I think one reason for EMU's attendance problems (and there are several) in football and basketball is because both facilities are off the main campus. When they used to play basketball at Bowen Fieldhouse (which is on the main campus portion) they used to get much better crowds despite the place being much, much smaller and just a strange, quirky, bizarre place for a basketball game. For those who were never there for a game, picture walking into a indoor track facility, piecing a basketball court in the middle of the track loop, put portable/retractable bleachers around, drop a tarp from the ceiling behind a basket and you have what they played in. Even the way you entered the place was weird as you came into a tiny lobby, walked into a small doorway that sent you into a section of fixed seats above the track level for viewing track events, then you walked down a staircase onto the track below and over to your section of seats. Of course they also had some really good teams then too, but it was much easier to access for student on campus than the new one is now. Other factors such as commuting students, playing in the shadow's of the University of Michigan and a lack of much success in either sport hasn't helped either. They just aren't getting support from students, alumni or locals much at all.Matty B wrote:Attendance for BG @ EMU was 601. It is sad for the state of the MAC that a 12-8 team in a not-crappy arena has such a poor following.
The current arena is really nice, but it sits down the road from campus right next to the football stadium. I do like how EMU's arena sits in the south end zone of the football stadium and has tied into the facility structure. I was hoping we would do something similar at BG with the Stroh Center like that with a Falcon Plaza in between where the falcon statue could have gone. It could have really added a great look to the bland backdrop of the open end of the Doyt. But that's a another topic and isn't gonna happen now.
