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The extreme enthusiasm on this board for this basketball season. Sure last night was not much of a game, but there was a time we would have had 14,626 in attendance. Now we barely break 5,000. There was a time we would have had 8-10 pages of posts during the game. Last night TWO FREAKING POSTS. With this kind of support we should just shut down the sports program in general and just watch Netflix.

I posted! I still have the same passion for watching the black and gold I have always had. I do it (and have done it since graduating) despite how "good" or "bad" the team is. I don't understand fair weather fandom. Maybe folks are just posting less? But attendance is so sad. Where the heck are the students? Maybe the demise of greek life contributes?

Vandamnit wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:39 am I posted! I still have the same passion for watching the black and gold I have always had. I do it (and have done it since graduating) despite how "good" or "bad" the team is. I don't understand fair weather fandom. Maybe folks are just posting less? But attendance is so sad. Where the heck are the students? Maybe the demise of greek life contributes?

Neither do I. I elected my professional sports teams when I was 8 (the fact that I was "selecting" was not apparent to me at the time), and I became a lifelong Vanderbilt fan two or three years later. The joy of your team being a champion is greatly enhanced by getting through tougher times (" . . only miss the sun when it starts to snow . ."). I expect good times ahead in the next few years of Vandy basketball.

the lack of support is sad. Student attendance is really poor. The 5,000 fans would be a huge improvement ; so far we haven't come remotely close to that number (meaning one in three seats filled).

Fans move, fans die. It's not like there are 20-30,000 Vandy BB fans out there not showing. Vandy BB is a lot like Vandy FB. Losing runs folks off. What has Vandy done to attract new fans? Not much in the community either. Stackhouse's thin skin has blocked numerous fans for stupid stuff....like questioning substitutions patterns typical fan griping like all over the nation. Vandy has to start winning, put on an exciting show even when losing a game. Most fans start showing up when the SEC schedule starts. Glad to see VU finally addressing facilities. How about fan facilities?

Lack of in-person support is concerning.
But message boards are a dying breed. This generation is on Twitter,Instagram, etc. not message boards.

I'm heading to the Vandy/SMU game Saturday with 6 family members. So there.

buffy wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 1:37 pm I'm heading to the Vandy/SMU game Saturday with 6 family members. So there.

It is then up to you to harass the refs for all of we fans back here in Nashville .

buffy wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 1:37 pm I'm heading to the Vandy/SMU game Saturday with 6 family members. So there.

No, you can't go to the game. You must stay home and post pro-VU messages on this site.

I think Vanderbilt has had the misfortune of having very poor teams at the absolute worst time. There was virtually no fan attendance last year due to COVID, and if your team is not very good, it is very easy to get out of the habit of attending games.

I think attendance for college sports everywhere is down (though not as bad as at Vanderbilt) and it may never get back to previous levels. It is a lot easier to watch games on TV. I have read an article about poor attendance at Kentucky basketball games.

I have a child at Clemson this year and attended a few of their football games: Their final game against Top 10 Wake Forest had thousands of empty seats. I saw thousands of empty seats for Auburn-Ole Miss and most other games, with notable exceptions like Michigan-OSU and Auburn-Alabama.

Winning breeds enthusiasm. Losing breeds disinterest.

I’ve been a huge Vandy fan for decades. Haven’t been to a game all season and I don’t miss it at all. If they want fans to care, make us feel like we are missing out by not watching…

Starkiller wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:41 pm Winning breeds enthusiasm. Losing breeds disinterest.

I’ve been a huge Vandy fan for decades. Haven’t been to a game all season and I don’t miss it at all. If they want fans to care, make us feel like we are missing out by not watching…

We’re 4-1. Seems like they’re doing what you ask, yet you say you haven’t missed it. At what point does the switch turn on for you?

If I lived in Nashville I would be at every game - by the way SC lost on the road to a very mediocre Coastal Carolina last night in Conway: we can beat SC this year.

MemorialMagic wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 9:49 pm

Starkiller wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 8:41 pm Winning breeds enthusiasm. Losing breeds disinterest.

I’ve been a huge Vandy fan for decades. Haven’t been to a game all season and I don’t miss it at all. If they want fans to care, make us feel like we are missing out by not watching…

We’re 4-1. Seems like they’re doing what you ask, yet you say you haven’t missed it. At what point does the switch turn on for you?

You’re talking a few non-SEC games against middling competition after years of losing. Show the fans they can compete in the SEC and the fans will show up. Otherwise it’s as bad as the football program.

charlestonalum wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:49 am we can beat SC this year.

TWICE!

charlestonalum wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:49 am If I lived in Nashville I would be at every game - by the way SC lost on the road to a very mediocre Coastal Carolina last night in Conway: we can beat SC this year.

I think Ole Miss and Georgia are suspect at well.
I, too, am 300 miles away and would be at every game if at home. Will go to the Auburn game if I can get tickets. They have been hard to come by since slick became coach.

charlestonalum wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:49 am...we can beat SC this year.

We can beat them in FB every year, too. 'Cept we don't.

commadore wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 10:18 am

charlestonalum wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 5:49 am If I lived in Nashville I would be at every game - by the way SC lost on the road to a very mediocre Coastal Carolina last night in Conway: we can beat SC this year.

I think Ole Miss and Georgia are suspect at well.

And Missouri, who put up 14 in the first half tonight against Liberty.

There are a number of factors going into this, some of which have nothing to do with Vanderbilt (although the depression of the last few seasons certainly plays into it):

* Lots of empty seats at a lot of games this year. I watched the end of the Nebraska-NC State game last night (a 4 OT affair) and the arena was 1/4 full at best.
* Record TV ratings for the NFL and strong ratings for college football.
* Covid hesitancy is still a very real thing for many people.

And I've argued for years the season shouldn't begin until Thanksgiving week. The first week of November is just too early.

Vanderbilt does very little to try to grow its fan base. They don’t even supply its fans with a radio affiliate that can be heard outside the Immediate Nashville area. Fans without computers or those who are traveling and trying to tune in on their car radio cannot hear the broadcast of Vanderbilt athletics at all. Football and basketball broadcast are all but impossible to listen to for those who live outside metro and The Vanderbilt baseball games can’t be heard at all. How can you expect Vanderbilt athletics fan base to grow when you can’t follow their teams?
The radio play by play announcer that replace Joe Fischer is atrocious. His unenthusiastic, boring play by play is some of the worst I have ever heard!
Cmon AD Vanderbilt fans deserve much better