• movielover
    484
    Update from the Big West - re Covid

    UC Davis: "With today's announcement from the Big West Conference Board of Directors, UC Davis Athletics will work with campus and county health officials to determine protocols and procedures that will allow fans to safely attend home games starting April 1, or after pending appropriate approvals."

    https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2021/3/18/athletics-big-west-conference-allows-members-to-update-spring-sports-attendance-policies.aspx
  • Riveraggie
    209
    Pretty fast progress to have approvals pending when protocols and procedures are not yet determined. Or maybe that’s not what they meant.
  • AggieFinn
    418
    Gonna be a hard no....

    If they made it happen I'd be shocked, some lawyer is probably jawing in their ear about the possibilities.
  • DrMike
    649
    I believe they are working now to get people on the stadium for EWU
  • movielover
    484
    We have a wealth of data now, and other successful states implementing procedures.
  • Riveraggie
    209
    The word “pending” doesn’t belong. Nothings pending approval prior to having a plan.
  • Goags20172
    162
    I was under the impression UCD was going to stay the course with the no fan attendance, at least for every non-footballl sport. I still think that is the case. UCD's plan has budgeted for no fan attendance, which means no concession stand workers,no ticket salespeople, and less security. Now with even modest football attendance they could offset the costs of having fans, which of course go up the more spectators you have. Not so with other sports.

    UCD baseball fans are already masters at social distancing, so skilled in fact that they don't even show up., except on Picnic Day when no admission is charged. Dobbins Stadium could open with full capacity right now and they'd be well within county limits. Except for when I attend. Wherever I am that's the hot place to sit, judging from how pany people need to sit directly in front of me or in the same row. Once I sat on the visitors side. Same thing 3500 capacity and a crowd of 200- why ?

    Unfortunately this news comes too late to be of use to me. Already bought my A's Flex Pack. Terrible seats.. A's fans are also great at social distancing. In all the games I've ever seen in person only 1 had a crowd of over 20,000. It's just as well. I just make the trip for Davis and the stadium. Those bring back memories. The games taking place within it do not.

    Sac State announced recently they'll be allowing fans based on what tier the county is in. Up to 100 fans in purple (and limited to insiders) and 20% in red. I don't know how they'll have fans at beach volleyball. Their new court really doesn't have room, not even in lawn chairs. Maybe UCD will adopt a similar strategy if they allow fans.
  • AggieFinn
    418
    Data doesn't matter to California.
  • DrMike
    649
    I noticed fans in lawn chairs sitting around the rim of the stadium yesterday. Might make a drive up next Saturday. I think there’s a strong chance of at least parents/family at the EWU game
  • movielover
    484
    Agreed. Perfect example is keeping children / young people out of school when they are strong, build immunity and have minimal health risks. Some argue this is bc of the California Teachers Association.

    Rarely talk of the benifits/ need for Vitamin D, and the role of obesity.
  • NCagalum
    210
    Data doesn't matter to California.
    LOL!
  • DrMike
    649
    There will be fans at EWU game. Email went out today for pre-sale before they are released to public
  • agalum
    294
    Yippy! Section 122!
  • movielover
    484
    Are there limits?
  • DrMike
    649
    Distanced block of 2 or 4. Masks. No concessions. No gathering in concourse
  • agalum
    294
    Need to do the daily covid survey on game day. I didnt see anything about pre-testing. Up to now youre supposed to get tested weekly to gain access to university facilities.
  • fugawe09
    171
    University reopens to fans April 1! ... *checks date* :roll: lol
  • DavisAggie
    39
    Is presale limited to season ticket holders?
  • DrMike
    649
    I suspect so; I received an email this morning saying advance sales were open until next Wednesday then be open to the public. I’m sure each player will get 2 (or 4) tickets in addition to the sold tickets
  • Goags20172
    162
    What will be interesting to see is if this will cause students who would typically not attend sporting events to do so. Students will get priority over the public for admission, probably to justify the student fees they pay to support it.

    I have very little in the way of football game attendance to draw on, but for baseball and basketball the students have vanished. In the case of baseball the only students there are the players. It isn't that the students aren't sports fans. Many are still old enough to be bandwagon SF Giants fans , although they're probably too young to remember the Sacramento Kings being relevant. Normally, it seems they are too cool for school-sports that is. However, take into account the economic downturn and the fact they've been told for a year they can't go to any sporting events, and some might just be desperate enough for entertainment to check out an Aggie game or two. The success of the Aggie Pack in previous years has relied on three key ideas 1) You don't have money, and the games are free-sort of 2) What else is there to do, especially if you don't have a car to leave town? 3) We give you a bunch of free crap just for showing up.

    Twenty percent of Dobbins Stadium's capacity is about 700. They'd have to pay about 400-450 people to sit in the stands for that limit to come into play, especially given how poorly the team has played. Think that's 7 losses in a row now and a 5-14 record. Yesterday they lost 6-5 to UCSB which doesn't sound bad, except you read the box score and realize that 5 of the Gaucho's runs were unearned (the direct or indirect result of Aggie fielding errors as opposed to Gaucho hits or walks). Ouch ! I don't know if desperation is enough to get students to attend those games. I wonder if parents ever have this telephone conversation with their baseball playing sons:

    Son: "Mom, are you and Dad coming to the game on Saturday ?"

