Western Illinois Basketball. What's the deal??

[TheBisonator]

I was just gazing at some stats for other teams in the Summit League, and I found something interesting about Western Illinois' past two games:

Dec. 22: Attendance vs. Kennesaw State - 277
Dec. 30: Attendance vs. Culver-Stockton - 265

Now I know that students are gone for break and all, but I mean, seriously, 277 and 265??? Can Macomb, Illinois, a town of 19,000 people, not even muster up a thousand local townsfolk to go cheer for their local Division I basketball team?? I mean, you could take 5 percent of the town's population, and just 50 students who live off-campus, and you have a halfway-decent crowd of 1,100 or so, which at least isn't embarrassing as hell.

I have been in the main computer lab in the IACC during the middle of school days, and I swear there were more than that many people sitting at computers and working at the help desk than the number of people at those WIU basketball games.

Now I know why the Missouri Valley doesn't want anything to do with them. These aren't even the kind of crowds you see for Class B girls hoops games in Western ND. I don't believe any self-respecting 4 or 6 year university in NCAA DI DII DIII or NAIA should be having that kind of attendance.

I can understand WIU being in the Gateway. They have a strong football fan base and a decent program. But why are they even in the Summit League if they can't even get 300 people to attend a winter break game??

[Blue]

Now I know that students are gone for break and all, but I mean, seriously, 277 and 265??? Can Macomb, Illinois, a town of 19,000 people, not even muster up a thousand local townsfolk to go cheer for their local Division I basketball team?? I mean, you could take 5 percent of the town's population, and just 50 students who live off-campus, and you have a halfway-decent crowd of 1,100 or so, which at least isn't embarrassing as hell.

Now I know why the Missouri Valley doesn't want anything to do with them. These aren't even the kind of crowds you see for Class B girls hoops games in Western ND. I don't believe any self-respecting 4 or 6 year university in NCAA DI DII DIII or NAIA should be having that kind of attendance.

I can understand WIU being in the Gateway. They have a strong football fan base and a decent program. But why are they even in the Summit League if they can't even get 300 people to attend a winter break game??
Marketing...Actually a lack of marketing. Western Fans aren't fond of the marketing not done for their program. There schedule wasn't finalized until mid-October. WIU apparently doesn't market the games from what the talk on their fan board is. Plus their basketball program has gone down the Sh!tter in the last 5 years or so.

[Bison bison]

But why are they even in the Summit League if they can't even get 300 people to attend a winter break game??

one sport does not a program or conference make. And because if they leave the summit implodes due to a lack of counting members.

[roadwarrior]

I plan on adding ONE to their attendance numbers on Jan 12th. I hope that I can find a place to sit!

[onbison09]

I could market and stuff more than that in a building. WTF???

[Tatanka]

I was just gazing at some stats for other teams in the Summit League, and I found something interesting about Western Illinois' past two games:

Dec. 22: Attendance vs. Kennesaw State - 277
Dec. 30: Attendance vs. Culver-Stockton - 265

Now I know that students are gone for break and all, but I mean, seriously, 277 and 265??? Can Macomb, Illinois, a town of 19,000 people, not even muster up a thousand local townsfolk to go cheer for their local Division I basketball team?? I mean, you could take 5 percent of the town's population, and just 50 students who live off-campus, and you have a halfway-decent crowd of 1,100 or so, which at least isn't embarrassing as hell.

I have been in the main computer lab in the IACC during the middle of school days, and I swear there were more than that many people sitting at computers and working at the help desk than the number of people at those WIU basketball games.

Now I know why the Missouri Valley doesn't want anything to do with them. These aren't even the kind of crowds you see for Class B girls hoops games in Western ND. I don't believe any self-respecting 4 or 6 year university in NCAA DI DII DIII or NAIA should be having that kind of attendance.

I can understand WIU being in the Gateway. They have a strong football fan base and a decent program. But why are they even in the Summit League if they can't even get 300 people to attend a winter break game??
<$0.02>
Having actually visited Culver-Stockton's campus (a failed nookie run but that's another day's topic), I can personally guarantee you that 265 is reasonable attendance to watch their "athletics" (or reasonable fascimile thereof). It's smaller than Mayville State, and is in a town about the size of Lisbon, if that.

However, unlike Mayville, there is little if any local support for their athletic teams, so they won't travel (fans wise) worth a crap. It's close to WIU which is probably why they're on the schedule.

When NDSU brings local small schools in for their annual whooping, they're also bringing in casual fans from those towns as Fargo is the commercial center for a good chunk of western MN/eastern ND. The same cannot be said for Macomb.

Bottom line: a town of 19000 in Illinois (an afterthought) <> a town of 19000 in ND (likely top 10 in the state).

I agree that that attendance figure is pretty Alerus-for-a-playoff-game-ish, but I can certainly understand it.
</$0.02>

[aces1180]

<$0.02>
Having actually visited Culver-Stockton's campus (a failed nookie run but that's another day's topic), I can personally guarantee you that 265 is reasonable attendance to watch their "athletics" (or reasonable fascimile thereof). It's smaller than Mayville State, and is in a town about the size of Lisbon, if that.

However, unlike Mayville, there is little if any local support for their athletic teams, so they won't travel (fans wise) worth a crap. It's close to WIU which is probably why they're on the schedule.

When NDSU brings local small schools in for their annual whooping, they're also bringing in casual fans from those towns as Fargo is the commercial center for a good chunk of western MN/eastern ND. The same cannot be said for Macomb.

Bottom line: a town of 19000 in Illinois (an afterthought) <> a town of 19000 in ND (likely top 10 in the state).

I agree that that attendance figure is pretty Alerus-for-a-playoff-game-ish, but I can certainly understand it.
</$0.02>

I once had a failed nookie run at Dakota State in Madison, S.D. I have a feeling I know the kind of place of which you speak. Especially when the hotel has artwork which looks like the designs of a Schmidt's 30-pack.

Ah, college...The good ol' days.

[TransAmBison]

Failed nookie runs...that could be a whole thread by itself, kind of an off-shoot of Bison memories!

[bisonpride2k]

Macomb, Illinois = Valley City, Wahpeton, or Devils Lake. Very similar.