I’d like to see Coach Huff reach out to the fraternities and sororities on campus and maybe attend one of their meetings to get them more involved. Let’s face it, the “Maniacs” are for the most part a bunch of dorks that are unorganized and honestly not a thing at Marshall. Maybe even have a “fan drive” outside of the student center a time or two.
Marshall student section idea
- Thread starter Jartard
- Start date
I think calling the Maniacs a bunch of dorks is a bit over-cooked.
When I was at Marshall (72 - 75) the school/athletic department held "contests" between the Greek organizations and dormatories to determine who was the best cheering group at each game. Don't know what (if any) prizes were awarded to the winning groups. But, a concerted effort was made to encourage students to attend the football and basketball games.
The Maniacs are making a come back, by acting like fans. They arent coming to games to be cool, they are making being fans cool again, and I love it. It is starting with all these Barstool High School accounts. They are making attending High school games cool again, and I really hope this rolls over with them as they become freshman next year.
Good times coming for the Maniacs. I hope they ignore your comment about what you think of them and continue to do what they do.
Good times coming for the Maniacs. I hope they ignore your comment about what you think of them and continue to do what they do.
The cold hard truth is attendance and fan participation be it adults or students comes with winning. It just is what it is. Sure they should take pride in their school regardless, but people back winners. You're going to have your hardcores, but the majority of stadiums are casual fans.
If we were winning championships on the regular more students would show up and be engaged.
When you're comparing current sports vs 10, 15, and 20 years ago there are so many more distractions and 4k UHD big screen TVs affordable for all walks of life. Like it or not it was a much easier choice back when all most people had were SD 30-35 inch tube TVs and maybe getting 2-3 games a year on TV.
You want people to leave their couches then you have to field a product that they deem worth it. Not to mention the increased price of concessions, hotel rooms, restaurants, and gas.
If we were winning championships on the regular more students would show up and be engaged.
When you're comparing current sports vs 10, 15, and 20 years ago there are so many more distractions and 4k UHD big screen TVs affordable for all walks of life. Like it or not it was a much easier choice back when all most people had were SD 30-35 inch tube TVs and maybe getting 2-3 games a year on TV.
You want people to leave their couches then you have to field a product that they deem worth it. Not to mention the increased price of concessions, hotel rooms, restaurants, and gas.
the new AD set up a "student only" pre-party area for the kids to hang out - music, beverages, games, etc.
The stu
The student attendance this past season was the worst I have ever seen it. And that dates back to the late 70's.
Agreed... Certainly the worst in my 22 years of coming to Herd football games.
Oh I agree. It was bad this last year. Awful. Granted every section was pathetic. The actions of “fans” on here was pathetic. The actions on social media was pathetic. The fact that the team you loves has to win all the time or you don’t support them is pathetic.
I grew up in the Kanawha valley. I had to defend being a Marshall fan every day of my life. I won’t ever stop. It just sucks that I have to defend my own teams to fellow fans. Now that’s what is pathetic
Show some pride. These kids are showing pride. And they are determined to bring back the maniacs.
how bout supporting that concept instead of not
Go Herd!
I grew up in the Kanawha valley. I had to defend being a Marshall fan every day of my life. I won’t ever stop. It just sucks that I have to defend my own teams to fellow fans. Now that’s what is pathetic
Show some pride. These kids are showing pride. And they are determined to bring back the maniacs.
how bout supporting that concept instead of not
Go Herd!
Attendance is driven by WINNING over serious opponents.
In football, after September, if was 100% clear that the team was incapable of beating a team with a pulse. Students, and everyone else, were presented with either a laughable game versus some of the worst teams in the country; or the Herd being grabbed by the throat and dominated.
In basketball, the ineptitude of the team and of its coach has been established beyond all doubt. Students can see better games at the Rec Center, with more serious game plans.
You want better attendance? FIRE DD, and put CH on notice that MARKED and MAJOR improvement in necessary for 22 and certainly by 23.
In football, after September, if was 100% clear that the team was incapable of beating a team with a pulse. Students, and everyone else, were presented with either a laughable game versus some of the worst teams in the country; or the Herd being grabbed by the throat and dominated.
In basketball, the ineptitude of the team and of its coach has been established beyond all doubt. Students can see better games at the Rec Center, with more serious game plans.