    Mom: "We'd like to come see you play. However, it's a 120 mile drive. We gladly do that for you, but it forces us to watch the entire team play. And you know how your father is about sports..he cares about the result. Maybe if nobody kept score, like at your brother's games.."
    I
  • BlueGoldAg
    1.1k
    I'm so glad to hear that we'll have a few fans in the seats again. Unfortunately, my wife and I will miss out since we'll still be in Tucson. We've got our fingers crossed that some of these virus variants don't rear their ugly heads and get us shut down again!
  • Zander
    180
    you'd think the 4 points you mentioned would work better than they do honestly. UCD Sports are a very good value proposition to a college student looking for something to do on the weekend
  • agalum
    294
    Someone asked in the game thread whether the grass was going to be blocked off to fans for the EWU game. Reserved seating ticketing only for this game. Also no out of state ticket sales. I would assume then they are not providing seats to EWU fans? Here’s what was sent in the email:

    Prior to entering the stadium, fans will be asked to complete the UC Davis Daily Symptom Survey.
    Fans will be required to wear a mask at all times, unless actively eating or drinking at their seat.
    Fans will be placed in reserved, socially distanced ticket blocks with members of the same household. Tickets may be purchased in blocks of 2 or 4 online. For special seating, call the Athletics Ticket Office at (530)752-2471.
    Concession stands will not be in operation. Please bring and enjoy your own snacks and water.
    We ask that fans remain in their seating block as often as possible, and limit gathering on the concourse.
    Tickets are only available to residents of the state of California.
  • DrMike
    649
    also, this is just advanced sales. Public sales start Wednesday
  • fugawe09
    171
    , The way things are phrased, it does not sound like students will be getting any of the 1800 seats for football unless they buy remaining seats after Team Aggie sales, if any (someone please correct me if this is not accurate). Students will have access to baseball, tennis, and lacrosse games with the balance of sports being parents only.

    As to waning student spectator interest, I don’t think Gen Z is as into sports and spirit as previous generations, but also changing demographics on campus, gotta find a way to generate interest across race/culture/gender among groups not historically as interested. For “first time sport fans,” basketball and soccer are probably most visually intuitive. Football is complex, but with a critical mass of people and Aggie Pack leaders narrating, you can have a good time cheering on command without really knowing what’s going on. Not throwing shade at baseball, but it is a harder watch if you don’t understand it, not to mention with all day games you start to feel like a hotdog on a roller.
  • SloStang
    81
    Cal Poly will allow 20% attendance (2,300 fans) for our last 2 home games (UC Davis on 4/10 and Weber State on 4/17). You can purchase in blocks of 2 or 4 for $20.00 per seat.
  • Goags20172
    162
    LOL Baseball could use some actual shade thrown its way.

    I don't believe it's the sport itself keeping the students away. Lots of younger people are baseball fans, but many of them are attracted to actually attendby the bells and whistles of professional baseball (the non game-related extras like promotional give-aways and the chance to tweet selfies and wind up on the video scorebo. The lower the classification the fewer extras you have.and the fewer young adults attending.

    You hit on one key difference. In college baseball you typically don't have someone leading the crowd in cheers. I believe UCD could actually benefit from having a cheerleader who concludes by saying, "My name is Curtis and I'm here to collect your trash" (from the River Cats).. The UCD fans are mostly off not really paying attention. Maybe they will if someone is yelling at them.

    Never underestimate the power of a privilege revoked and then reinstated.
  • fugawe09
    171
    Absolutely correct that production value and fan comfort lead to better crowds. I was involved in a MLB spring training stadium. The brutal midweek noon games would be a quarter house at best, mostly retirees, some day-drinkers there for the season beer mug promo, and the skeezy autograph hunters that always reeked of old cigars (probably not an issue in college). Giveaways and entertainment couldn't keep people in their miserable south facing seats. Our two contracted Saturday night games with fireworks would be sold out packed to the walls with young families who actually watched. Though that's where we had injuries because that crowd isn't expecting foul balls and even wayward bats getting launched into the stands.
  • Goags20172
    162
    Sounds like you're describing the Grapefruit League/Florida State League.

    I haven't seen any annoying autograph collectors at college baseball games, although if you think about it that's the perfect place for them to get autographs from the very best players they figure will be successful as pros. I see some kids asking the UCD players and that's how it should be-they should have some positive role models in sports.
    It's good the kids still interact with the players. They have gotten away over the years from interacting with fans outside of exclusive Team Aggie get-togethers. Not that I really want to talk to them, but there's the underlying feeling that the university does not want you to-unless you're a pretty significant donor. And that's fine with me too-student-athletes shouldn't be forced to interact with the public outside of university-sanctioned events designed to thank donors for their contributions.

    I believe he biggest impediment to UCD baseball getting attendance is that the program is just not that successful on the field. You can easily point to individual achievements but the team has had just three winning seasons (one of them being last year's 9-7 abbreviayed COVID-19 record) out of the last 17. Having lights is not the fix-allanswer for that. There are some internal reasons why they're not a good team, but that's better saved for a Dobbins Stadium post.
  • Goags20172
    162
    According to the box score baseballl had fans in attendance yesterday-about 150 of them. They didn't do any good though. Team is now 5-18 (0-9 BWC) and they've lost 10 in a row.
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