Cyclone Alley

[cloneswereall]

Good question. CAC sent out a survey before the season and it asked if students would be willing to sit down with them and discuss ideas. We both said we would be. This last week we were invited to a meeting with CAC at the Jacobson Building. We are not members of CAC, simply students that have discussed stuff with CAC. As far as the bashing is concerned, I see no reason to bash them. I have yet to see a valid complaint that they are worsening the atmosphere of the student section.

You, obviously, have not seen first had what it has done. CA Handbook is item #1. CAC withholding KU and Iowa MBB tickets for friends in the first few rows and those in the Greek system instead of putting them into the lottery is item #2.

[cyhiphopp]

But does Cyclone Alley encourage attendance as was claimed? And can they do more to encourage attendance?

This is the most important and valid question.

Much more important than ******** about something you can't change.

[Stumpy]

I also learned a little history behind Cyclone Alley that I didn't know. It was originally created to get more students to the games. Student attendance was a significant problem after Larry U had a couple bad seasons. With that in mind that is why Cyclone Alley exists today.

[CycloneNorth]

I understand it with ISU sucking prior to Hoiberg for the McD and later Morgan years.

However, we are a program on the rise nationally. ISU isn't there yet by any imagination, but getting closer.

The reason CA was created was because ISU was bad in bball. So why not kill CA since the program is close to being back?

What's the advantage of not having CA? 6 more seats in the front row isn't going to change the fan culture, which is really not that bad at the moment.

[CynadoAlley]

I don't mean this as disrespect, but why do I get the feeling that both of you guys are actually on CAC?
And I feel that way because I think you two are the only 2 people not bashing CA...

It's a valid question, but to be honest, I wouldn't have spent the past couple of nights preparing questions/ideas for this meeting if I were already on the CAC. Wouldn't that have been a waste of time on my part? Most already believe that the CAC aren't up to squat, so if I was really part of it, would I have put that much effort into this?
I'm not "bashing" CA right now because it's irrelevant. Do I wish we had the craziest, loudest, most obnoxious student section in the country? Hell yeah. But CA isn't going anywhere, whether we like it or not, that's so far beyond any of our control, so for me to sit here and complain about it would be pointless.
I went to that meeting in an effort to improve the student section. I apologize for updating CF on my opinion of how it went. My desire to have the best student section in the country is just as strong as the next guys.

[jackrabbit]

I read the first page or two and the last page or two, so my idea has probably been mentioned already.

Have small give aways and or prizes for students going crazy or not. I would call it BIG BUCKS NO WHAMMYS.
During each segment of the game (segment = 4 minute interval between offical time outs) one of the in house cameras would focus on a random student - with no advance warning. Highlights of the student going crazy would be shown on the scoreboard. If he/she was really cheering hard, the fan is awarded BIG BUCKS or some other prize. If on the other hand, the student was not cheering then a big red 'X' would appear over the highlight of them on the scoreboard - the WHAMMY and they get no prize - and probably booed by the rest of the crowd.

This promo should be varied and run once each half. Sometimes at the first time out other times later in the half. It should not be predictable as to when this will be run. Hopefully, that encourages more students to cheer loudly and get into the game. In a couple games I would run the promo say three times, just so it is not predictable.

2nd idea. Since the students are suppose to sign in, the athletic department should know which groups are showing up in proportion to the number of tickets that group bought. So if a certain dorm floor or fraternity or sorority or campus club had a very good showing at the last game or games; have the athletic department/cyclone alley by that group a pizza dinner and have it delivered to them. Students love free and students love pizza. Combine the two and you have a winner.

Good luck and hope you are succesful in making Cyclone Alley better.

[Tailg8er]

Stop complaining about our student section/CA guys. You never know when a recruit might read all this & decide to take their talents elsewhere!

[Stumpy]

Stop complaining about our student section/CA guys. You never know when a recruit might read all this & decide to take their talents elsewhere!

Are you kidding? Recruits are already impressed by the gameday atmosphere, so they'll be blown away when they find out our fans are halfassing it.

[Jordanj6502]

I should have said this in this thread. I wonder if it came up. But they should get rid of the dance off. That is embarrassing for everyone. At least the other events like dizzy bat and tic-tac-toe have some entertainment value, I suppose.

[CynadoAlley]

I should have said this in this thread. I wonder if it came up. But they should get rid of the dance off. That is embarrassing for everyone. At least the other events like dizzy bat and tic-tac-toe have some entertainment value, I suppose.

They asked us how we felt about the CA promotions. Luth said people need tic-tac-toe lessons haha (as was stated on here by Agronomist I believe). I brought up the idea that they kill the momentum that the crowd might have. They usually happen at the 16 min mark in the second half so I brought up the possibility of (if they must have them) move them around depending on the situation. If the team just went on a big run and the crowd is into it, avoid doing it as the crowd will lose the excitement.
They seemed to agree.

[chuckd4735]

Of course student attendance dropped. ISU went from winning the Big 12 and being within an inch of the final four, to having an awesome season only to get blown out of the Big 12 tourney and losing the first round of the NCAA's as a 2 seed, to going 4-12 in the Big 12 and then 6-10. I'm surprised attendance didn't completely disappear after going through that.

[CyArob]

So... did they actually say what they plan on doing...anything...?

[ISUAgronomist]

So... did they actually say what they plan on doing...anything...?

Step 1 - Spread propoganda on CycloneFanatic
Step 2 - Continue to suck
Step 3 - There is no ******* Step 3

[aeroclone]

Somebody make a good case for how CA is contributing towards its original goal of improving attendance? It isn't, so let's end the experiment and move on to something different.

[Jordanj6502]

Somebody make a good case for how CA is contributing towards its original goal of improving attendance? It isn't, so let's end the experiment and move on to something different.

I would say it probably does encourage attendance at Women's Basketball games. At least to a couple every season. As for men's games, I don't think it encourages attendance, but I am not sure it dissuades students from attending either...