Explaining the lack of students at our athletic events is not very hard. There are about as many excuses as there are boy bands on MuchMusic. Oooh… it’s a commuter campus. Ahhh… there are so many other options for entertainment. Damn… students just don’t care about their Dinos. Even though a lot can be blamed on the apathetic lemmings (or students as we call them), the Students’ Union and even the Dinos themselves deserve some flack as well.
First, let’s pick on our friends at the SU. According to both the SU and Dinos media, the two have enjoyed good relations this year. There were obvious marketing successes like U of C 101 where the Dinos brought out over 5,000 fans to their homecoming game. There’s also the Riot Squad which has been a hit with young fans and immature students who just have to have that little teddy bear.
So when the SU became involved they’ve done well. Why don’t they get involved more? The Vice president Events is responsible for all events around campus. With Bermuda Shorts Day, The Bitter Ball and other exciting happenings, the Dinos can fall by the wayside. That’s OK. But why doesn’t the SU have a commissioner that deals with the Dinos? This hypothetical commissioner could help co-ordinate events with the Dinos when the VP Events is busy (which is most of the time). There would be a clear channel of communication between the two parties with the most to gain. The Dinos want the fans and the SU wants to improve school spirit (we hope).
There’s also Max’s. While a good friend to the Dinos now, it could become a sweetheart or maybe even a lover with just a little effort (see brilliant suggestions in the story below).
On the Dinos’ side, the marketing department does a good job connecting with people from the community and the alumni population, but they seem to miss the mark with the average student. Many casual sports fans on campus don’t even know when the Dinos play much less how good they are. Giveaways and contests seem like a good solution since sponsors are usually willing to donate some stuff for free publicity. All the Dinos have to do is bribe the fans a little. It’s not even really about prizes. If a student walks by and sees a giveaway they probably won’t win anything but at least they’ll find out there’s a game on that night.
Getting the fans out takes effort and planning for both the SU and the Dinos. The SU could start putting forth more effort and the Dinos could actually take aim at their target audience–you and I, the apathetic students.