For those that haven't had a chance to see the new facility yet, here is an opportunity.

🥎 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 '𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 🥎 @CommBankTexas

📍Loddie Naymola Basketball Performance Center
📆 Sat., Jan. 29th
⏰ 10 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
➡️ Meet the 2022 Ladyjacks 👋
➡️ Meal options 🌭🍿
➡️ Raffle drawings 🎫

Buy your 🎟️ here: https://t.co/DNUVH2XTbV pic.twitter.com/O4LSlaiifJ

— SFA Softball (@sfa_softball) January 14, 2022

As PurpleOut said, the athletic department staff is still short handed, they have had people out with Covid, and one had a child in the hospital in Houston.

Reality.

Potentially Throwing something together for THIS Saturday for students only with Kayla's help. I will need some donations for some pizza, so if it pans out (should know by Wednesday) & any of you want to help, email me : Pilotgirl30@gmail.com

Pilotgirl said:

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Seeing how the WBB games are less attended than MBB, I don't expect a huge number; however, doing what we can to support the Ladies as well & build relationships with the students. It's an important game & doing our best to throw something together in a matter of days.

It will be a Pizza and Posters table. We will set up at the student entrance (already arranged) and offer free pizza to students & materials to make posters for the games. It's not much at all. But sometimes, something is better than absolutely nothing.

Play Like a Girl event will be much bigger on March 5th.

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Good luck to you. They deserve it. I plan on making at least one game before year end. The student support is so timid. Talked to a few of them Saturday. I was honestly surprised at just how much the kids have changed in 5-7 years

SFA needs the Central Heights student section to come to a game. Those guys get rowdy.

Noticed tonight that Tarleton was a sell out and CBU had over 5000 fans and a huge student section. Heard they were duplicating GCU method. Why can't we hone that skill?

PurpleOut said:

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Pretty good from the AXEperience guys. Hate that they waited till the last few months to really get it going, but I guess it's better than nothing.

The first 3 bingo winners will have the option to win AirPods, Beats, or a JBL Speaker! Find AXEperience at the top of the purple haze student section 112 to get your bingo card before the game!

Hint hint: you’ll need to wear black to win!

— AXEperience (@sfaaxeperience) February 25, 2022

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I've noticed a solid improvement from Axeperience over the last 4 home games. Last night , they were impactful. Really made a difference.

Yeah, I think it they have done a great job this season/year since they are basically rebuilding an organization. The 2 young ladies running it are very nice & easy to work with. I look forward to collaborating with them in the future.

Pilotgirl said:

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Yeah, I think it they have done a great job this season/year since they are basically rebuilding an organization. The 2 young ladies running it are very nice & easy to work with. I look forward to collaborating with them in the future.

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Ya hoping they can build on it into next year. We should line up some ways to support them for soccer/football and really get the momentum started early next year.

TallTexan said:

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Pilotgirl said:

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Yeah, I think it they have done a great job this season/year since they are basically rebuilding an organization. The 2 young ladies running it are very nice & easy to work with. I look forward to collaborating with them in the future.

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Ya hoping they can build on it into next year. We should line up some ways to support them for soccer/football and really get the momentum started early next year.

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Great idea!

Two main things:

1.) Ticket price increases. For good or for ill, the perception before was that you could take your family out for next to nothing in the Underwood days (several times a year for free) and see winning basketball.

The people that I talk to that like to come wait for the $5 games because it can be $40 tickets for a family of four before concessions. Is that a lot for good entertainment? No, but there is a perception that Athletics is nickel and diming locals compared to the past.

2.) Internet. I'm sorry but before Keller came just 6 years ago, streaming internet everything was just starting to really catch hold. Now anyone can watch anything at anytime at home or on their phone. It's too easy to say I don't want to get out. COVID just upped the resistance to leaving.

That's my two cents. I'm not against either of my two points personally. I grumble about the ridiculous parking prices (my opinion), but I'm not against the ticket prices. I enjoy the vast internet offerings and as a hardcore fan that made every game I could this year, I feel the pull to just stay home.

It's just a new reality. Markets change. Underwood and Patillo struck gold in their time with bringing people in. Keller, Kellogg, and Ivey are rebuilding as they start a new model. It's ok, but it's going to take time.

As a long time local with my ear to the ground for everything buzzworthy in Nac, more people have asked me about SFA basketball in the last month than in the last 4 years combined (save 2 weeks after Duke). I think the tide is turning. If our teams do something this week (and next!) and we keep our coaches, next year will be a good year.

