FOOTBALL Massaro: MT seeking ways to boost football attendance
- Thread starter SpaceRaider
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Wow! Well, I won't be worrying about my section being filled up anytime soon. Not with that marketing plan. 
I really hate that we open up with fcs schools. cusa should come up with a rule to stop this. I would rather play a sun belt or mac school.
In a way, I almost feel bad for Massaro. American culture is changing dramatically. The newer generation that would otherwise be prime age for attending their college football games now seems to be vastly distracted by advancing technology. No doubt portable devices, social media, easy online access are shaping and changing the priorities of so many peoples' daily activities. The shared direct human event interaction seems to be less interesting to the brain that almost seems to be rewiring to exist in a virtual world of sorts. You all know that world, masses of people passing each other not interacting as each person stares into their mobile device for specific specialized media consumption, texting, gaming, social media in general. Immediate human contact with our immediate neighbors and our communities reduces on a human level to give way for increases in virtual interaction.
In this environment, Massaro has to try to build attendance at sporting events. Some hard realities are going to have to be faced in this arena before attendance goes the way of the well documented failures of traditional media. Newspapers, broadcast tv, cable tv, magazines, etc are barely breathing in the way things used to be. They all are having to adapt to new realities or seriously risk failure.
Adjusting regular marketing plans will have little effect. While Massaro asserts that people should be excited and attend the season opener vs a low ranking FCS opponent simply because MT is starting another season, he misses the point entirely. If that were the case, some of these tweaks to marketing would have already addressed the issue. Large crowds are not interested in attending MT vs Ala A&M for a season opener. Nor are crowds interested in Savannah St vs MT for a season opener. To overcome all of the noise in the environment to really boost attendance is going to take significant improvement in performance on the field resulting in wins and eventual media/social media buzz over sustained and improving success. Then attendance will see significant increases.
The people have spoken clearly. It's a tough reality that Massaro and similar ADs will have to face. Winning seasons and lower ranked bowl games in most seasons will not keep the interest of the much needed casual sports fan like it may have in years and decades past. Sustained 6 and 7 win seasons as a matter of regular course will not bring larger crowds out on gameday. If it were the case, MT would be a lot closer to filling the stadium. Above avg play and competitive in conference will continue the current trend irregardless of marketing. Simply, the program must win consistently and sustain those wins for multiple seasons that sees conf championships, top 25 votes, bowl wins, and wins vs P5 programs. That is what will boost attendance.
In the end, Massaro is pretty much stuck as most on here have noted in one way or another regarding attendance. He has contracts for the way things used to be. Coaches need to perform in a way consistent with the present realities.
Brent Stockstill and Richie James are his best marketing tools right now. Their presence and success really needs to be parlayed in recruiting to add more improved talent to improve the team overall. Otherwise, you have all your eggs in one basket in a sport where eggs can easily be broken and miss multiple games.
Lastly, it already seems dated to suggest people aren't attending games because of multiple games on cable to choose from on your big HDTV. While that may be the case for a few, most of the cable channels are feeling the crunch in ratings as well. Despite the diversification of mobile tech engagement, a lot of people just might be interested, dare I say excited, to attend their alma mater or local college game if the success and excitement were there. There seems to be a more broad range of mobile tech that further divides peoples' attention and interest. In the end though, human nature is human nature. By and large, human nature is to identify with winners and winning. "Basking in reflected glory." It will take sustained substantial success on the field to crack through all of the tech noise to get peoples' innate human nature drawn to basking in reflected glory and identifying with winners and winning. That is what will really boost attendance. Over the last few years, the results are in. Winning 6 or 7 games a season with a bowl loss just isn't generating the buzz and interest to cut through all of the loud distracting tech noise.
In this environment, Massaro has to try to build attendance at sporting events. Some hard realities are going to have to be faced in this arena before attendance goes the way of the well documented failures of traditional media. Newspapers, broadcast tv, cable tv, magazines, etc are barely breathing in the way things used to be. They all are having to adapt to new realities or seriously risk failure.
