FB: American Rivers Conference

[Fannosaurus Rex]

I don't have any basis to say so, but I think Central is very conservative in counting its home attendance.

I know a couple of alums who aren't parents who go to away games if they think they will be good ones.  Some of them went to Dubuque last year and couldn't believe how wrong they were.

[Willie University]

Good hire for the Spartans......

http://www.dbq.edu/udathletics/news.cfm?ID=2135&team=Baseball

[warthog]

Good hire for the Spartans......

http://www.dbq.edu/udathletics/news.cfm?ID=2135&team=Baseball

Not just a good hire, sounds like a darn good hire. 

[hazzben]

Good hire for the Spartans......

http://www.dbq.edu/udathletics/news.cfm?ID=2135&team=Baseball

Not just a good hire, sounds like a darn good hire. 

Only knock on his resume is that he was a Johnnie at one point...but at least he came to his senses and transferred! 

[doolittledog]

I don't have any basis to say so, but I think Central is very conservative in counting its home attendance.

I know a couple of alums who aren't parents who go to away games if they think they will be good ones.  Some of them went to Dubuque last year and couldn't believe how wrong they were.

Perhaps Central under reports attendance at the same percentage that Wartburg over reports theirs

And what you consider a good game depends on your opinion of who the good guys are!!!

[doolittledog]

Dubuque Telegraph-Herald with some IIAC news...

http://www.thonline.com/sports/local_sports/article_511c0d55-bda2-5396-9a11-c54564824bbf.html

Highlights of the article are...

Colton Hansen is proving there are second acts for NCAA Division III quarterbacks.

The former University of Dubuque record-setting quarterback made the Cedar Rapids Titans roster midseason and played his way onto the field for the eastern Iowa Indoor Football League team. Subbing for an injured Kenneth Black Jr., Hansen -- who threw 24 touchdowns for UD in 2009 -- started and shined in Cedar Rapids' final two games.

The Olin, Iowa, native threw 10 touchdown passes and ran for a score, giving the Titans a bright spot in their rough 4-10 inaugural season.

Titans coach Kyle Moore-Brown calls Hansen a leading contender to be the franchise's starting quarterback in 2013.

"He adds versatility to our offense," Moore-Brown told the Cedar Rapids Gazette. "He's a winner. That's the kind of guy we're going to be searching for, with that kind of attitude."



Luther upgrades swim programs with $5.9 million aquatics center -- This will make Luther College swimming rivals go "whoa."

The Iowa Conference school has unveiled the blueprint for its $5.9 million Luther College aquatics center. Construction is set to begin in September on the 17,800-square foot facility. The project is expected to wrap in May 2013. The Minneapolis-based firm of Opus Design Build will construct the building.

Luther's eight-lane competition pool will be named the David and Patricia Miller Natatorium, two Norse alumni who were pivotal in raising money for the center.

The new aquatic center will feature seating for 280, advanced starting blocks featuring a state-of-the-art timing system and a large deck and diving space.



2-minute drill -- Central wrestling coach Eric Van Kley will add interim athletics director to his title beginning July 1. Van Kley takes over for retiring AD Al Dorenkamp. Van Kley takes the reins of a Dutch program that has captured 11 NCAA Division III national team championships, 28 individual titles, 154 Iowa Conference team crowns and 23 IIAC all-sports titles.

[NewKnightDad]

I don't have any basis to say so, but I think Central is very conservative in counting its home attendance.

I know a couple of alums who aren't parents who go to away games if they think they will be good ones.  Some of them went to Dubuque last year and couldn't believe how wrong they were.

Perhaps Central under reports attendance at the same percentage that Wartburg over reports theirs

And what you consider a good game depends on your opinion of who the good guys are!!!

One conference title and UD feels obligated to question what everyone else reports?    For the 4 years my son played you had to go in early at all home games to reserve a seat if you wanted any type of good seating so I am not so sure they over reported the attendance much if at all.  When ever we traveled we would overflow the visitors stands as well.

