Ok. So better memories, better recruiting, better fundraising
So what should the university do? Does having a “bar” at the stadium help? Did we ever end up selling beer at the events?
Do they actions require university funding, or is there things that don’t?
We do sell beer at football, basketball, and hockey.
If you could redo Yeager you could make it a nice spot. I sorta think private restaurants/pubs are the answer or at least have the space to allow temporary pop ups. Only because the location is a little off the beaten path for everyday traffic. Now, (to me) Millett is a different story. You could make a great bar/restaurant there in a renovation and I think people would come even on non game days.
Washington’s football team was on hand for the Huskies’s basketball game vs Colorado State yesterday, the night after getting back from Las Vegas. The Miami team definitely needs to be featured during a game at Millett.
Young people don’t want to sit in one spot for an entire game and watch. They want to drink and mingle. MLB stadiums are moving towards social SRO bar areas where fans can hang out in a bar area, stand at drink rails and generally move about and mingle. See picture below of what Cleveland built that is wildly popular. I think we can build something similar at Yager.
Miami is playing at Ohio State on Wednesday night. Send the football team. Introduce them as THE Miami University RedHawks and THE only FBS Ohio D1 Team to win their conference football championship.
Send @The_Sackman to sign autographs
Expensive craft beer. They need to sell Bud or Miller Lite for a buck each.
To their credit, they did take out a few rows of bleachers in the student section and put in drink rails. But still nothing like a patio area where people can move about and mingle. That would be awesome.
They also had Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Modelo at the last football game. (not for a buck, though) I think $6 or $8 for a 16 oz.
I did see that and thought it was a step in the right direction. But I think they can expand it to a patio area with a bar and drink rails all in a connected area.
You’re in luck. Sackman will be in attendance! I’ll bring a sharpie.
That’s not bad for a stadium beer. If you want to pull the kids that would otherwise be at Brick watching the game on the screens, you’d probably need a lower price point, but I have no idea what they’re charging for a cheap beer Uptown these days. “Beat the game clock” would be pretty awesome, though I can’t imagine the university ever going for it. Beer gets cheaper each quarter.
Uptown it’s a whole beer pitcher for a dollar. A can for 6-8 does not compete.
Trying to attract students to games with a “Beat The Clock” type promotion is never going to happen at a University sanctioned event with a college that has a party problem.
Obviously.
If the university is willing to spend money on this, how about an earn back on the student fees….attend games and earn some of your fees back
Or maybe take advantage of this generation’s propensity of FOMO….what influencers could be brought to gameday for that epic selfie?!
But cheaper beer sales don’t seem like it changes the trend
I asked one of the people in marketing about the idea of dollar beer night for basketball. The answer I got was that they proposed happy hour before the game so that for a 7pm tip, beer would be a dollar from 6-7 on the concourse.
Apparently they “aren’t allowed to lower the price of beer” so that idea was taken off the table.
I guess the concessions contract is the limit there?
They will be after J-term is over. They always have been after any season when we accomplished one of our goals ( P5 win, MAC championship, bowl game, beating UC, winning season).
As big of a fan of Miami athletics as I am I would not support spending more or on any marketing endeavors that don’t have overwhelming evidence that they will generate more revenues than expences.
Playing the long game, the best way to increase attendance amongst alums is to increase attendance by students. I have been impressed over the last couple years by the number of students who tailgate. Unfortunately, all too many never find their way into the stadium or put in a cursory appearance.
The solution might be easier and less expensive than we think. The university should continue the tent fraternity row and other student tailgates. That has shown it will attract students to the lot.
In the week prior to games if members of the team and coaches attend chapter meetings and student organization meetings and humbly thank the students who attend and ask everyone else to come in for kickoff I believe a ton of people will respond. As always if a certain number heed the call it will become the “in thing” to do
Keep in mind, the University is literally paying 5 students to attend each game, and still so few attend that cheerleaders and band members are winning the $$. Beer, at any price, isn’t going to be a game changer.
