with ourselves to support our fellow students in their athletic ventures. All hope is not lost, as the women’s team is clearly gaining respect both locally and especially nationally, while the men’s team looks to make a turnaround under the leadership of new coach Neil Dougherty. There might be a rough year or two in the future. Nonetheless it will take the effort of more than a few students, but TCU can create a basketball legacy that is dependent on the fans as much as it is on the players. So make an effort to show up to a few games next year. Grab a Coke and maybe a hot dog, turn off your cell phone for a few minutes and be a Horned Frog. A Horned Frog fan, that is. Jeff
Dennis is a junior sociology major from Gail. |
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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
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