Fan participation programs to continue this season
USD administrators are hoping the creation of programs in the past few years aimed at bolstering fan attendance at games will continue to be successful this upcoming year.
Tena Haraldson, director of marketing communications & university relations, said she believes the best way to reach out to students is through other students.
“Our first effort was to revive the Coyote Crazies, and that has worked really well. Last year they had 800 members,” Haraldson said. “They have their own internal messaging group. They dress up and paint their faces. They have a lot of coordinated cheering.”
USD is working with this group to coordinate cheers during games and create giant heads of other teams’ players, such as Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini during last year’s Dakota Days game. They also are assisting with fundraisers for Coyote Crazies shirts.
Haraldson said another thing the administration is doing is providing prizes. During games giveaways such as coupons for books and housing scholarships will continue to be given out. In order to claim their prizes, however, students have to stay until the end of the second half.
A system to reward students for going to different events and activities around campus was implemented two years ago and has led to an increase in student participation in events.
“We also have a program called Paw Points and you get Paw Points for participating in different things and then at the end of the year, we give out major prizes based on your Paw Points system,” Haraldson said.
These prizes are given away in front of the student section so students can see the rewards for attending events. The faculty also uses websites and the Muenster University Center whiteboards to communicate with students.
Haraldson said the marketing department believes Paw Points has played a large role in bolstering student attendance.
“We think it’s really helped,” Haraldson said. “We keep track of attendance because students swipe their card to go in and we know attendance is significantly up — it’s been up every year since we’ve been doing this.”
Student input is welcomed by USD to help find out what would make sporting events better for the students. Surveys have been sent to students about various topics and efforts have been made to try to get students get to know the teams, so that they feel like they’re supporting fellow students. Feeling an attachment, a vibe to the team, really helps the students stay to watch the entire games, Haraldson said.
The administration has also started giving out tickets earlier for sporting events.
“Students don’t have to pay to go to regular games,” Haraldson said. “On tournaments, sometimes the sponsor of the tournament will charge for tickets, but we have found a lot of times President Abbott will buy tickets for students, or he’ll donate money to make the price like $5. We have looked at having buses to take students to away games.”
While USD can try some things to make the games more appealing, it’s ultimately up to the students to go and stay at the games.
“We’re realistic that people have their own lives and they have their own things they’re going to do, but we do think you miss out on something when you miss out on the D1 athletic experience and we’re just trying to give people a reason to stay for the whole game,” Haraldson said.
