Football
Below is the video of my tour of InfoCision Stadium.
Thanks to Dan Kadar for the filming and editing.
Click here to see my notes from the tour.
Also this…
Senior associate AD Hunter Yurachek sent me an e-mail with that addressed his plan for marketing to students:
There will be single-game attendance events such as Greek Night, a residence hall challenge and homecoming events. One member of the marketing staff is assigned strictly to implementing the student marketing plan.
A representative from the Department of Athletics has presented to future UA students during at each New Student Orientation session for the past two summers. Each presentation has included information regarding the stadium, athletic events, the AK Rowdies and the importance of a student’s involvement in athletics.
In April, the Department of Athletics, in conjunction with the Office of Student Affairs, conducted meetings with leaders and members of each Greek organization and several other student organizations to discuss parking, tailgating, tickets for the new stadium and take a tour of the stadium.
Based on anticipated attendance, students will be required to pick up a ticket prior to the first game – this will be promoted to students as soon as they arrive on campus via welcome week, fliers in residence halls, visiting fraternity and sorority houses, e-mail blast, ads in the Buchtelite, Facebook and Twitter.
Every student living in a residence hall will receive a football schedule key tab (similar to the Giant Eagle Advantage card or CVS card, etc) when they check-in and acquire their room keys.
Football posters, schedule cards and magnets will be distributed in every residence hall room before students arrive on campus.
Residence Life has provided a bulletin board dedicated to the Department of Athletics at the entrance to every residence hall to assist in promoting events on a daily basis.
In coordination with New Student Orientation, 15,000 students will receive football game day t-shirts at Student Appreciation Day the week of the first home game. During distribution, students will be encouraged to wear shirts to football games.
The week of every home game, there will be an on-campus blitz to promote the game that includes: fliers stuffed under residence hall doors, banners in the student union, Rob's Cafeteria and student recreation center, Zippy distributing information at the Student Union and other high-traffic student areas, e-mail blast, Buchtelite ads, Facebook and A-Frame signs in strategic locations on campus.
That sounds like a sufficiently thorough plan to me. I guarantee it will work in September and October. The key is filling the stadium for two of the three November home games (the third is vs. Kent State).
Men's basketball
As I reported three weeks ago, Akron promoted Rick McFadden to assistant coach and added veteran coach Dan Peters as director of basketball operations.
The university reported it on Tuesday, so now it's official.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Great visual tour of the newest gem on the University of Akron campus. Akron will absolutely ROCK on fall Saturday afternoons!!
I don't know Rasor, lot of hype for 2 minutes and 30 seconds with a lot of views that most fans have seen from the web cams already. You also said you had a lot of information that you didn't include in your notes. Where is the indepth interview with Horn?
This is the exact same "marketing plan" they have been using with the students for the last couple of years. Not impressive at all.
"Based on anticipated attendance, students will be required to pick up a ticket prior to the first game"
For some reason, I don't buy this. I really don't think they'll sell so many tickets that they won't be able to handle a walk-up student crowd. We can hope they do though.
Bottom line: Akron students and residents are too hillbilly to appreciate a facility like this. And thus far, the Zips football team has proven too inept to be displayed on a field like this.
Will things change, come September? Bets?
Online poll on the student uakron page.
How many Zips football games do you plan on attending in the new stadium this year?
Response Votes Percent
1 1,859 28.69
2 611 9.43
3 673 10.39
4 627 9.68
5 291 4.49
6 2,419 37.33
Total Responses:
6480
Take that for what it's worth. I'd assume that seeing 2,000 kids at the first game is a given. There's bound to be a bunch of kids who didn't vote who will still go to at least one game.
By the way, I hope they give out tickets to the students. Good idea.
At least we know the "executive" associate athletic director reads your blog. If he's been doing this for two years, where's the beef? Is this marketing scheme effective? If the success of what they've been doing is the attendance numbers at the Rubber Bowl, perhaps they should try something different. There are more students at games. Can that be attributed to a student group, the AKRowdies? Offering 15,000 t-shirts for a 5,700? seat student section is interesting. That might be the "thinking outside the box". The newness and location will boost attendance. How can you achieve beyond that? All the steps he's mentioned should be the starting point, not the campaign. He also fails to address concerns over season ticket sales and goals.
Why the cheerleading? You and I want the stadium filled and he talks about 18k+. You strike while the iron's hot.
Mike,
http://www.gozips.com/downloads1/135087.jpg?ATCLID=3755533&SPID=4319&SPSID=47122&DB_OEM_ID=10800
From the pictures of the stadium, it appears it is open below the seats (like a HS stadium). Will this remain or will there something added later??
The marketing plan for students should be amended at least in one area. They should allow walk up seating for students with ID on a space available basis. Some may come after the start of the game just to get a look see….and come back. Hopefully you can get this changed. Everything should be done to remove all obstacles for student involvement.
Lastly…where can I get one of those hard hats!!!!
this marketing plan sounds a little suspect to the fans
turn the lights on at night, let the fans feel, touch and see Info with weekend tours WAY BEFORE THE OPENER ( like right now ) create some BUZZ
i mean anybody who wants to see the place — not just the people the external sales force is targeting for season tickets and luxury boxes
it's the fans you want to return and buy more tickets
We are less than 90 days to Morgan St.
this marketing plan better mustard up some sizzle to the fans pretty quick
Love the video stuff. I feel a little let down, I didn't learn a thing. Keep up the good work though.
Doug,
That's the concessions/restroom area.
I appreciate the effort, but I was expecting a lot more of your video.
Less than 3:00 minutes and most of that was talking.
Everything that you showed was already seen. I was really hoping for some different views..
Thanks anyway.
We had a lot more video content, but Ohio.com prefers shorter videos. One problem is that, when we were shooting in the press tower, there was no trimming. It's like a house under construction — not much to look at.
In September, we are doing another video that should show how the suites, restrooms, etc. turned out.
Mike,
Look again at the bleacher type seats they are currently installing on the west side. You can see right through them. That means there is nothing below….if your shoe came off…it would fall to the ground or on someone’s head. Or….if someone threw an empty beer cup under their seat…it would fall to the ground. Is this the way it will be on completion…or will they add something below??
Thanks
"The week of every home game, there will be an on-campus blitz to promote the game that includes: fliers stuffed under residence hall doors, banners in the student union, Rob's Cafeteria and student recreation center, Zippy distributing information at the Student Union and other high-traffic student areas, e-mail blast, Buchtelite ads, Facebook and A-Frame signs in strategic locations on campus."
Nothing that hasn't been done for the past three years or more. Nothing new about that whatsoever. It's entirely passive marketing, and it will be ignored by the students. You have to get "in your face" to combat apathy.
Doug, there will be flooring for the stands. The steel bleachers are installed in phases. But they will be just as solid as the concrete ones.
G-Mann is right.
The place is looking great. Finally a first class facility that the students and the community can take great pride in. InfoCision Stadium gives the Zips football program and the university a vehicle with which to build proud traditions and special memories. As a suburbanite , I look forward to coming to Akron on game days and for special events. Good job UA!
Hopefully one day the university, the city and maybe even LeBron could join forces to give us a first class large arena as well.