You want better attendance? FIRE DD, and put CH on notice that MARKED and MAJOR improvement in necessary for 22 and certainly by 23.
For long term growth, have to build fans at Marshall now. Most of us that go to games at one point sat in the student section. That has to come from within. Outward growth has to come from the marketing department. Show up to things like Live on the Levee in Charleston to get people interested and involved. It’s going to take some outside of the box thinking. Social media is nice, but there needs to be something done that actually connects with people too.
This is a great point... Students have paid for their seat at the game whether they show up or not (athletic fees)... The misconception with Marshall football attendance is that the stadium is empty because everyone is poor.
While the Huntington/Charleston market is certainly below average in income, and there are definitely people struggling, there are also plenty of folks who have the money to attend and choose not to. We have talked at length on here about making the gameday "event" more attractive, and Marshall should certainly do all it can to give people a good experience. But it all starts with winning... Attendance took a 10% hit last year when we blew that game to ECU, follow it with a loss at App and fan interest went in the tank real quick.
This post is full of pathetic opinions that represent the way "fans" think, not the way fans think.
Also, you may be one of the single most hypocritical "fans" in Marshall history.
So, how many teams with a pulse did the Herd beat after we fans figured out what was up? The answer? ZERO. A “pathetic” opinion? Nope, a CORRECT one.
As to basketball what is the record exactly? Do you honestly think that this “team” of individual street ballers has anything more than a puncher’s chance in any game, whether they play this gimmick offense or ignore the coach and just ball? The team will wander through February and the losing season will come to a merciful end quickly, probably in the play-in round of the CUSA tournament, as we are currently in LAST PLACE.
You want to sell tickets, or get students to use the passes they already are forced to pay for? WIN games versus quality opponents. Something the football team failed to do at all this year; and which the basketball team has currently accomplished only 5 times, with the season winding down.
So you just want a WVU type circle jerk? Every recruit a five star; all the coaches are super-geniuses who were/are up for major jobs which we outsmarted them all to get him; the teams are automatically destined to win in just a few years (generally declared just after the current year’s certain championship doesn’t work out), program is “self-supporting” etc?
Marshall fans USED to laugh at that. We used to be better than they were/are. Knowledgeable, thoughtful, and in tune with the sports world in a realistic way.
If I wanted to be a syncophantic mind numbed believer in idiocy, I would just go to Wal-Mart and buy me some blue and yellow. I’m better than that. I am a true MU fan.
Knowledgeable fans know that Herd basketball is in real trouble, and need a complete make over with a new staff and players. Knowledgeable fans know that Herd football had a grossly underperforming year, and that serious questions must be asked until , if ever, our reasonable questions and fears are answered.
It is called being a fan.
You can’t reason with Perkins. Marshall has only 1 true fan and it’s him in his mind. Every Coach we have should be the coach at Marshall until they either die or retire, regardless of how their teams perform, and the stadium should be packed supporting them even if they never win another game again.
Great, let's alienate an established campus organization like the Maniacs to prop the IFC and Greeks, who are largely unsupported by the campus.
Alright, let's delve into this.
I agree IFC should be more involved with the athletics and whatnot. I think MU should give IFC their own tailgate spots at games, which would be run by alumni because I don't doubt alcohol-related events are looked down upon by the greek organizations.
What you're also needing to implement is cooperation by MU too.
For whatever reason, MU has largely not supported greeks. The IFC president (if its who I am thinking of) is one of the most universally disliked people on campus who in no way supports any fraternity outside of his own.
Combine this with decades of poor administrative support, and terrible housing where some fraternities were living under a slum-lord, and its no wonder there's such a poor presence for anything.
As far as events go, Huntington had a fall concert series on 8th street every Friday/Saturday pending weather, live music and bands, outdoor beer/drinking just near Pullman. The street was blocked off from like 7pm-10pm.
It brought a ton of people out. Huff and the football team came, DD and basketball, soccer, etc. They had drawings for prizes and everything.
This was their first year doing it so next time it'll be better planned out.
So Huntington HAS events to get people out before football games...and has something to get immediate area people to consider going.
It would be great to see some local music groups from Huntington, in Charleston, playing and promoting MU.
Is it really an established organization? Have you seen the student section? Hell, even Perkins has commented how bad it’s been. The Greeks could at least bring several hundred people to the game if someone would reach out to ALL of them. Seriously need to set up tables at places like outside and inside the student center and in the lobby of the dorms and maybe have a few players and a coach there encouraging people to attend games and sign them up to receive emails and text reminders about upcoming games. Have to make some sort of effort that’s not been made in quite a while.