[doolittledog]

One conference title and UD feels obligated to question what everyone else reports?    For the 4 years my son played you had to go in early at all home games to reserve a seat if you wanted any type of good seating so I am not so sure they over reported the attendance much if at all.  When ever we traveled we would overflow the visitors stands as well.

I'm just still giving Warty grief for that game in 2008 I was at where there were 300 in the stands and Wartburg announced 3,000...I like to keep beating a dead horse 

Actually, kind of like I said earlier, I was surprised at the level of travelling support IIAC teams get now for football that I have seen over the last 5-6 years, from pretty much every school.  That did not happen 20-25 years ago when I was a student.  The opposite has happened in basketball.  Rewind 20-25 years ago and you would find packed gyms full of rowdy students.  Not much of an away crowd but the gyms were packed.  Now when I watch games on my computer it looks like most schools in our conference get a few hundred at the games and not much of an atmosphere.  The Coe game I went to last year in Cedar Rapids had a decent student turn out behind the basket that was rowdy, but the rest of the crowd didnt fill the other sections up. 

Will KCRG televise any more IIAC games this next year?  I would like to see some more of that. 

[footballdaddy]

Good hire for the Spartans......

http://www.dbq.edu/udathletics/news.cfm?ID=2135&team=Baseball

Beisballa been berry, berry good to me.

[DutchFan2004]

Here is a question for the board. 

Has football popularity in the IIAC increased over the past 20 years?  When I was in school in the late 80's - early 90's Central was the only school I can remember bringing a significant away crowd.  They probably had 1/3 of the crowd and probably brought about 600 fans to a game in Dubuque when I was in school.  I can't remember any other school bringing those numbers at that time.  Over the past few years it looks like Luther, Wartburg, Coe, Central, and Simpson all brought about 500-600 to the game at UD.  Loras had to have had 900 there last year (I know, short trip) BVU, with their long trip and cold November weather still brought a couple hundred.  Only Cornell struggled.  Are schools doing a better job of encouraging their fans to go to all the games?  More 4-lane roads make driving easier??  What do you think??? 

Another question.  Is the Central fan base basically the family of current players?  Looking at their home attendence last season Central reported 700 for Augustana, 1000 for Luther, 3500 for Coe (homecoming) 1000 for BVU, 1000 for Cornell.  Central seems to bring 500-700 with them to away games and about the same crowd when you factor in away support for their home games.  What gives???

Doolittle,

I think Central does have a lot of involved parents that travel to many of the away games.  Starters and non starter family members alike.  I also know that there are many alums that live near the away games that venture and watch their alma matre play.  There are many Pella residents that travel as well.  So it is not just the parents.  I still try to get to one or two games a year.  I have other games to watch now that my grandson's are playing sports and I try to go to one or two of Tim's games as well.  I hope this helps answer your question. 

[D3Dutchman]

Here is a question for the board. 

Has football popularity in the IIAC increased over the past 20 years?  When I was in school in the late 80's - early 90's Central was the only school I can remember bringing a significant away crowd.  They probably had 1/3 of the crowd and probably brought about 600 fans to a game in Dubuque when I was in school.  I can't remember any other school bringing those numbers at that time.  Over the past few years it looks like Luther, Wartburg, Coe, Central, and Simpson all brought about 500-600 to the game at UD.  Loras had to have had 900 there last year (I know, short trip) BVU, with their long trip and cold November weather still brought a couple hundred.  Only Cornell struggled.  Are schools doing a better job of encouraging their fans to go to all the games?  More 4-lane roads make driving easier??  What do you think??? 

Another question.  Is the Central fan base basically the family of current players?  Looking at their home attendence last season Central reported 700 for Augustana, 1000 for Luther, 3500 for Coe (homecoming) 1000 for BVU, 1000 for Cornell.  Central seems to bring 500-700 with them to away games and about the same crowd when you factor in away support for their home games.  What gives???

