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Post by Outsider on Jan 26, 2023 17:07:31 GMT -6
So why in the world is ACU scheduling intramural games during official ACU sports team games? I have heard of students playing intramural tonight and other students not coming to the BB game because they want to watch their friend play intramural. In the meantime, ACU Basketball sends multiple tweets a day begging students to come to the game. Am I mishearing?
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Post by rc on Jan 26, 2023 17:30:55 GMT -6
This is not good. Poor judgement.
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Post by acutrackfan on Jan 26, 2023 18:34:53 GMT -6
That is has been true since I was a student in the 1970's.
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Post by Outsider on Jan 26, 2023 21:40:25 GMT -6
That is has been true since I was a student in the 1970's. Stupid, but nothing I can do about it. Thank goodness the student turnout was halfway decent. |
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archsimon
arm chair Grad Assistant
Posts: 241
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Post by archsimon on Jan 27, 2023 10:39:58 GMT -6
The IM and varsity conflicts are a bigger spectacle now that IM and Moody teams compete next door to one another with the old Sanders IM fields going to NEXT.
Athletics can beg all they want. But they'll never win the student attendance war with IM especially with frats/sororities being involved - that's where all the student loyalties lay.
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Post by Outsider on Jan 27, 2023 12:19:43 GMT -6
The IM and varsity conflicts are a bigger spectacle now that IM and Moody teams compete next door to one another with the old Sanders IM fields going to NEXT. Athletics can beg all they want. But they'll never win the student attendance war with IM especially with frats/sororities being involved - that's where all the student loyalties lay. You are probably right on that one sadly. They shouldn't be competing in the first place, but that's a different story. |
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Post by wildcats0075 on Jan 27, 2023 15:34:36 GMT -6
The IM and varsity conflicts are a bigger spectacle now that IM and Moody teams compete next door to one another with the old Sanders IM fields going to NEXT. Athletics can beg all they want. But they'll never win the student attendance war with IM especially with frats/sororities being involved - that's where all the student loyalties lay. Does IM really out draw the varsity teams? I never played IM at ACU (the coaches would not allow the scholarship athletes to play IM). That being said, I did coach my wife's Alpha Kai Omega IM flag football team. Little humble brag, we made the championship game, thanks to the QB play of Hilary Boozer, wife of ACU's all-time leading tackler and member of the ACU all decade team Ryan Boozer. We never had that many people at any game, even in the IM playoffs. Unless the IM attendance has really increased, I just never would have thought that it would affect the people at the varsity games. |
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Post by Outsider on Jan 27, 2023 16:09:30 GMT -6
All I know is I had a couple of students tell me on Wed. that they will not be attending the GCU game because they were going to the IM game to see their friend play and that was their priority. I thought why in the world is there an IM game at the same time as a huge varsity game?  ? Why would ACU even allow that? Does ACU even have any say? Since it's no big deal and been happening since before the 70's, I guess not. Varsity games aren't a priority for the university. I am sure everyone will say there are only so many hours in a day and days in a week and life goes on... |
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archsimon
arm chair Grad Assistant
Posts: 241
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Post by archsimon on Jan 27, 2023 16:09:30 GMT -6
The IM and varsity conflicts are a bigger spectacle now that IM and Moody teams compete next door to one another with the old Sanders IM fields going to NEXT. Athletics can beg all they want. But they'll never win the student attendance war with IM especially with frats/sororities being involved - that's where all the student loyalties lay. Does IM really out draw the varsity teams? I never played IM at ACU (the coaches would not allow the scholarship athletes to play IM). That being said, I did coach my wife's Alpha Kai Omega IM flag football team. Little humble brag, we made the championship game, thanks to the QB play of Hilary Boozer, wife of ACU's all-time leading tackler and member of the ACU all decade team Ryan Boozer. We never had that many people at any game, even in the IM playoffs. Unless the IM attendance has really increased, I just never would have thought that it would affect the people at the varsity games. I would say the student attendance between basketball games and specific IM games involving heated rivalries between social clubs / fraternities / sororities is comparable. I remember once when driving back from a game at Moody seeing how huge the crowds were at Sanders IM fields. I'm sure that hasn't changed now that their games are more centrally located. |
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 27, 2023 17:39:38 GMT -6
Feel like I should jump in, since I worked in Intramurals for 3 years at ACU
Games for Intramurals are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday nights. Wednesdays are not good nights to do games (social club nights) and the weekends are extremely difficult
On average, we would have around 40-45 football teams and 60-70 basketball teams. So in those 2 spots alone, we would get 400-500 students participating
The Thursday before Homecoming for certain club games, there would be upwards of 1000-1500 students on the sidelines watching. That is more students than we get at Anthony Field now.
