Marketing Georgetown Football

[DFW HOYA]

Let's start a thread here with some suggestions on improving the visibility of the program. Suggestions welcome--here's one to start:

Sell out the Brown game in advance. Send mailers to local alumni and Gridiron Club members to buy tickets in the spring and summer. And if tickets exceed demand, Georgetown would have time for contingency planning (i.e., temporary bleachers).

[TigerHoya]

1. What would it hurt to play at a I-A school for a big payday for the football program and the increased exposure?

2. Add another intersectional (i.e. somebody outside the northeast corridor) non-conference game every year where possible. Try to alternate home games with the Davidson series so that only one of these games is away in a given season. Maybe pick up somebody else in the Big South instead of VMI like one of the NC/SC schools (I'm being selfish on the location.) Aside from selfish locations that are close to me geographically, maybe pick up opponents from other regions where financially feasible.

[TBird41]

TigerHoya said:

1. What would it hurt to play at a I-A school for a big payday for the football program and the increased exposure?

Well, getting embarrassed by any team (even a DI team) is not what the program needs right now in my opinion. A better job of marketing stars such as Onibaku (sp?) and Sarin would probably help, as would Hoya Blue trying to promote attendance on campus.

Oh, and if they start winning, that would help too.

[Lurking Dog]

TigerHoya said:

Add another intersectional (i.e. somebody outside the northeast corridor) non-conference game every year where possible...maybe pick up opponents from other regions where financially feasible.

Drake!

[TigerHoya]

TBird41 said:

Well, getting embarrassed by any team (even a DI team) is not what the program needs right now in my opinion. A better job of marketing stars such as Onibaku (sp?) and Sarin would probably help, as would Hoya Blue trying to promote attendance on campus.

Oh, and if they start winning, that would help too.

It doesn't have to be a BCS I-A team to still get a decent payday. It's a no-lose situation. You make a big payday either way and if you happen to catch them on a bad day (like Maine did Miss. State last year) it's even better.

[FairfaxHoya]

I disagree. There is not much for a school like us to gain by playing a D-I school and getting massacred. If we want to expand marketing opportunities and promote the program, we need to continue playing an Ivy-heavy out of conference schedule, and add schools like Villanova where possible. Nova is the best fit because they are Catholic, I-AA, and a Big East basketball member. But let's get a top-four finish in the PL before we start getting crazy with establishing new regional rivalries. As they say, winning cures all ills.

[TBird41]

TigerHoya said:

It doesn't have to be a BCS I-A team to still get a decent payday. It's a no-lose situation. You make a big payday either way and if you happen to catch them on a bad day (like Maine did Miss. State last year) it's even better.

In terms of the payday, it would be helpful, but would playing a small time DI school really help that much? It might actually be worse if we got slapped around by some horrible DI school. And, yes, a win would give the program a huge boost, but it's a lot more likely that they'd lose. They have problems beating a lot of DIAA schools--what are the odds they'd beat a DI school?
The football team needs to start winning. Adding DI teams that we have little chance of beating and have a good chance of getting embarrassed by would be detrimental to marketing the program.

[WesCoast]

Why not add Howard to the schedule... we'd get local press and a bigger gate... probably be a very good game for both teams...

[LBPop]

As has been said, it's all about winning. This team has a wonderful opportunity with their early schedule. If they reduce the killer mistakes that cost them 3 or 4 wins last year, they have a real shot at surprising Bucknell. Nobody will expect it (frankly, even this optimistic fool is skeptical), but if they pull it off and then beat Holy Cross, selling out Brown is a virtual certainty.

Their defense will be excellent next year by anyone's standards. A good defense and an efficient offense can win a lot of games. If these kids can grab six wins and include at least one Ivy team among those wins, I think a lot of people will choose to spend a nice fall Saturday afternoon at Harbin. But, if they continue to put the defense in a hole and give away games (the Holy Cross game still haunts me), no amount of marketing will overcome that. I've got some personal reasons to be at every game, but Ono and Buzz will be worth the price all by themselves.

[FormerHoya]

A great way to boost attendance is through pre-game parties.

If anyone wants the milk punch recipe let me know.

[david]

its not a good idea for us to play a DI-A school. not yet at least. playing ivy league schools at home is a good first step.

[LBPop]

I would agree completely. After all, The Hoyas did not win even one conference game in 2004. At the risk of using a worn out cliche', "You've got to learn to walk..."

[hoya4ever]

many in our student body do not know the difference between a d-1A or d-1AA team. They do however know which ones the Ivies are. If we want to get people to come to the game beating Ivies is our best bet.

It would also be cool if the games were announced in that weekly newsletter email that student affairs sends out. More posters around campus, kinda like the ones they use for basketball. The coaches should also follow JTIII's example and make themselves known to the greater public. We know them because we go to the games, they could walk anywhere on campus and no one except the athletic department staff will recongize them. The team itself needs to be proactive, too. If a football player himself says there is a game and that the student should attend the students are more likely go to.

[HoyaDude78]

good point...

[FtblOpinions]

Winning football games will be the number one element in drawing support and generating enthusiasm for the Georgetown Football program. With that being said however, I feel that some of the "pageantry" of a autumn Saturday afternoon on a college campus is missing at GU. I may be naive, but has the University ever had a marching band? I may be off the wall, but there is no greater sound than to hear the band's drums being beat before kickoff. Several D1AA schools (Florida A&M and Morgan State, just to mention 2) have fantastic bands. If nothing else, the students would not be able to sleep through kick-off. There are so many talented kids at this school, I would think that there would be an interest in being a part of a new band (I am starting to sound like Robert Preston here from the "Music Man").

Another thought, maybe some marketing majors at the University could do research on the marketing of on-campus athletics.

Competitive programs, student involvement and enthusiastic crowds leads to proud alumni and subsequent donations. (And where is the new stadium???)