Adjusting regular marketing plans will have little effect. While Massaro asserts that people should be excited and attend the season opener vs a low ranking FCS opponent simply because MT is starting another season, he misses the point entirely. If that were the case, some of these tweaks to marketing would have already addressed the issue. Large crowds are not interested in attending MT vs Ala A&M for a season opener. Nor are crowds interested in Savannah St vs MT for a season opener. To overcome all of the noise in the environment to really boost attendance is going to take significant improvement in performance on the field resulting in wins and eventual media/social media buzz over sustained and improving success. Then attendance will see significant increases.
The people have spoken clearly. It's a tough reality that Massaro and similar ADs will have to face. Winning seasons and lower ranked bowl games in most seasons will not keep the interest of the much needed casual sports fan like it may have in years and decades past. Sustained 6 and 7 win seasons as a matter of regular course will not bring larger crowds out on gameday. If it were the case, MT would be a lot closer to filling the stadium. Above avg play and competitive in conference will continue the current trend irregardless of marketing. Simply, the program must win consistently and sustain those wins for multiple seasons that sees conf championships, top 25 votes, bowl wins, and wins vs P5 programs. That is what will boost attendance.
In the end, Massaro is pretty much stuck as most on here have noted in one way or another regarding attendance. He has contracts for the way things used to be. Coaches need to perform in a way consistent with the present realities.
Brent Stockstill and Richie James are his best marketing tools right now. Their presence and success really needs to be parlayed in recruiting to add more improved talent to improve the team overall. Otherwise, you have all your eggs in one basket in a sport where eggs can easily be broken and miss multiple games.
Lastly, it already seems dated to suggest people aren't attending games because of multiple games on cable to choose from on your big HDTV. While that may be the case for a few, most of the cable channels are feeling the crunch in ratings as well. Despite the diversification of mobile tech engagement, a lot of people just might be interested, dare I say excited, to attend their alma mater or local college game if the success and excitement were there. There seems to be a more broad range of mobile tech that further divides peoples' attention and interest. In the end though, human nature is human nature. By and large, human nature is to identify with winners and winning. "Basking in reflected glory." It will take sustained substantial success on the field to crack through all of the tech noise to get peoples' innate human nature drawn to basking in reflected glory and identifying with winners and winning. That is what will really boost attendance. Over the last few years, the results are in. Winning 6 or 7 games a season with a bowl loss just isn't generating the buzz and interest to cut through all of the loud distracting tech noise.
Our opening opponents done impact attendance that much. My opinion. You cannot market average. Young people today more than ever can be fans of any team from any sport around the world.
#1 - Winning at a much higher level
#1 - Winning early in the season
#1 - Winning when it matters most
#2 - Scheduling away from "other" events. We need at least one game each year during the week, this equals more students. Usually our mid week games are above average attendance. Consider when UTK plays and do our best to avoid direct competition.
#3 Focused marketing - current students, current season tix holders and alumni. Empower your BRAA members to recruits new season ticket holders when group discounts like in the early days. Put Stock through some classes on presentation and get him in the community everywhere.
The biggest miss is not capturing enough of the students that have graduated since 1998 when we made the move up. If you don't capture them before the graduate you never will.
To get more fans in the stands next year it will not take a lot of money but will take a lot of work - people one on one asking, begging folks to come. It called "guerrilla marking". There is a business book about it. We need to act like a start up business.
#1 - Winning at a much higher level
#1 - Winning early in the season
#1 - Winning when it matters most
#2 - Scheduling away from "other" events. We need at least one game each year during the week, this equals more students. Usually our mid week games are above average attendance. Consider when UTK plays and do our best to avoid direct competition.
#3 Focused marketing - current students, current season tix holders and alumni. Empower your BRAA members to recruits new season ticket holders when group discounts like in the early days. Put Stock through some classes on presentation and get him in the community everywhere.
The biggest miss is not capturing enough of the students that have graduated since 1998 when we made the move up. If you don't capture them before the graduate you never will.
