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Why is there a student section?

KingHigh

KingHigh

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I always figured the student section existed so that a large mass of rowdy crazy rambunctious young adults can be in one place to feed off each others energy and at the same time not disturb the older crowd. If that is the reason does it really apply at Rutgers Stadium? Because what I see is a three-quarters empty bleacher that only gets emptier as the game goes on. Students should be able to receive complimentary tickets but it looks kind of dodgy to have a lower level section completely or significantly empty every game.

And now with the students possibly planning a boycott, Rutgers needs to get people into those seats. The students are far too demanding and disinterested in being at the game to Warrant an entire section dedicated to them.
 
MikeR0102 said:
Make them pay for tickets like other schools do.
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I do think tuition should cover a limited number of student tickets, but I'd the students are so disinterested in general, then essentially rendering an entire section in the lower level empty is a really poor idea.
 
There is a student section because college football should be about the students. Hard enough to get students to the games as it is, now closing the alley after two games let's see if any of them show up.
 
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RU1993 said:
There is a student section because college football should be about the students. Hard enough to get students to the games as it is, now closing the alley after two games let's see if any of them show up.
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But that's kind of my point. Students can't get lower-level Prime seating, they won't show up. Students have to pay for their seats, they won't show up. Students are not allowed to throw Limitless parties in donor Lots, students won't show up. Students aren't allowed to have University sanctioned underage drinking parties, students won't show up. Give the students their own lot but it is a little bit of a walk, students won't show up. At a certain point we have to wonder: are the students even interested in attending a football game? And lots of people pay for their upper level tickets. The students should get to have those.
 
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It's not like the rest of the stadium is filling up to capacity to start tapping into the student allotment. You start charging for tickets, you will never start building up fandom. Other schools can charge because somehow that fandom started before they got to their respective schools.

To be honest, even though their section is not always that full, I would like to say that they generate the majority of the noise compared to the rest of the stadium. I'm a season ticket holder on the other side of the field (section 116) and I feel like an idiot when it seems like I might be only person screaming his head off. lol.

I was a student from 2007-2011. Good years to start being a new Rutgers football fan. Those tickets make me the hardcore Rutgers football fan that I am. Unfortunately, we haven't been very good lately. Or at least good enough for a brand new student to really latch on. Give us some good years or at least some memorable night games and they'll come. It's almost like an investment.
 
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MikeR0102 said:
Make them pay for tickets like other schools do.
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Yeah! This way students never go to games. And the old timers can complain about it more than before!

They could make students get their tickets in advance, and open those seats up to the public after a certain cutoff, but it's not like they're selling the stadium out. Seems like it's not really broken ...
 
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OTBOTOR said:
I don't understand the constant need to knock the student section when 70% of the north end zone and upper level seats are empty.
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That student section looks so empty on my TV! When will RU fans get loyal and start attending games!?
 
Let's take into consideration the opponents we have played. As a student, I have season tickets and attend every game. However, noon start times against Howard and NM are not going to get the average fan excited to sit in the sun. With this said I fully expect the games later in the season (PSU, Michigan,etc.) to be packed.
 
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The students usually do a good job. It was a little disappointing last week with how many left early in a close game. I hope this boycott doesn't happen. This is a winnable game and they could help.
 
OP, we get it. You hate everyone who is younger than you. And thats fine.


But theres no need to cook up stories and false info just to push your agenda. It sounds silly. Get rid of the student section? Stop being ridiculous.
 
KingHigh said:
But that's kind of my point. Students can't get lower-level Prime seating, they won't show up. Students have to pay for their seats, they won't show up. Students are not allowed to throw Limitless parties in donor Lots, students won't show up. Students aren't allowed to have University sanctioned underage drinking parties, students won't show up. Give the students their own lot but it is a little bit of a walk, students won't show up. At a certain point we have to wonder: are the students even interested in attending a football game? And lots of people pay for their upper level tickets. The students should get to have those.
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For the most part, I disagreed with your argument, but this is hard to argue with. I'd personally pay more for my tix so that students can come for free, and I prefer to have them there, but I like your logic.
 
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It's simple. The tickets should have to be physically retrieved by students. Row by row going up. If all 10,000 tickets have not been picked up by Thursday, then they should go on open market so we have a section that looks full.

If a barcode is not scanned, that means the student didn't go and they receive lower priority for the next game they want to attend.

Other schools hand out physical tix to ensure attendance... why can't we?
 
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MikeR0102 said:
Make them pay for tickets like other schools do.
Click to expand...
What a counterproductive idea. The students already haven't been showing up strongly this season, now they're pissed off about the Alley being shut down, and if they are now told they have to pay for their tickets, the student section will consist of about 20 kids. At the end of the day, if the team is performing well on the field, the students will be more interested. In the meantime, we aren't going to have a packed student section for noon non-conference games.
 
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Psychologically it may help get students to go to the game if they had to pay for their tickets. Im pretty sure there was a study done to confirm this theory but by having free tickets you're telling students those tickets have no value. If they have something of no value what is the incentive to go to the game or stay for the entire game.

Now this year is probably too late but next year if they reduce the student fee across the board by some small amount ($2-3), mostly for show, but charge $10 per game, maybe $40 for the season the students that buy tickets will have skin in the game and thus incentive to show up. This will also be a better gauge of how much interest there is and would allow the AD to reduce the size of the student section accordingly.
 
