How to Engage More Fans at James A. Rhodes Arena
We'll begin this article by stating the obvious - a new arena would be better than anything listed below. In a perfect scenario, the city of Akron and The University of Akron could come together on an arena project and make it happen. Until that day comes (and hopefully soon), here's our best ideas:
Give the students Section L
This is by no means an attack on our students that attend games and sit in sections F-H. But there's a few reasons the current setup doesn't work.
Trying to get chants going with a barrier between Sections F-H and Section 5 is nearly impossible. Same for when Sections F-H try to do so with the opposite end zone. If we're being honest, the seats aren't great either, as most have an obstructed view. I've always preferred to sit up higher. It's not that I don't want to be close - I just don't feel like poking my head back and forth for 40 minutes of a game trying to see around the hoop directly in front of me. Putting students in Section L gets them together, gives them great seats, and puts them right behind the opponent's bench. I understand the University loses on ticket sales, but I'd argue the improved energy in the JAR (which can get quite stale for non-Kent games) is worth the trade-off.
Find a donor/sponsor for the AK-Rowdies to cover the full cost of operations.
$10 is pretty reasonable for a cool t-shirt and admission to all home games. At the same time, most college students are working one, two, or maybe even three jobs to pay for college, just getting by financially. $10 might not seem like a lot at face value, but it can be when you're in college. Find a donor or a sponsor for the section/shirts. Maybe even find a few.
Allow kids under 9 years old and under to attend games for free.
I know...another proposal that loses money for Athletics. But hear me out. The Baltimore Orioles just announced an incredible new promotion named, "Kids Cheer Free", letting adults who purchase a ticket to bring up to two kids 9 and under attend for free. This is a game-changer. Imagine you're a a parent who wants to go to the game with your spouse and two kids. Currently, you'd be staring at $50-60 in tickets to sit on general admission bleachers. How likely are you to move forward with that plan? Making the games more family-friendly will bring more alumni to games, get kids interested in the Zips at an early age, and who knows, maybe get them to a point where they want to one day become a Zip themselves.
Better In-Game Entertainment
Simply put, book Red Panda for every home game.
Just kidding. I think. But acts like Red Panda do more for entertainment value than most that we actually see at The JAR. The Wentz Financial 25 K shot was a great start last year (although maybe we could find entrants that look like they've shot a basketball before). Entertainment should be fun, unique, and engaging.
Replace the Bleachers
They are awful, uncomfortable, make you feel squeezed in during games with bigger attendance numbers, and did we mention how uncomfortable they are? Rip 'em out, put seats in, and get fans a better experience (and less lower back pain).
Sell the Merchandise People Want
Remember the black "Z" uniforms that debuted in 2013? If you don't recall, UA sold jerseys, jersey shirts, and game shorts. They weren't cheap, but boy were they popular. One game in particular had a line running through the JAR. The gear sold out pretty quickly and fans who missed out were left with eBay as the only way to purchase them. They struck quite a debate with fans and alumni ("Black isn't a school color!") They were also the last uniforms Akron sold replicas of.
Fast-forward five years and they are still the last uniforms Akron has sold replicas of. This is unacceptable for a successful Division I program, especially given the demand that exists. Maybe the reason some people wear Ohio State gear to games is because they aren't impressed by the same shirts that are sold every year? You know there's a problem when die-hard Zips fans are heading to local custom wear shops to load up on their Zips gear.
Continuing Creative Giveaways
This area has improved over the years. The GV Artwork & Design shirt was fantastic, and the LeBron/Dru/Romeo bobblehead set was fun. The LeBron Zips jersey was really popular (which, again, points to fans wanting cooler gear as well). Anything that gives people an extra incentive to come to games helps. With Goodyear celebrating it's 100th anniversary, how about wearing Goodyear Wingfoots throwbacks for a night, then selling them for charity?
Connect More with Recent History
The last Zips player awarded a Honored Jersey was Eric McLaughlin, who last played in 1989. Considering Akron basketball's achievements over the past two decades, it's far overdue to honor some of the program's very best. We've made the argument for Romeo Travis to get his #24 retired, while Zeke Marshall is deserving as well. We've had a ton of success as a program, but you wouldn't really know it by walking into the JAR.