There are also more students in club life than ever before. As some of you may know, I also was over clubs for 5 years. My goal was to make clubs the largest group on campus, and my last 2 years in that role, it happened. My last semester in the role, there were over 1000 students in clubs. That is bigger than the Freshmen class. And for those wondering, NO I was not in a club during my undergrad years.
I think it is important for Athletics and IM Sports to try and work together. There were times, for big games, I would adjust game times. Doing that does NOT guarantee that those same students will show up to an ACU game.
Hope that helps in the understanding of the process
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Post by Outsider on Jan 27, 2023 17:54:08 GMT -6
Feel like I should jump in, since I worked in Intramurals for 3 years at ACU Games for Intramurals are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday nights. Wednesdays are not good nights to do games (social club nights) and the weekends are extremely difficult On average, we would have around 40-45 football teams and 60-70 basketball teams. So in those 2 spots alone, we would get 400-500 students participating The Thursday before Homecoming for certain club games, there would be upwards of 1000-1500 students on the sidelines watching. That is more students than we get at Anthony Field now. There are also more students in club life than ever before. As some of you may know, I also was over clubs for 5 years. My goal was to make clubs the largest group on campus, and my last 2 years in that role, it happened. My last semester in the role, there were over 1000 students in clubs. That is bigger than the Freshmen class. And for those wondering, NO I was not in a club during my undergrad years. I think it is important for Athletics and IM Sports to try and work together. There were times, for big games, I would adjust game times. Doing that does NOT guarantee that those same students will show up to an ACU game. Hope that helps in the understanding of the process There should literally never be a scheduling conflict with a big varsity game. I understand time slots are tight and students want to go home on the weekend (their decision), but there is a time and place to support the school that is giving you the opportunity to play that IM game in the first place... |
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 27, 2023 18:19:25 GMT -6
That would mean no night classes, the Bean is closed, the library is closed, etc. Shoot, let's lock the dorms and make them come! That will NEVER happen.
We must realize that students care about a lot of different activities. Some sports, some studies, some club life. We are a small school, 2nd smallest in D1 I believe. The goal should be to get passionate fans, be that students, alumni, Abilene area, etc.
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Post by Outsider on Jan 27, 2023 18:29:04 GMT -6
That would mean no night classes, the Bean is closed, the library is closed, etc. Shoot, let's lock the dorms and make them come! That will NEVER happen. We must realize that students care about a lot of different activities. Some sports, some studies, some club life. We are a small school, 2nd smallest in D1 I believe. The goal should be to get passionate fans, be that students, alumni, Abilene area, etc. Nope, different things that draw different amounts of people, of course it doesn't take long for people to take things out of context. The sarcasm is funny though. **Oh, and the goal is also to give the students a better opportunity to be at the varsity games as well. Our size really doesn't matter. Other DI schools do a good job, even small ones.** |
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Post by mavsman53 on Jan 27, 2023 19:37:44 GMT -6
Absolutely our school size matters. Part of the reason they made Moody smaller. There are rumors of a certain school in our conference that pays students to attend games. It definitely drives attendance, but not every school can do that. I don't think ACU can.
Why does a university do Intramural Sports? It's about retention. Activities such as IM Sports are huge for retention. Without students regularly returning semester after semester, ACU can't do what they've done. We wouldn't be a D1 school and possibly an FBS school without these students returning. It matters.
I'm not trying to be sarcastic. But as someone who worked in Sing Song, Chapel, Intramurals and Social Clubs, I have heard it all; all thoughts, all complaints. It's not changing. Athletics and IM Sports need to communicate better, but again, that doesn't mean that students will attend.
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Post by Outsider on Jan 27, 2023 20:02:27 GMT -6
Sure retention matters, but so does better coordination between IM and Varsity sports. I'm not even going to the discussion out west. Yeah, you were being sarcastic, but I get it. ACU's size isn't the issue. Passion and opportunity need to work better hand in hand.
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