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MikeR0102 said:
Other schools have student fees and still charge the students.
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Most don't have a $365 fee that goes directly to athletics. Even if you charged students for tickets it not going to stop them from skipping games. The majority of kids wouldn't think it a big deal to miss a game or two because mommy and daddy paid for it. For every 1 student who decides not to skip the game because they paid for a ticket you would have 5 students who don't go because it not free. Penn State student season tickets are $218 a piece and you still have a ton of no shows for the bad games.
 
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KingHigh said:
I always figured the student section existed so that a large mass of rowdy crazy rambunctious young adults can be in one place to feed off each others energy and at the same time not disturb the older crowd. If that is the reason does it really apply at Rutgers Stadium? Because what I see is a three-quarters empty bleacher that only gets emptier as the game goes on. Students should be able to receive complimentary tickets but it looks kind of dodgy to have a lower level section completely or significantly empty every game.

And now with the students possibly planning a boycott, Rutgers needs to get people into those seats. The students are far too demanding and disinterested in being at the game to Warrant an entire section dedicated to them.
Click to expand...
Why don't you post this to your stupid Twitter account. Only elite programs fill up against scrub teams like Howard. For big games I'll put this student section up against anybody pound for pound.
POTWIsTheCrowd.gif

maxresdefault.jpg
 
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rutgers4life11 said:
It's simple. The tickets should have to be physically retrieved by students. Row by row going up. If all 10,000 tickets have not been picked up by Thursday, then they should go on open market so we have a section that looks full.

If a barcode is not scanned, that means the student didn't go and they receive lower priority for the next game they want to attend.

Other schools hand out physical tix to ensure attendance... why can't we?
Click to expand...
GREAT idea. This should be presented to Hobbs/RU Administration.
 
Rutgers is a school not an NFL team, that is why there is a student section.

The players, cheerleaders, dance team, the band and the mascot are all students as well.

What silly question!
 
Both parties are kind of right. The students shouldn't have to pay. However, they sure due bitch like entitled little babies way too often. If they truly boycott this game they are even more entitled spoiled brats than I could have imagined.
 
The real question is how do we make our games a natural part of the student experience. Anyone I ever meet from other schools, football fans or not, all talk of football Saturday's as if they would have been a loser if they weren't there, hangover or not.
 
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ruteelrice said:
Why don't you post this to your stupid Twitter account. Only elite programs fill up against scrub teams like Howard. For big games I'll put this student section up against anybody pound for pound.
POTWIsTheCrowd.gif

maxresdefault.jpg
Click to expand...

Why do you have to take a shot at me personally? It's because you know I'm right. The student section should be filled for Big Ten football games and it is three-quarters empty. It is a pathetic display from our students who would boycott the games now because they're not allowed to have an underage drink-till-you-puke party sanctioned by the University. That's some student support we have. I don't think they are worthy of their own section. It's great that they show up when were a top 25 team though.
 
If the North Endzone was more filled I would understand being upset. But for NM and Howard that simply was not true. The North Endzone was equally empty.... Its just more spread out because people have assigned seats there. Until that happens, leave the students alone. They are louder than the rest of the stadium combined even at only 50% capacity.
 
KingHigh said:
Why do you have to take a shot at me personally? It's because you know I'm right. The student section should be filled for Big Ten football games and it is three-quarters empty. It is a pathetic display from our students who would boycott the games now because they're not allowed to have an underage drink-till-you-puke party sanctioned by the University. That's some student support we have. I don't think they are worthy of their own section. It's great that they show up when were a top 25 team though.
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I wasn't aware we played a Big Ten game this year... Did I miss a week?
 
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RUin2WIN said:
Where are you getting these extra fans from? We haven't even sold out season tickets yet.
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A lot of people whose tickets are in the upper level would love to be down in the lower level. It should be available to them. Give the students a section in the upper level that is not on camera so they can come and go as they please without leaving a highly visible part of the stadium empty for televised games.
 
KingHigh said:
Precisely. There's not even enough demand at Rutgers for a free student section. That section needs to be filled with fans, Not absent drunks.
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KingHigh said:
There is a boycott petition with a thousand signatures on it, is there not?
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Doesn't mean they won't show anyway. I signed it, I'm still going. You should cut your losses now on this and admit it was a dumb idea. Honestly, you suggested getting rid of a STUDENT section at a university filled with STUDENTS and that is run by STUDENT tuition. Let that sink in.
 
RUin2WIN said:
Doesn't mean they won't show anyway. I signed it, I'm still going. You should cut your losses now on this and admit it was a dumb idea. Honestly, you suggested getting rid of a STUDENT section at a university filled with STUDENTS and that is run by STUDENT tuition. Let that sink in.
Click to expand...

So... you signed a petition pledging to not attend the game, but you're going to the game.

I want my money back. Seriously.
 
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KingHigh said:
A lot of people whose tickets are in the upper level would love to be down in the lower level. It should be available to them. Give the students a section in the upper level that is not on camera so they can come and go as they please without leaving a highly visible part of the stadium empty for televised games.
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Name me one other school at the FBS level that puts there students in the upper levels. I'll wait. Everyone he is always whining about being a BIG time program and acting the part and now you want to move students to the upper deck so they're not visible. That's not even FCS level stuff. You're so off-base on this it's comical.
 
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We have fcs level student support. That us a choice the students make each week. They aren't interested.
 
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