To get more fans in the stands next year it will not take a lot of money but will take a lot of work - people one on one asking, begging folks to come. It called "guerrilla marking". There is a business book about it. We need to act like a start up business.
"The Blue Raiders will open up at home against Alabama A&M, making it the fifth season MTSU opens up against an opponent from the FCS.
However Massaro said fans should be equally as excited for that game as they would for any other."
Really? Therein lies the problem.
However Massaro said fans should be equally as excited for that game as they would for any other."
Really? Therein lies the problem.
Schedule as we know it
9/3 - Alabama A&M
09/10 - at Vanderbilt
09/17 - at Bowling Green
10/22 - at Missouri
9/3 - Alabama A&M
09/10 - at Vanderbilt
09/17 - at Bowling Green
10/22 - at Missouri
Surely he realizes that we aren't a Notre Dame who has a following so large and rabid that they flock into the stadium regardless of the opponent.
Here's an idea that just came to me. Maybe Massaro can insist that all of our non-conference opponents each year can only be high level FBS teams. I'm talking SEC, ACC or Big Ten exclusively. Work out a few 2-1, or 3-1 deals if you have to. We would have at least one huge home crowd each year plus our W-L record would probably get pretty crappy thereby negating the automatic contract extensions and pay raises for certain individuals. Problem solved.
"Put Stock through some classes on presentation and get him in the community everywhere."
Took the words right out of my mouth. Agree!!! He needs to step it up here in a big way. Is there a coaches show? Why don't I know the answer to that? If the casual fan tries this board out. He will notice the outdated articles and the 2 year old depth chart. This is a good recipe to get the new fan engaged.
Our defensive coaching positions need to be looked at. That WKU game still gives me pause as to if we have the right people coaching defense. Next year we have wku and Bowling Green!. Two blowouts if we don't fix some things on defense.
Took the words right out of my mouth. Agree!!! He needs to step it up here in a big way. Is there a coaches show? Why don't I know the answer to that? If the casual fan tries this board out. He will notice the outdated articles and the 2 year old depth chart. This is a good recipe to get the new fan engaged.
Our defensive coaching positions need to be looked at. That WKU game still gives me pause as to if we have the right people coaching defense. Next year we have wku and Bowling Green!. Two blowouts if we don't fix some things on defense.
PJ Fleck made Stock look like a corpse in the bowl pressers. You need someone who is enthusiastic. Also, when we played Vandy, the equipment guy took the MT band into a Wal-Mart and played. Why not do that every week a home game is played and why didn't Stock do it or Massaro? Pick a different location every week a couple of nights before. Go out and connect with the community during the season. It seems like we do it in July when no ball is played. That doesn't work. Go out and promote within the boro and on campus. I was on campus the week of the Vandy game and saw no signage on campus at all. There is a lot of the simple things they can do just on campus and within a couple of miles from campus. It's not hard. HYPE. We have LT and WKU coming in this year. Hype up those matchups to the nth degree. Make the Boro become Raider City.
1. Massarro shouldnt be telling anybody what game they should be excited about. Instead find out what is exciting to fans and go from there.
2. Over promote: every home game should be promoted as if it is the super bowl
3. Blue out the lights of the courthouse. I just noticed a few days ago that there are lights shining on the courthouse at night. Put some blue lights in the week of every home game. ( I realize this isnt up to the University but somebody should offer that as a suggestion.
4. Target alumni specifically. I constantly get phone calls emails and snail mail asking me to donate money to the department from which I graduated, but I rarely get anything from the athletic dept asking me to come to any games
5. Education day. Women's basketball does an education day and practically packs the Murphy Center with Murfreesboro CIty school kids. WHy not do the same thing during football season with both the city and county school systems.
7. I have seen debates for and against scheduling based on UT an Vandy schedules and I know TV dictates a lot of our game times. I have a good RIM program so Im going to use a music industry example. Big name artists tend to try not to release their albums on the same day as other big name artists in their same genre so they are competing with album sales. We should take the same approach. Whether we like it or not UT is the rock star in this state I would try my best not to schedules games at the same time as them.