These are just a few ideas. What ideas do you have? What would get you to attend more games at the JAR?
Give the students Section L
This is by no means an attack on our students that attend games and sit in sections F-H. But there's a few reasons the current setup doesn't work.
Trying to get chants going with a barrier between Sections F-H and Section 5 is nearly impossible. Same for when Sections F-H try to do so with the opposite end zone. If we're being honest, the seats aren't great either, as most have an obstructed view. I've always preferred to sit up higher. It's not that I don't want to be close - I just don't feel like poking my head back and forth for 40 minutes of a game trying to see around the hoop directly in front of me. Putting students in Section L gets them together, gives them great seats, and puts them right behind the opponent's bench. I understand the University loses on ticket sales, but I'd argue the improved energy in the JAR (which can get quite stale for non-Kent games) is worth the trade-off.
Find a donor/sponsor for the AK-Rowdies to cover the full cost of operations.
$10 is pretty reasonable for a cool t-shirt and admission to all home games. At the same time, most college students are working one, two, or maybe even three jobs to pay for college, just getting by financially. $10 might not seem like a lot at face value, but it can be when you're in college. Find a donor or a sponsor for the section/shirts. Maybe even find a few.
Allow kids under 9 years old and under to attend games for free.
I know...another proposal that loses money for Athletics. But hear me out. The Baltimore Orioles just announced an incredible new promotion named, "Kids Cheer Free", letting adults who purchase a ticket to bring up to two kids 9 and under attend for free. This is a game-changer. Imagine you're a a parent who wants to go to the game with your spouse and two kids. Currently, you'd be staring at $50-60 in tickets to sit on general admission bleachers. How likely are you to move forward with that plan? Making the games more family-friendly will bring more alumni to games, get kids interested in the Zips at an early age, and who knows, maybe get them to a point where they want to one day become a Zip themselves.
Better In-Game Entertainment
Simply put, book Red Panda for every home game.
Just kidding. I think. But acts like Red Panda do more for entertainment value than most that we actually see at The JAR. The Wentz Financial 25 K shot was a great start last year (although maybe we could find entrants that look like they've shot a basketball before). Entertainment should be fun, unique, and engaging.
Replace the Bleachers
They are awful, uncomfortable, make you feel squeezed in during games with bigger attendance numbers, and did we mention how uncomfortable they are? Rip 'em out, put seats in, and get fans a better experience (and less lower back pain).
Sell the Merchandise People Want
Remember the black "Z" uniforms that debuted in 2013? If you don't recall, UA sold jerseys, jersey shirts, and game shorts. They weren't cheap, but boy were they popular. One game in particular had a line running through the JAR. The gear sold out pretty quickly and fans who missed out were left with eBay as the only way to purchase them. They struck quite a debate with fans and alumni ("Black isn't a school color!") They were also the last uniforms Akron sold replicas of.
Fast-forward five years and they are still the last uniforms Akron has sold replicas of. This is unacceptable for a successful Division I program, especially given the demand that exists. Maybe the reason some people wear Ohio State gear to games is because they aren't impressed by the same shirts that are sold every year? You know there's a problem when die-hard Zips fans are heading to local custom wear shops to load up on their Zips gear.
Continuing Creative Giveaways
This area has improved over the years. The GV Artwork & Design shirt was fantastic, and the LeBron/Dru/Romeo bobblehead set was fun. The LeBron Zips jersey was really popular (which, again, points to fans wanting cooler gear as well). Anything that gives people an extra incentive to come to games helps. With Goodyear celebrating it's 100th anniversary, how about wearing Goodyear Wingfoots throwbacks for a night, then selling them for charity?
Connect More with Recent History
The last Zips player awarded a Honored Jersey was Eric McLaughlin, who last played in 1989. Considering Akron basketball's achievements over the past two decades, it's far overdue to honor some of the program's very best. We've made the argument for Romeo Travis to get his #24 retired, while Zeke Marshall is deserving as well. We've had a ton of success as a program, but you wouldn't really know it by walking into the JAR.
These are just a few ideas. What ideas do you have? What would get you to attend more games at the JAR?
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