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Post by OG Raiderfan on May 30, 2008 20:01:19 GMT -5
Bob Grant was very impressive in today's AD forum. I don't remember everything he had to say, but here are some of the highlights: -- He would like to increase attendance to average over 7500 per game. --He wants to bring back some of the successful marketing tools we used in the 1990's to increase attendance at mens basketball games. --He wants WSU to be more visual in the community than we are now through advertising. --He wants to improve our men's basketball schedule to make it more appealing to fans. --He wants to renew our series with UD (Gem City Jam). --He does not want our men's basketball team to schedule 3 for 1 series with BCS programs. --He does support the Bombers being at the Nutter Center. --He wants to reorganize the athletic dept in terms of who reports to whom. Thanks for the report.
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Post by theleewmowen on Jun 3, 2008 9:38:29 GMT -5
--He wants to bring back some of the successful marketing tools we used in the 1990's to increase attendance at mens basketball games. Just a quick question, but what would these marketing tools include? I never went to any Wright State games in the 90's (or I don't remember going if I did).
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Post by raiderrunt on Jun 4, 2008 15:36:19 GMT -5
Saying he would never be in favor of a 3-for-1 with a BCS program is painting with a rather broad brush. A 3-for-1 with Ohio State would be great. Same for Kentucky. I think what he meant to say was "mid/lower-level BCS programs" (like the Northwestern's of the world). There is no way in hell that Wright state would turn down a 3-for-1 with a program like OSU, UK, Indiana, etc. Getting them in the Nutter Center once would be more than worth three return trips. But a school like Iowa State or Virginia Tech? Not so much. I think BG said what he meant. I think the decision has been made to not do lop-sided series with BCS schools and that includes OSU, UK and others. I think that is the right decision and the MVC has shown how that philosophy can work.
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Post by Raider Country on Jun 8, 2008 3:22:23 GMT -5
Are you saying you would not take a 3-for-1 with Duke or North Carolina? Yeah, that's what I thought. That is exactly what he is saying. 3 for 1 contracts are BS and only benefit the BCS program. Very few self respecting mid-majors sign them. UWGB comes to mind as a program willing to sign one. Normal contracts are 1 for 1 or 2 for 2 with the host team getting all revenue from their home games and the visiting team being responsible for their own travel expenses. If you sign a 3 for 1 contract you are giving up a home game and all of it's revenue. You also have to pay for 3 years worth of travel expenses instead of 2. WSU cannot afford to give up one of it's home games and think it can make it up with that single return trip from the BCS school. WSU barely broke even when we played the 2 for 1 with MSU several years back and that was a 2 for 1, not a 3 for 1. WSU won't be signing any in the near future and I applaud that decision.
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Post by Raider Rowdies on Jun 8, 2008 12:18:27 GMT -5
--He wants to bring back some of the successful marketing tools we used in the 1990's to increase attendance at mens basketball games. Just a quick question, but what would these marketing tools include? I never went to any Wright State games in the 90's (or I don't remember going if I did). --We really went after season ticket sales harder in the early 1990s and just started pushing those sales again this past summer with our open house campaign (which increased season ticket sales by more than 20 percent). --We used to advertise more to local businesses to get group sales. We still have Fairborn night, etc, but there used to be 5-6 different companies being announced every game in the early 1990s. --We also had a whole bunch of 2 for 1 or free ticket giveaways. I don't think we will be giving away tickets again like we used to, but I wouldn't be shocked to see a few more 2 for 1 ticket promotions. Personally, I really like how WSU has been marketing to it's student's the last few years. If you hook em while they are students, they are going to be much more likely to get season tickets when the graduate. I also like the new grad discount tickets. This is just another way to make it easier for those new grads to continue to come to games. I would like to see us reach out to old season ticket holders who gave up their tickets. We know they were interested in WSU athletics in the past, so try to bring them back. Offer them season tickets for the first year at a reduced rate.
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Post by Class of '83 on Sept 11, 2008 6:08:42 GMT -5
WSU's Cusack praised at farewell gatheringBy Marc Katz Thursday, September 11, 2008 FAIRBORN — Robert Kegerreis, the Wright State president who hired Mike Cusack as the school's second athletic director in 1982, said it was too late to change his remarks from what he thought was going to be a roast. "It was a dark and stormy night," Kegerreis said at a small gathering of friends Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the Mills-Morgan Center/Setzer Pavilion on the WSU campus. "Our committee chairman was kind of desperate. He said there was only one guy left." The guy was Cusack, and Kegerreis said not only did he hire him, but, "he became one of those rare things in life, an athletics director who was respected by others," even though Cusack was turned down when he inquired about starting a football team. "I guess I was the first president he mentioned football to," Kegerreis said. "He's mentioned it to four presidents so far." Fred Setzer and other WSU benefactors held the tribute to Cusack, who retired earlier this summer after 26 years as AD. But Cusack — back teaching a course in sports management — wanted nothing big. He requested the gathering be held to about 30 people. "Everybody knows how laid back Mike is," Setzer said. "We've enjoyed what you created here. You had that overall vision for the university." Current WSU president David Hopkins said he likes working in "a culture of innovation. We love ideas. When I said that to Mike, he was in my office every day for a solid week. You've inspired me in terms of the future and future possibilities." Cusack is spearheading a Raider Village concept to upgrade athletic facilities on campus. "I don't care where I am when it happens," Cusack said, "as long as it happens. My wife Dot and I were very lucky to come here. The school was young. We had the right leadership at the right time. I wanted the next AD (Bob Grant) to have a chance to work with this president early in his tenure." Because of that, those closest to him wanted to thank him one more time. www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/09/11/ddn091108spcusack.html
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