8. Bring back 1 mid week game each year
9. FIx the wifi in the stadium. Millenials love their electronic devices. dont take that away from them by having crappy wifi and cell reception in the stadium
Just my thoughts
2. Over promote: every home game should be promoted as if it is the super bowl
3. Blue out the lights of the courthouse. I just noticed a few days ago that there are lights shining on the courthouse at night. Put some blue lights in the week of every home game. ( I realize this isnt up to the University but somebody should offer that as a suggestion.
4. Target alumni specifically. I constantly get phone calls emails and snail mail asking me to donate money to the department from which I graduated, but I rarely get anything from the athletic dept asking me to come to any games
5. Education day. Women's basketball does an education day and practically packs the Murphy Center with Murfreesboro CIty school kids. WHy not do the same thing during football season with both the city and county school systems.
7. I have seen debates for and against scheduling based on UT an Vandy schedules and I know TV dictates a lot of our game times. I have a good RIM program so Im going to use a music industry example. Big name artists tend to try not to release their albums on the same day as other big name artists in their same genre so they are competing with album sales. We should take the same approach. Whether we like it or not UT is the rock star in this state I would try my best not to schedules games at the same time as them.
8. Bring back 1 mid week game each year
9. FIx the wifi in the stadium. Millenials love their electronic devices. dont take that away from them by having crappy wifi and cell reception in the stadium
Just my thoughts
Stock has no right to question my fan loyalty for not showing up until he and his staff correct the things that caused him to give up two touchdowns to Vanderbilt in the final 6:14 and 52 first half points to Western Ky.
Beating up on Jackson State and Charlotte won't get it. Sorry.
Beating up on Jackson State and Charlotte won't get it. Sorry.
If only he knew you quit being a loyal fan before that...
Here's the biggest problem - We only win when no one is watching. This is not the way to make fans.
This team in the last 6 seasons has had a winning record coming out of October only twice.
2014 we were 5-3 coming out of October
2012 we were 5-3 coming out of October. The problem with 2012 was that one of those losses was the very first game, at home, in front of a big crowd, to an FCS school. No one was coming back after that disaster.
Every other year, we were losers going into November.
September is where you make your fans. This is when people are excited over football. This is when the casual fan wants to bring his family to warm weather games where every team holds the promise of a magical season.
And this is when we send them away, disappointed, time and time and time again.
No one cares if you beat Louisiana Monroe or UTEP in mid-November when both teams are 4-4.
And this is where the problems are compounded. When you are 3-5 going into November, there is no such thing as a "big" or "interesting" game on the schedule. When you are 7-1 going into November, every game is big. Every game will draw. When you are 3-5 and your opponent is 3-5, no one will pay attention just because you are "trying to get to a bowl".
Look at 2015. Great win over Marshall right? The problem lies in the fact that in 3 of the prior 4 weeks, MT was witch-slapped by WKU and LT and beaten by a horrible Vandy team at home. Other than the die-hards, could you have given anyone a reason to come to the stadium that day? No freakin' way.
We can talk about concessions, and Wifi, and parking, and concerts, and doodad giveaways, and our coach having the personality of a soggy wheat thin in a world of pop rocks, and what not until we're all blue in the face.
No one wants to watch a losing team and I don't care one bit about being sold a "bowl eligible" or "non-losing" season.
They are not getting the job done on the field when it counts. We need to look no further than this.
This team in the last 6 seasons has had a winning record coming out of October only twice.
2014 we were 5-3 coming out of October
2012 we were 5-3 coming out of October. The problem with 2012 was that one of those losses was the very first game, at home, in front of a big crowd, to an FCS school. No one was coming back after that disaster.
Every other year, we were losers going into November.
September is where you make your fans. This is when people are excited over football. This is when the casual fan wants to bring his family to warm weather games where every team holds the promise of a magical season.
And this is when we send them away, disappointed, time and time and time again.
No one cares if you beat Louisiana Monroe or UTEP in mid-November when both teams are 4-4.
