(05-02-2021 10:13 PM)UTArlingtonMaverick Wrote:  

(05-02-2021 09:52 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(05-02-2021 09:32 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  I'm always sorta curious about the idea that playing road basketball games helps expand your student body, or if there's any evidence to it. UTA averaged about 1,800 fans per game in 2019, I can't imagine they get that much press in local papers either. How much does SIU or Drake or whoever playing a game there really help their general recruiting?

I know I've seen similar arguments for the CAA, where we get games @ Boston, Philly, New York/Ling Island, but I'm never completely sold.

It seems like university-presidents-outsmarting-themselves syndrome. It pays itself off at the P5/Big East level, plus AAC. It works below that if you’re regional.

But whatever DFW students watching an 1800 attendance game in Arlington say “hey, I want to move up north and attend a Missouri Valley school”, you have to divide by 10. So even if it convinces 10 DFW HS tuition-paying students, you’re left with 1 per school on average.

I could see an attraction to Loyola (Chicago) or Missouri St (driveable), maybe Drake (Des Moines) — but the number of DFW HS students who convince themselves to move to Valparaiso, Terre Haute, Evansville, Peoria, Blo-No, Carbondale, or Frostbite Falls due to MVC schools playing once a year in an 1800 attendance game in Arlington could probably be counted on one hand.

My wife went to Weber State. When Weber came to UTA a few years ago to play basketball, they used the event to host a significant pre-game event, and possibly post-game, if I remember. My wife and Weber alumni from all over DFW were invited. They made it a big deal. What I am saying is that Weber didn't sit back and do nothing and expect to reap the publicity benefits from game coverage in the Fort Wort Star-Telegram. They used the game as a tool. This is what you do, at least from time-to-time, if you are out-of state and want to reach your alumni and prospective students. The game and your team give you something around which to build to make your presence known.

Yeah, that makes enough sense to me, I'm just not sold it would make UTA that attractive to the MVC. It seems like the type of thing that can be accomplished with OOC games, as Weber did. You're going to have to travel out to Texas for all sports, when you might only be able to get an alumni group out for a men's basketball game (maybe women's basketball and baseball). It also could become less of a special event when it's an every year thing.