I just got back from the final four. Kentucky absolutely dominated the crowd, but Butler's fans were by far the roudiest and most wild. VCU's crowd was huge considering their size. But what surprized me most was that Uconn was basically unrepresented. They didn't even sell out their student section. How can a team that's made 4 straight final fours not sell out a student section? Is it safe to say they have the worst fanbase in the nation?
Texas fans at least have a basis to judge. My wife called the UConn student turnout "pathetic." About as many people from VCU stayed to watch UConn as UConn had.
Mm, they said their 4th final four at the game and I assumed they meant in a row, but I just looked it up and apparently it's their 4th final four period. I have a terrible memory when it comes to the NCAA tournament, and outside of winners, I barely remember who played in what. In any case, not selling out your student section to the final four is pathetic. At times, I was certain they were piping in singing during their fight song, or at bare minimum, microphoning their section. VCU, Butler, and especially UK didn't need that. Outside the gates, I saw people scalping tickets for $20! I've gotta believe that tickets for the title game on monday are gonna be dirt cheap. EDIT: On the subject of fanbases - UK fans are pricks from what I experienced. They reminded me of aggy. They seemed entitled without recent success, and ready to throw their past accomplishments in everyone's faces like they'd been kingshit for the past decade. VCU fans were ******* class acts, I chatted with several, all of whom said they drove in from virginia, and they were awesome people. Seemed like they genuinely loved basketball, and despite being upset about the loss, they were still extremely excited just to be able to see a national title game in person. They were all pulling for Butler from here on out, too. Butler's fans seemed like a ton of fun, and the few I spoke to were friendly. Their student section looked like a ******* blast during the game, they never sat down and went nuts on every play. I wish I could report on Uconn fans, but I literally did not encounter a single one the entire day. And I looked for them. EDIT AGAIN: Also, seeing Uconn's student section gave me new found respect for our own fanbase. Say what you will about "Come early, be loud, stay late," at least our fanbase travels well.
Uconn's student section midway through their game with Kentucky. At least they're standing, I guess. EDIT: And really pictures don't do it justice. Their section wasn't even a quarter full. I was confused throughout the VCU-butler game as to what that empty section was for. I assumed it was where the bands sat when the games weren't on or something, or maybe it was for press or something. I had to ask the dude next to me what those seats were for and he was like "Dude, that's the Uconn student section." Even then, I thought maybe they were just waiting until their game to show up. I couldn't believe it when their game started and the section didn't grow at all. It was the most bizarre thing I'd ever seen. I've been to a BCS championship game before. I could not, for the life of me, ever expect to find an entire section in such a game empty. The atmosphere at this final four, compared to the BCS title game, has been night and day. This final four feels lifeless. I can't help but imagine how absolutely insane that crowd would be if Texas had made it in. I think back to the Big XII championship in 05 in the same stadium. That was a sea of burnt orange. The stadium was definitely a majority blue today, but I think had we made it, it would have been completely different. That would have been a home crowd for sure. ****, I saw more aggy today at the game than I did Uconn fans.
Considering that UConn had teams in BOTH Final Four tournaments, the student body had TWO destinations to choose from. And from a planning standpoint, they could book further in advance for the women's tournament since it was a given they would be in Indianapolis. And Indy is likely cheaper to get to from CT than IAH... Let's face it...when it comes time to booking Final Four trips, would you book on the reduced chance that the men go to Houston or would you book the almost-sure thing for yet another National Championship?
UConn only sold 2,441 of their 17,500 seat allotment to the Fiesta Bowl. Apparently that was their high water mark.
I think we need to mention that Houston is a 3-4 day drive from Connecticut. Add in just three days of staying in Houston for the games, and that's well over a week, maybe close to two. Most students can't take that kind of time off from classes. So if they were flying instead, they had to get tickets less than a week before the flight, which is gonna cost some big bucks. Add in the hotel, rental car, and tickets to the game, and that's easily over $1,000 a head for a three-day weekend. A lot of college students can't afford that. And if they can, they probably spent that money a month ago for Spring Break. And they would STILL have to miss at least a few days of class. Kentucky's only a 1-2 day drive. That makes a big difference.
Your damage control for Uconn would hold more weight if Butler didn't show up. Every year, someone has to travel long distances to get the final four. Suddenly, it's impossible for Uconn? Not to mention that, beyond the student section, they were flat out unrepresented elsewhere in the stadium. The rest of the stands were divided into pretty much 4 sections, mirroring the student sections. VCU's section was full, and Kentucky flooded the rest of the stadium. But Uconn's NON-student fans were just as non-existent as their student section. Houston is the 4th largest city in the country, I see random school emblems on the back of cars all the damn time. Uconn has a houston chapter of their alumni organization. Where the hell were they?
I sat next to a coupla a guys who said they were from Connecticut. They did not encourage basketball talk. Watched the game about like I would maybe 10 years ago. Mostly quiet. A few words or quiet exclamation here and there. We'll probably see them tomorrow. While the stadium was pretty full by the time the second game got going, I don't expect close to that tomorrow.
Gabe, you seem to forget that it is the women's program that drives the basketball success bus at UConn...even with the success that their men's program had this season, I would venture a guess that their women's program got twice the airtime on the ESPN networks. For the students at the school, the WBB FF becomes the more likely chance to book ahead with a REASONABLE expectation of seeing a championship brought home. Also, never underestimate that student bodies tend to like watching teams beat the crap out of other programs...something UConn does with great frequency.