And this is where the problems are compounded. When you are 3-5 going into November, there is no such thing as a "big" or "interesting" game on the schedule. When you are 7-1 going into November, every game is big. Every game will draw. When you are 3-5 and your opponent is 3-5, no one will pay attention just because you are "trying to get to a bowl".
Look at 2015. Great win over Marshall right? The problem lies in the fact that in 3 of the prior 4 weeks, MT was witch-slapped by WKU and LT and beaten by a horrible Vandy team at home. Other than the die-hards, could you have given anyone a reason to come to the stadium that day? No freakin' way.
We can talk about concessions, and Wifi, and parking, and concerts, and doodad giveaways, and our coach having the personality of a soggy wheat thin in a world of pop rocks, and what not until we're all blue in the face.
No one wants to watch a losing team and I don't care one bit about being sold a "bowl eligible" or "non-losing" season.
They are not getting the job done on the field when it counts. We need to look no further than this.
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Raider Doug makes compelling facts; fully agree with numbers and the translation into fan engagement. Jack and Dianne Fan is more or less absent from Floyd Stadium these days. Bringing on Alabama A&M doesn't move that needle. Guess the word Alabama in a schools name will help..so is that what CM is thinking? Would have been better at the gates if we had Tennessee State, Chattanooga, or even Tennessee Tech, but my preference is a Sun Belt team or even open with a conference game. We need to refrain from anything FCS, unless its a Tennessee University...and then only once every 2-3 years. It really doesn't help us and we have a ton to lose in season support if we perform as we have against SEMO or McNeese State. We never seem to learn, making the same miscues and repackaging the branding.
Result, a marginally bowl eligible 6-6 team: I consider 2015 in the books at 6-6. Our seventh win was FCS and really shouldn't count for evaluating progress purposes. We're stuck in neutral.
Result, a marginally bowl eligible 6-6 team: I consider 2015 in the books at 6-6. Our seventh win was FCS and really shouldn't count for evaluating progress purposes. We're stuck in neutral.
True to form, all you offer to the discussion are personal attacks.
After the new contract he received, I doubt that he even cares.
That strikes me as just inaccurate. There are a lot of things to be frustrated with regarding avg play, but he strikes me as someone who really cares. Giving back $100,000 a year for 4 years speaks volumes in that regard.
Some people complain to complain, now that they are asking for help and most people want to bitch about it. Give them some ideas and help boost attendance and build the atmosphere in and around the stadium.
Really comes down to money. I think everybody would prefer Tech or Peay but they keep asking for more and more money. We have to play a money game. So we need an FCS game to offset that game and the SWAC is what we can afford.
You keep forgetting to ignore me. Aaand you just followed me on Twitter so methinks you have issues....
Good points. I think we're stick in kind of a chicken or the egg thing:
In order to not play bodybag games and bring in low tier FCS teams, you need to have a bigger budget.
The only way to bring in a bigger budget is to make the fans want to part with their money, primarily by putting out a quality product.
Bodybag games and FCS weaklings prevent you from putting out a quality entertainment product.
It's a tough nut to crack. While you can buy 10,000 T-shirts and give them away, you can't just snap your fingers and come up with an 11-win top-25 ranked season, which to be honest, is about the only thing that's going to excite people these days. You're either moving up or moving down. No one wants to watch a program tread water and we've seen the 7-6-ish "Woohoo we're bowl eligible!!!" season too many times. Fans need to see the program take the next step.
You missed the original point. I doubt that Stock cares whether or not that "I quit being a loyal fan" according to TeKE. As for Stock "giving back" his raises, that is inaccurate. He merely deferred them until 2018. And given the parameters that CM set for CRS to be bonus eligible, he's still gonna get paid and....got an extra 2.5 years added to the contract. Some folks absolutely refuse to understand the concept.
Sheep.
Since you explained what you meant, ok.
