Vol. 19, No. 25

March 23, 2000

Basketball fans follow the Hens at home and away

UD basketball fans are true blue and their numbers are growing. In fact, the last eight games of the season at home in The Bob were sellouts. The Hens also are a major draw on the road. Men’s basketball teams in the America East Conference attracted an average attendance ranging from 622 per game at Northeastern University to 2,596 at the University of Maine. Compare those to UD’s average attendance–4,960 fans. This season, attendance at The Bob reached 74,830, for an average of nearly 5,000 fans per game, including the season high of 5,267 fans, who came March 4 to see the Blue Hens defeat Towson University. The overall average attendance of the nine other America East teams on their respective home courts is 1,395 fans per game. When UD’s average attendance is made part of the equation, the league average increases to 1,821 per game–a 45 percent increase in total home attendance. In addition to boosting the overall conference attendance average, Athletic Director Edgar Johnson said UD also raises the individual school attendance numbers. During the recently completed season, in every game but one (the Jan. 4 University of New Hampshire game played during a major football bowl game), every school the Blue Hens visited experienced an increase in attendance–at times dramatically above the school’s average. For example, at Boston University, the UD game drew 929 fans compared to the average of 747; at Drexel University, 2,339 (average 1,454); at Hofstra University, 5,124 (average 2,694); at Towson, 2,598 (average 1,088); and at the University of Vermont 2,514 (average 1,643). Johnson attributes this increased drawing power of the Fightin’ Blue Hens on the road to several factors. “We have a history and a tradition of success in all sports, and we won four conference championships in the 1990s,” Johnson said. “This lends itself to increased attendance.” Season ticket sales for home games reached a record 2,852 tickets this year. And, more and more, Blue Hen fans have taken to following their favorite team on the road. “This year, Towson was averaging about 1,000 tickets per game,” Johnson said. “When we played there, the attendance shot up to about 2,500. Over 1,500 of those tickets were bought by UD fans.” Johnson said it is not unusual for fans to travel to New York City or to Boston and to make a Delaware game part of a long weekend or even a week’s vacation. “A major reason for our success is the personality of head coach Mike Brey and his willingness to talk to groups about the program,” Johnson said. “He visits social clubs and other business and community groups, and through these efforts, plus his radio show, he promotes the program out in the community.” “Thanks to the good efforts of Coach Brey and Coach [Tina] Martin and their players—with assistance from UD’s award-winning cheerleaders, mascots and dance team and support from the pep band—it is fair to say that the Bob Carpenter Center is achieving the potential we had in mind when it was opened in 1992,” President David P. Roselle said. “We look forward to and are extremely optimistic about the further development of our basketball programs.” Delaware finished the current season with a 24-8 record, and this kind of success elicits a positive response from alumni and friends who also want to be involved in the program, Johnson said. To continue to build on this success, Athletics has several promotions, including the designation of a family section and fun events geared toward younger fans. The family package proved so successful this year that all 600 seats in a family section, located directly across court from students in The Cockpit, were sold out, according to Curtis Krouse, marketing director. All the fans seem to enjoy the variety of activities that accompany Blue Hen basketball, Krouse said. “People know there are lots of things going on. They know we put on a great show in a highly professional manner. And, the kids love YouDee and Baby Blue.” “Our fans follow us, and they are very vocal and supportive,” Johnson said. “They are very enthusiastic about Delaware basketball, and they should be.” –Jerry Rhodes