Hey, how do the Maniacs as an organization work? Do you pay to be a part of it, how much? Is it every semester?
Established as in, being recognized and positively received by MU.
MU looked for anything they could do to shut down IFC.
As I said, a major positive for greeks is for MU to reach out to their alumni and organize a group set of tailgate spots at a discounted price.
Then have Huff sell that to the greeks.
The reason?
The greeks are usually too drunk and too far away to make it to the game. If kickoff's at 3:30, they're drinking well before 10 (at least mine was). Frat row feels like a million miles away when you're dozens of beers and shots in and it's 90 degrees out and you gotta walk down 5th.
You need to give the greeks incentive to show up and be there and not want to leave...if you have tailgate spots at the stadium, why the hell would they go home before the game? Plenty are going to stay.
So the key here is giving them tailgate spots to be in at the stadium so they show up and have reason to show up and stay.
That, of course, is a joint effort by MU and Huff/AD to get greeks down there.
Sam, you are NOT a true MU fan. You are a hypocritical A$$hole.
Maniacs Homepage
BENEFITS & INFORMATION
Joining the Maniacs will enter you into the largest student organization on campus, as well as give you many exclusive rewards & benefits such as:- Maniac ID Card, which allows you numerous discounts at a variety of restaurants and other businesses around Huntington (HERDperks)
- An Exclusive Maniac T-shirt
- Football Season Tickets
- A Student Guest Ticket to a Home Football Game
- Special Trips and Gifts That Only Maniacs Are Eligible For
The cost of a 1-year membership is $30 and will include all of the benefits listed above. The cost of a 4-year membership is $75 and will include all of the benefits listed above, as well as all of the benefits of becoming a Maniac in the future.
Marshall Bookstore Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. You will need a photo I.D. when picking up your items.
Marshall Maniacs - Marshall University Athletics
--> Welcome to the homepage of the Marshall Maniacs! All information regarding membership is below! Join the Maniacs at the Marshall Bookstore! Benefits & In...
Gee, sounds like the Maniacs want to go to games, and we want to call them names so they will lose interest quit going.
Unless the students were disguised a metal bleachers, there weren't many in attendance this past season.
Maniacs Homepage
BENEFITS & INFORMATION
Joining the Maniacs will enter you into the largest student organization on campus, as well as give you many exclusive rewards & benefits such as:
- Maniac ID Card, which allows you numerous discounts at a variety of restaurants and other businesses around Huntington (HERDperks)
- An Exclusive Maniac T-shirt
- Football Season Tickets
- A Student Guest Ticket to a Home Football Game
- Special Trips and Gifts That Only Maniacs Are Eligible For
The cost of a 1-year membership is $30 and will include all of the benefits listed above. The cost of a 4-year membership is $75 and will include all of the benefits listed above, as well as all of the benefits of becoming a Maniac in the future.
Marshall Bookstore Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. You will need a photo I.D. when picking up your items.
Marshall Maniacs - Marshall University Athletics
--> Welcome to the homepage of the Marshall Maniacs! All information regarding membership is below! Join the Maniacs at the Marshall Bookstore! Benefits & In...herdzone.com
Thank you.
I think they should ditch the Maniacs card and make you a full on BG member instead. If you're part of the Maniacs, then you should be given a discount to get even the minimal level of the BG.
I think giving them the incentive of being a BG member, they may be more willing to be a part of it. Plus it'll drive BG membership up.
Also, students should be given tbe option to include minimal BG membership as an option onto their tuition (when compared to it, it's so small, I bet plenty just go for it).
More involvement in the BG may give students more of a reason to attend games and be a part of what can make it better.
That would be a smart way to grow BG membership.
The only thing I don't understand is the "football season tickets" perk. Every student gets season tickets. It's included in their "activity fee".
Agree 100%. The BG needs to make that connection with students now so they can carry on with it when they graduate. I started many, many years ago at $10 a month via the auto draft method. Hell, everyone can afford that.
I'm pretty sure that they get tickets for all of the games and that keeps them from having to get in line to pick them up.
Also, I'm not sure if it's like this any more but when the group first became an official organization, it was an entry-level BG membership for students.
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