Since you go on to condescend to the people on here as somehow unable to understand financial and contractual details and suggest folks here are blindly following whoever it is you think people are blindly following, why don't you just move along to hang out with others at maybe Belmont of Memphis so you can feel superior there? Or, maybe, you're just trolling? I don't know. Whatever, the act is getting old. If trolling and/or condescending, why don't you go hump the legs of the people at Belmont or Memphis so us "sheep" can eat our artificial turf in peace.
dukewayne, I love your first post in this thread. Be careful, though, and guard yourself against getting sucked into the clique of TekePeachBlue, SpaceRaider, MidTnBlue, Glenn, and the like. People like them are a huge reason rabid, once-faithful fans like me are no longer in the stands.
I thought it was because of legal reasons that you couldn't come to games.
Franklin is correct.
Recently, while pressing him to give more coverage of MT in the Tennessean, a sportswriter told me MT needs to change up the opponents they play because no one cares to see MT take on the opponents they're playing now.
He went on to say if MT insists on scheduling the likes of Jackson State and Charlotte, then they at least need to consider scheduling schools like Tenn Tech, APSU, TSU, etc.
Granted, I'm not willing to fork over the money to buy me one of them fancy-pants bricko-block air boxes at Floyd (because I'd much rather sit in the regular stands with common folk), and I'm not a big-time BRAA member who likes to brag on this board which level they're a member of, but I think that sportswriter is correct.
Haha! No, not at all, TekePeachBlue!
But your post serves well to buttress my comment to dukewayne that he needs to guard himself against getting sucked into your clique.
As I'm typing this response to you, I hear this little voice in my head saying, "Todd, why do you waste your time here?"
TekeBluePeach has been wondering this himself.
good grief. The MT football message board was my very first foray into social media. It is now my last. I enjoyed the discussions way back when it started on the Delphi forum and tailgating with the posters there, including road trips to away games. We had a lot of really good times. MT football was on an upward trajectory, and it was super enjoyable.
I have long since deleted Facebook (tool of Satan if you ask me), never really used Twitter (another tool of the devil if you ask me) or LinkedIn....
Dang ol'. yep. Y'all have a good day.
TekePeachBlue or whoever you are, enjoy your bricko-block air box. It's good you have it because there is so much more room there than in the stands where MT fans are crammed in like sardines.
I have long since deleted Facebook (tool of Satan if you ask me), never really used Twitter (another tool of the devil if you ask me) or LinkedIn....
Dang ol'. yep. Y'all have a good day.
TekePeachBlue or whoever you are, enjoy your bricko-block air box. It's good you have it because there is so much more room there than in the stands where MT fans are crammed in like sardines.
Well since Charlotte is a conference opponent we can't take them off the schedule. I think Massaro should look at getting a Louisville or some AAC teams coming to town
True, true.
The sportswriter told me (paraphrasing here) - "MT is in a crappy conference. They started out in a crappy conference. They moved to a crappy conference."
Regarding Louisville...ahhhh, I remember that time when MT played Louisville at the Titan's stadium. Good times, I tell you whut.
why, baaaaaaaaaaaaack in MY day...
Hey, quick sidenote here, SmithO, since you mentioned Louisville...
I just gotta say; I just gotta brag. A friend I've had since childhood called a couple weeks ago. Said he had tickets to the UK game...against Louisville. He wanted to know if I'd like to go.
1. seeing a UK basketball game at Rupp has been on my bucket list for a long time.
2. I got to check that item off my list, a UK/UL matchup no less, and probably Pitino's last game coached at Rupp!
(I just thought you fellow sports fans would like to know that. Eat your heart out!!!)
I just gotta say; I just gotta brag. A friend I've had since childhood called a couple weeks ago. Said he had tickets to the UK game...against Louisville. He wanted to know if I'd like to go.
1. seeing a UK basketball game at Rupp has been on my bucket list for a long time.
2. I got to check that item off my list, a UK/UL matchup no less, and probably Pitino's last game coached at Rupp!
(I just thought you fellow sports fans would like to know that. Eat your heart out!!!)
LMAO. I went from giving you tickets to the reason you don't go? Haha. In all your excuses over the years I haven't once seen fans like me as the reason. That is a new one.
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