Creighton at Butler on FS1

[FDS]

Question goes out to Butler fans. What holds up Butler for sellout at 9,100 during the work week?

The size of the University (enrollment of about 4,800) and the amount of alumni Butler has I think is the biggest thing holding back people from going to games. That coupled with the fact that Indianapolis for decades has been IU territory. People who live here understand that there are more IU fans here that didn't go to IU than there are who did. It is a slow process changing the allegiances of those folks and getting more people to games, especially on worknights, at 7pm. I know many alumni who frequently attend games, aren't able to get off work and get to a game for a 7pm tipoff. Did you see the arena during the Butler at Seton Hall game that tipped at 6:30? I can't imagine how anyone at all made it to that game, but it sure looked like very few did on television.

I suppose that some of it also has to do with other things going on in Indy, but every team in this Conference (except Creighton) is located in a city and must compete against the same or similar factors.

[RxJay]

So Omaha is not a city?

[BMRadio99]

So Omaha is not a city?

I think/hope FDS meant that in Omaha, Creighton's not competing with pro sports or a traditional CBB powerhouse...but who knows.

Anyway, wish I had a better answer, but yeah...small enrollment, sure, but casual fans putting butts in the seats are another. There are two Big Ten schools (with traditionally good BB programs) within an hour's drive, and of people who are buying tickets and bringing families to games - what was going on the 70s and 80s at Butler vs. at IU and Purdue, I kinda get why there aren't many non-alum fans from that era. Plus there's an NBA team (with quite affordable tickets) a couple miles away. Things have been trending upward since the Horizon League era (when I attended...there were some sparse weekday games), and I expect it to do so, just slowly.

[BEX]

Question goes out to Butler fans. What holds up Butler for sellout at 9,100 during the work week?

The size of the University (enrollment of about 4,800) and the amount of alumni Butler has I think is the biggest thing holding back people from going to games. That coupled with the fact that Indianapolis for decades has been IU territory. People who live here understand that there are more IU fans here that didn't go to IU than there are who did. It is a slow process changing the allegiances of those folks and getting more people to games, especially on worknights, at 7pm. I know many alumni who frequently attend games, aren't able to get off work and get to a game for a 7pm tipoff. Did you see the arena during the Butler at Seton Hall game that tipped at 6:30? I can't imagine how anyone at all made it to that game, but it sure looked like very few did on television.

I suppose that some of it also has to do with other things going on in Indy, but every team in this Conference (except Creighton) is located in a city and must compete against the same or similar factors.

Always wondered this myself. Seems to me they should sell out every game @ the Fenway of College Basketball. Quite a mystery.

[gtmoBlue]

Wow...Great game by the Dogs. Never expected them to shoot so well from the 3. Good luck moving ahead and closing the season. See U in the BET hopefully. As for dancing in the NCAAs...the Bluejays will be there as well. As the BE is the 4th best conf thus far, 22 w's should do the trick, (yeah, yeah, teams get bids-not conferences) the Jays will be there.

Hey HoosierPal, milksteak, and KMacker69 - good to see u participating in a bit of trashtalking. Always enjoyable reading some good trash. One of my fav pasttimes. Go (to hades) 'Nova!

[MUPanther]

I go back knowing Butler well from the Horizon League day's as well. There ticket prices were not cheap back then.
Butler now sells out every weekend game and last night was 7,330. An Horizon League game back then during the week was getting around 4,000. Just seeing what it might take to sell out conference work week games.

[marquette]

I go back knowing Butler well from the Horizon League day's as well. There ticket prices were not cheap back then.
Butler now sells out every weekend game and last night was 7,330. An Horizon League game back then during the week was getting around 4,000. Just seeing what it might take to sell out conference work week games.

Not really relevant to the conversation, but are an alum of both UWM and MU?

[MUPanther]

I go back knowing Butler well from the Horizon League day's as well. There ticket prices were not cheap back then.
Butler now sells out every weekend game and last night was 7,330. An Horizon League game back then during the week was getting around 4,000. Just seeing what it might take to sell out conference work week games.

Not really relevant to the conversation, but are an alum of both UWM and MU?

Neither.

[milksteak]

Question goes out to Butler fans. What holds up Butler for sellout at 9,100 during the work week?

The size of the University (enrollment of about 4,800) and the amount of alumni Butler has I think is the biggest thing holding back people from going to games. That coupled with the fact that Indianapolis for decades has been IU territory. People who live here understand that there are more IU fans here that didn't go to IU than there are who did. It is a slow process changing the allegiances of those folks and getting more people to games, especially on worknights, at 7pm. I know many alumni who frequently attend games, aren't able to get off work and get to a game for a 7pm tipoff. Did you see the arena during the Butler at Seton Hall game that tipped at 6:30? I can't imagine how anyone at all made it to that game, but it sure looked like very few did on television.

I suppose that some of it also has to do with other things going on in Indy, but every team in this Conference (except Creighton) is located in a city and must compete against the same or similar factors.

This pretty much sums it up. The support from the city is pretty piss poor given the amount of success the program has had over the last decade plus.

The basketball dynamic is really odd in Indianapolis. The Pacers have attendance issues. They aren't the New York Knicks or the L.A. Lakers (obviously), but they've had some success for a while. People in the city fanatically support IU Basketball and the Colts (to a slightly lesser degree) and that's about it.

[butlerguy03]

Always wondered this myself. Seems to me they should sell out every game @ the Fenway of College Basketball. Quite a mystery.

We have a lot of "Cathedrals" around. Weekday games at high school gyms get 1,000-2,000 (maybe more) and its closer to home and cheaper. A great example was Tuesday night, Kellen Dunham's younger brother had his Senior night at Pendleton Heights High School with a large crowd (and scored 44). That's an extreme example, but those add up.

Hell, some games around Indy have more NBA talent on the floor than a Butler game.