One thing I think we can do too is to take a page out of the Minor League Baseball playbook. Theme nights to draw folks to games. I've mentioned it multiple times to Ivey and even offerred to donate & get more sponsors. Crickets.

You can get a lot of locals & students in for specific events if you have good themes.

• Polar Express Night with hot chocolate & free pictures with Santa(preferably a purple suited santa).
• Mardi Gras Night with Jazz bands & moon pie giveaways.
• 80s night, etc

You could probably get away with 10-15 good themes a year, and get special sponsors for each. Some novelty would make sure people show up.

Sidenote, what happened to our other sponsors? Brookshire Brothers "ask the Jacks", or tshirts into the crowd? Don't remember those at all this season iirc?

Also, not having double headers hurts bigly. When I can catch both games on TV instead of driving and having to choose? Or only come to Nac 2 saturdays a month instead of 4? That's big for those of us that drive in.

Ticket revenue this year is more than double the previous best year. Concession sales have also been at record levels for both football and basketball. No revenue, no athletics.

TallTexan said:

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One thing I think we can do too is to take a page out of the Minor League Baseball playbook. Theme nights to draw folks to games. I've mentioned it multiple times to Ivey and even offerred to donate & get more sponsors. Crickets.

You can get a lot of locals & students in for specific events if you have good themes.

• Polar Express Night with hot chocolate & free pictures with Santa(preferably a purple suited santa).
• Mardi Gras Night with Jazz bands & moon pie giveaways.
• 80s night, etc

You could probably get away with 10-15 good themes a year, and get special sponsors for each. Some novelty would make sure people show up.

Sidenote, what happened to our other sponsors? Brookshire Brothers "ask the Jacks", or tshirts into the crowd? Don't remember those at all this season iirc?

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I still think an area "school game day" on a Saturday would pull a lot of kids and parents. Student section is where the life is. Hopefully that's being addressed. GCU students are electtric and having a blast. We probably don't have the funds GCU has but it can be changed for thr better.

SFAJack_76 said:

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Ticket revenue this year is more than double the previous best year. Concession sales have also been at record levels for both football and basketball. No revenue, no athletics.

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Well that's good to hear that atleast it's effective.

Do you happen to know how many tickets sold vs previous years?

TallTexan said:

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SFAJack_76 said:

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Ticket revenue this year is more than double the previous best year. Concession sales have also been at record levels for both football and basketball. No revenue, no athletics.

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Well that's good to hear that atleast it's effective.

Do you happen to know how many tickets sold vs previous years?

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I do not, but I have great confidence that pre-Ivey attendance was meaningfully inflated. Don't know that it was intentional as much as just a sloppy guess.

PurpleOut said:

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One of the toughest jobs I think Ivey and the entire athletic department has is getting the school, the community, the fans, etc, out of their old comfort zone and into a new look.

Everything from ticket prices, staffing, events, marketing, conference alignment, etc...it makes sense to most of us that are dialed in and will be onboard regardless of what they do.

But to the casual fan or the older local resident whos only tie to SFA is living in Nacogdoches? They won't care as much. And they won't...and don't, understand why we would do things the way we are.

Too many people that are ok with complacency. Which isn't what Ivey and the rest of us are about any longer. It's not something that can be done overnight for sure.

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100% correct

SFASawmillGuy said:

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SFAJack_76 said:

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TallTexan said:

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SFAJack_76 said:

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Ticket revenue this year is more than double the previous best year. Concession sales have also been at record levels for both football and basketball. No revenue, no athletics.

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Well that's good to hear that atleast it's effective.

Do you happen to know how many tickets sold vs previous years?

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I do not, but I have great confidence that pre-Ivey attendance was meaningfully inflated. Don't know that it was intentional as much as just a sloppy guess.

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Yes and no. I remember a football game in 2014 or 2015 that claimed we had around 15000 in attendance, which I doubt is accurate, but basketball games were certainly sold out or nearly sold out, especially in the final weeks of the season.

I think Covid did put a stranglehold on everything and the school just needs to focus its efforts in getting everyone back. Become THE division 1 program of East Texas. Promote at home in Nac and Lufkin and out to Tyler and Longview.

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I'm assuming attendance has always been inflated. But I figure our internal ticket sales numbers are pretty accurate across years.

One other thing I'd like to see us do for football is to sell cheaper tickets on the visitors side. If you're willing to sit on the surface of the sun and fill out the tv side of the field, I'm willing to make it affordable.