There are plenty of creative ways to expand the WNBA's fan base and most recently, we've seen efforts to "convert" NBA fans.
Getting NBA writers to games is one way to create positive press through someone considered a "credible source" to NBA fans.
Mercury blogger Ben York has challenged a hater to watch a live game and actually base their opinion on evidence rather than spurious assumptions.
But I saw a different strategy yesterday while clicking around the University of Washington website to check out their women's basketball schedule: why not tap into local university season ticket holders?
Women's basketball season ticket holders are invited to attend a meet and greet session with Husky head coach Tia Jackson and members of the 2009-10 women's basketball team, and attend the Seattle Storm vs. Connecticut Sun game at Key Arena on August 27.I don't know whether this has been done before at UW or elsewhere. And perhaps UW is in a unique position to do this well because head coach Tia Jackson is a former WNBA player coaching a team in a WNBA city.
Nevertheless, it's an interesting idea.
NCAA women's season ticket holders likely don't have the same biases as NBA fans or outright haters. And they might enjoy watching the "best of the best" compete as an extension of a sport they already follow.
But most of all, you know they're willing to spend money on women's basketball, which makes them particularly attractive as potential fans.
Of course, I know that college and professional basketball don't mix for everyone -- I know plenty of fans who like one and disdain the other. (Update: Clay Kallam has written about this problem as part of larger phenomenon of "Our Girls Syndrome".)
But if the goal is to expand a fan base, this seems to be a strategy worth pursuing more aggressively, even if the assumption is that this demographic of NCAA season ticket holders have already consciously chosen to either follow the WNBA or ignore it. In the event they have not been to a game, it might be a good way to tap into a group of people who you know are willing to pay to watch women's basketball.
I am planning on being at that August 27th game with two UW students...so maybe I'll check out Jackson's meet and greet before I fixate on comparing Storm point guard Sue Bird and Connecticut Sun point guard Lindsay Whalen. And maybe, we'll come away wanting to check out a UW game as well.
(Extended) side note: I took a look at season tickets for UW women's and men's basketball, which are both reasonably priced, I think. The men's team figures to be better than the women's (again), but I want to give women's NCAA basketball a shot this season. But wouldn't it be cool if you could get some sort of discounted package deal for getting both? Wouldn't that be another interesting way of attracting fans to the NCAA women's game?
Logging you in...
Sue · 814 weeks ago
petrel · 814 weeks ago
Q McCall 58p · 814 weeks ago
http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/weeklyrpi/2009WBBat...
But if you can take those STH and get them to a WNBA game at such a low cost -- having the coach chat with them before a game -- it's hard not to give it a shot even if it only results in a few more WNBA STH.. every penny counts...
Helen · 813 weeks ago
The thing is -- and this isn't a new realization -- is the college experience is different than the W. First, access -- there are 13 teams v. 330 D1, not to mention D2, 3, NAIA and Junior College pgms. Location location location prevents fans who might attend from getting to games. Which is no excuse for, say, the Liberty not having build relationships with local college teams. Even though support is iffish (other than RU.. and that has been a slow building bridge).
Second. length on season/career as it relates to relationship. This is not the "Our girls" syndrome which, in many ways, I find a bullsh*t theory. This is about watching a young player grow over four years -- as a player AND a person. In a close and personal way that you can't get in a W experience. (Well, maybe you can in some cities, but I've not seen a Lib player drop into Cafe 31 in years). Some people fall in love with the game, some a player, some a team - it doesn't matter how the loyalty/love is developed, but it does have to be nurtured. And college teams have the advantage in so many ways.
The game itself -- for all the kvetching, the W is the best of the best. Unfortunately, the short preseason impacts chemistry and cohesion. The level of talent (especially in the last couple of years) means that games can get ugly -- not because of skill, but because of intensity. Some college fans look at their teams (often dominant teams) and think, "we play a more beautiful game of bball." Well, yah, but what if you had to play final four teams every. single. game. of. the season. It would look a little different, me thinks.
2002 was key for the W because of the volume of UConn fans that followed the fab four into the W. A lot of them stuck. And they learned a lot about the W and began to respect it for both the similarities and differences to the college game.
Other things to talk about when it comes to this topic -- but better done over a beer. One thing that needs to be put out there is the lack of attention (and respect) college coaches give the W. Lots of excuses, but really, it's an issue. Said Donovan a while back (http://fraser61.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/the-wnba...
In the past, several factors have contributed to a lack of collegiality between the two coaching communities. Schedules that were out of sync, disparate backgrounds seemed to discourage connection, and the ever-growing pressure of growing a college program made huge demands on an individual coach’s time. In spite of those realities, Seattle’s Donovan can’t help but feel disappointed in what she sees as a lack of support from the college ranks. “I don’t know how much they watch the game, how much they really play close attention to it. I can speculate about why that is, but I’ll leave that alone and just say it’s frustrating. Because this is a great game. Pity the person that’s still looking at this league ten years ago when it started out. They just gave up on it back then? Where would we be in women’s basketball if we had all done that back then? The game has grown, the talent has grown, the coaching has grown. And it’s a game that needs to be promoted within our own ranks.”
More recently, Courtney Paris was surprised at how good W players were. Hello! Where have you been?
I'll end with Dunn:
“I walk into your locker room and there’s a huge photo of the player that got drafted. Now my question to you is, ‘What are you doing to make sure we’re around 10 years from now?’ We are helping you. You must help us. You must support us. You must invest in our future.”
“I want them to come to the games,” said Dunn. “I want them to buy season tickets. I want them to talk about the women’s professional game anytime they can. Talk about the positive impact it’s having on our game. Share that with corporate sponsors. The last thing we need is a college coach saying, ‘Well I can’t stand the WNBA. I don’t go to the games.’ How does that help? I would never say that about a college game because I love women’s basketball.”
“They stand to lose enormously if this league doesn’t make it. If I were them, I would be doing everything within my power to make sure we make it. And you can quote me on that.”
Q McCall 58p · 813 weeks ago
Two things come to mind in response to your extended comment:
1) College coaches -- especially those at major colleges -- actually do have a stake in the WNBA succeeding because it is an additional way to market their programs: "Come to my program and I'll give you a better shot at the pros". This has definitely happened over time in the NBA and regardless of the resulting shift in the balance of power at the NCAA level (most talented players will go to big programs in hopes of NBA visibility) I think it benefits all parties in some ways (the best players are easier to track down, gives college athletes something to aspire to)...
2) There is no excuse not to do this. Pat Summitt shows up at a Dream game and creates an insane atmosphere. No way Tia Jackson will get that kind of turnout in Seattle...but I cannot think of one reason why every single local coach shouldn't be at their nearest WNBA arena for a STH talk near the beginning of the college season. If you give folks a reason to show up, they will... if a few of them get hooked and come back -- or tell a friend -- then you're making progress...
But I definitely hear you on the challenges... and I'm definitely not saying this is the silver bullet solution.
petrel · 813 weeks ago
For example, I was at the Dream/Sparks game. Pat Summitt brought her Lady Vols to Philips Arena but I was suprised - pleasantly surprised - to see MaChelle Joseph and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets present as well.
GT did the Dream a favor by showing up at the Dream game. But really, what can the Dream do for GT? In the off-season, the Dream players are scattered across three continents. They can't show up to a Georgia Tech game, no matter how much the WBB program would like them to. It makes it very difficult to "cross-promote".
Just a random thought.
Q McCall 58p · 813 weeks ago
Helen · 813 weeks ago
On a positive note, the "barriers" between the two coaching pools are being crossed a bit as W coaches open practices to college coaches.