Doolittle,

I think Central does have a lot of involved parents that travel to many of the away games.  Starters and non starter family members alike.  I also know that there are many alums that live near the away games that venture and watch their alma matre play.  There are many Pella residents that travel as well.  So it is not just the parents.  I still try to get to one or two games a year.  I have other games to watch now that my grandson's are playing sports and I try to go to one or two of Tim's games as well.  I hope this helps answer your question.

I've read this message board for years, and don't post.  This is something that has always baffled me, so I thought I'd give it a go.  I realize that d3 attendance doesn't mean a whole lot, but it is published, and why not take some credit for good turnouts?  My guess is Central just counts paid attendance (just a hypothesis).  At any rate, they clearly don't track actual attendance accurately however they do it.  That said, I'm pretty sure students get in free, the players get about as many tickets for their family as they need, and many ex athletes get in for free with a pass.  It's pretty much single file entry into the stadium, so it wouldn't be too hard to have the students that take tickets / passes use a clicker and keep track of actual attendance.  Just a thought.  Seems like a no brainer to me.

[doolittledog]

Thanks for the replies.  I think we all know attendance figures are all just guess work at the D3 level.  It just seemed odd to me that Central reports such small numbers when they almost have to be bringing in much more.  I know it's all guess work and the numbers don't really mean anything but you would think Central would want to report a bit higher numbers. 

Some stories I have about paying to get into games...

In 2008 at the Wartburg game I was going in on the visitors side.  There were 2 girls sitting at a card table taking tickets and as I approached them one said to the other "this is way to cold, let's get outta here." And they got up and left.  When my friend called a few minutes later to ask where he could find me I told him to come in on the visitors side because you could get in free there.

Last year at the UD homecoming game my wife and I paid early for our 2 tickets.  But when we got to the stadium we walked by the ticket booth and went into the Chlapaty Rec center to take the elevator up and realized there was no one in there checking tickets.  So even though we actually did pay for out tickets...no one checked us as we entered the stadium from the inside. 

Last year in Mt Vernon for the UD/Cornell game there were 2 kids at a table that were supposed to be taking tickets.  Everyone just walked past them without making eye contact and the 2 boys never said anything.  I felt guilty and paid my 5 bucks, but the 2 kids looked put out that I expected them to count my change back to me.   

[footballdaddy]

Seems to me that the teams are missing a nice revenue stream by not making sure everyone that should pay does pay. Not millions of course, but a couple thousand dollars that could be used for things like equipment or under the table payments.

[Fannosaurus Rex]

Thanks for the replies.  I think we all know attendance figures are all just guess work at the D3 level.  It just seemed odd to me that Central reports such small numbers when they almost have to be bringing in much more.  I know it's all guess work and the numbers don't really mean anything but you would think Central would want to report a bit higher numbers. 

Some stories I have about paying to get into games...

In 2008 at the Wartburg game I was going in on the visitors side.  There were 2 girls sitting at a card table taking tickets and as I approached them one said to the other "this is way to cold, let's get outta here." And they got up and left.  When my friend called a few minutes later to ask where he could find me I told him to come in on the visitors side because you could get in free there.

Last year at the UD homecoming game my wife and I paid early for our 2 tickets.  But when we got to the stadium we walked by the ticket booth and went into the Chlapaty Rec center to take the elevator up and realized there was no one in there checking tickets.  So even though we actually did pay for out tickets...no one checked us as we entered the stadium from the inside. 

Last year in Mt Vernon for the UD/Cornell game there were 2 kids at a table that were supposed to be taking tickets.  Everyone just walked past them without making eye contact and the 2 boys never said anything.  I felt guilty and paid my 5 bucks, but the 2 kids looked put out that I expected them to count my change back to me.

Five bucks!?!  Sure seems like it is $7 at Central.  And that is general admission.  If you want a reserved seat it is even more, like $8 I'm thinking.  No wonder Central games are so lightly attended.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

Seems to me that the teams are missing a nice revenue stream by not making sure everyone that should pay does pay. Not millions of course, but a couple thousand dollars that could be used for things like equipment or under the table payments.

I'm not giving up my lifetime pass to Kohawk sporting events, no matter what!