It'll take more than Bedlam to get OU students interested in hoops again
Published: 2/20/2012 8:44 PM
Last Modified: 2/20/2012 8:44 PM
The last time Oklahoma State played Oklahoma, a whopping dozen OSU students stood in line – well, it wasn't a line, there weren't enough of them out there to form a line – outside Gallagher-Iba Arena waiting to get inside. It was the best (worst?) commentary yet on how bleak Bedlam basketball has become.
Wednesday night, when the Sooners host the return game. I honestly believe OU will be happy with a dozen early arrivals. Heck, they'll take a dozen students in their seats by the time the first note of the National Anthem goes up.
Bedlam won't be enough to bring the students back to the Lloyd Noble Center. I'm not sure what will, honestly, outside of the obvious.
"When we win games, when we do things well enough to win games, the students will come out," coach Lon Kruger said when I broached the student attendance topic with him recently. "We just have to position ourselves for when we do win, everybody will be on board."
Kruger, to his credit, helped start what he calls a "grassroots campaign" right after being hired last spring. He hit every corner of campus, it seemed, and shook enough hands to make OU president, and former U.S. senator/state governor, David Boren envious.
"We'll do the same thing this spring, summer and fall," Kruger said.
So the coach will keep working to raise student awareness. His team will keep working on winning the necessary number of games to get noticed.
In the meantime, say for next season, I have a few ideas for OU marketers. Balloons, t-shirts and dunking mascots are cute, but they're not going to get kids out of dorms, frat houses or the library Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Let the students in free, for starters, and give them all the concessions they can digest. Then, consider going Bill Veeck on them.
Here are five promotional tie-ins that would take care of half of OU's Big 12 Conference home schedule…
Kansas: "Student Exchange Night."
Students who come to the KU game are guaranteed a seat on a chartered bus for the return game in Lawrence, and a ticket into Allen Fieldhouse. There's just one condition: They must pay as much attention to the KU students as the game itself, and they must take notes.
Texas: "Street of Dreams Night"
Off students who show up at Texas game another bus pass. This time, it's a trip to Austin for the return basketball game. Only, students have the option of attending the game (meh) or free admission to the, uh, shops up and down Sixth Street.
Kansas State: "What Did He Just Say? Night"
Students who attend the K-State game are guaranteed access to the Wildcats locker room in postgame, hopefully after a Wildcats loss that drives the Wildcats coach crazier than he already is. Condition: Before entering the locker room, students must sign an insurance waiver.
Baylor: "Replace-a-Coach Night"
Students who come watch the Bears get to coach the Bears. That's right. They get to devise the gameplan, matchups and adjustments for the game that day/night. Condition: Students shouldn't be surprised if their attempts at confusing Baylor's players actually help them.
TCU: "Party Animal Night"
All students are given live horny toads before passing through the turnstiles. What they do with the frogs is up to them, although anyone who has seen "Magnolia" should have an obvious idea.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
