randyfensfanclub1
All American
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RE: Opinions of AD Frazier
(05-20-2019 08:13 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote: (05-20-2019 05:38 PM)randyfensfanclub1 Wrote: In this position, you are as good as your supporting cast.
I have met him a couple times, he'll shake your hand, talk for a minute or 2 and move on. I don't expect a lengthy, in depth conversation with anyone in his position. Time is money, he has things to do on game day, people to schmooze and other obligations.
As far as the department, I think they are short handed and don't have the right people. As I have said before, I have had great experiences in years past with issues such as a ticket mix up for OSU and getting tickets at a home game straightened out. As I have found in my own experiences, seen on Linkedin and been told, most if not all of the support team moved on. Within the last couple years I have found it to be jumping through hoops to even get someone at the ticket office. I also sent an email to HAF to renew my small yearly donation as I sat a year out and I go no response when I asked for the HAF material. In this case, I see this as incompetent.
Again, I am not and wasn't a big donor, only used a friends season tix or bought individual games. I thought years ago on my 1st, 2nd years donation to have a meet and greet with food after the Spring game was awesome. 1st year was free bar, then it was cash I think which was still fine. Then they wanted more to attend. Again, fine but seeing they only had 150-200 in attendance I don't see what the issue was.
As for his plans, ideas, I think the scheduling of P5 is great, other than this years dismal home schedule. I think the all out stadium/campus renovation was a disaster from the onset. A pipe dream, like the B12 talk. It should have been a small steps and all out ticket drive to get people into the seats the following season. That could have lead to an west side renovation as well as end zone for a small fraction of the cost. Somehow, stands weren't filled, almost as if AD and fan expectations of anything less than a NYD bowl was unacceptable. It was impossible for the team to meet expectations it seemed but getting next to nothing done in improvements since then and attendance falling (please, don't anyone start with budget, falling attendance) is what we got in the end.
The renovation plan started when the student body was 21k. It’s barely 15k now. That unforeseen drop stymied any hopes for improvements. Whether there should have been a different approach to building fan support is always up for debate. But Frazier, as always, thinks big. Strike while it’s hot and give the fans another reason to come out....a nice venue.
Great in theory. Didn’t work. But if you truly want to be some kind of “next Boise”, I think you need big ideas like his. That just don’t always work.
To me, his plan was to be the next Louisville, Rutgers, Texas Tech or Utah. Everyone was looking at 5 power conferences with 16 teams and such. And everyone had "lists." And as we know, Boise made the jump to D1 in 90's, they didn't go P5 with a 37K stadium. It "appeared" NIUs destiny was P5 or nothing, not a Boise St. joining a conference like AAC. Whether other conferences had us on the radar, guessing yes but probably nothing serious.
I don't want to get into the drop in enrollment other than city of DeKalb, state of Illinois, NIU itself are all responsible for the fall of NIU and the campus itself. But I don't see how that relates completely into inability to captivate existing and recruiting new fans after the Orange Bowl. They failed...period.
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05-20-2019 10:17 PM |
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