Tad Boyle is the Greatest Coach in CU Men’s Basketball History

[MtnBuff]

Bohn 100% got hoops, invested in the students, and got CEC to fill pretty well. It helped that we were dog-butt bad at football, but he was all in and did great things. Even into the early RG years, attendance was good. If you are bored, still using X and care to look, you can find old posts from when Rick started the Allbuffs account, calling out early RG's lack of support for hoops.

Here is old data from TRR - you can see the trend under Rick. Other factors driving attendance both up and down have been the quality of the team and schedule, as well as how good the team was the year before. It's roughly stabilized around 7k +/- 1k depending on factors mentioned above. It also really hurts us that, because of the huge home court advantage we have historically had, no one of note wants to come for the non-con.

2015-16: 62,966 (7,871). (Partial)
2014-15: 66,468 (9,495)
2013-14: 84,133 (9,348)
2012-13: 61,513 (10,252)

Also, tickets have gotten really funking expensive under RG - what used to cost me $1200 for two seats and primo parking (comped because of football spending) would now cost $1900+ 5k donation for the parking.

Cal-Baptist this year was the first time in 14 years we had drawn under 5k for a game.

"Average home attendance as reported by the NCAA is 7,013 per game over 18 home games. Up that attendance by say 1500 per game and you have increased your revenues by the equivelent of about 2 additional games, without any of the associated cost."

Although it seems logical, it doesn't quite work this way because the increased attendance comes from cheaper tickets; the nicer, more expensive seats are locked up in the season tickets.

You are correct that usually the increase in attendance doesn't relate to straight equivelents because normally that increase is going to come in the form of lower priced tickets but it is still a significant amount of money in. Those added tickets, even at lower prices also translate to increased concession sales, parking etc. and value for in arena promotion. Add to that that a good number of those higher priced tickets are being purchased by people who started out sitting higher up. You have to get them in the arena then sell them up.

This is the same thing with increasing the numbers of students. You have empty seats, turn them in potential future revenue (and more students increases the energy in the building making it more fun for paying fans.)

 

[slider]

If it helps getting familiar, folks who work at UNM call him Fern.

I’m pretty sure my wife thinks he’s hot so maybe I’ll keep my distance haha

 

[Buffnik]

I’m pretty sure my wife thinks he’s hot so maybe I’ll keep my distance haha

He's definitely a different type of AD from what CU has had before. Not a jock. He's a sports nerd. Almost a Theo Epstein type.

 

[Da Lama]

I haven't been to the games, but people here complain there is only one concession stand open.

Does RG even attend basketball games?

There are two CU-run concession stands on opposite corners of the concourse. That's it. There is nothing else along the corridor. There used to be 3-4 additional options on either side (7-8 total) every game for a long time. Dippin Dots, mixed drinks, BBQ, donuts, etc. All gone for a few years now.

Yes, Rick attends games. He sits 3 rows below and section over from us. He doesn't show much emotion during games and oftentimes leaves early. And yes, he and whomever he is with constantly cut to the front of the food and beverage lines in the practice gym. It has happened to me 5-6x and to others I know as well.

 

[Da Lama]

In the midst of this, RG kicked all the long-time season ticket holders out of the seats behind the basket on the tunnel end (Brick Baby end) to make that premium seating (after also getting rid of the GA upper seats there).

Lovo's got a lot of work to do. WBB should be double its current attendance, too.

With that - bring back the Women's Sports Pass as a season ticket that allows people to attend Soccer, Volleyball or Lacrosse games.

That was us. Now we stare over at an almost empty section there most games. Fvkk Rick George.

 

[Buffnik]

Engage with Fernando. He legit cares about every CU program and the fans.

 

[Goose]

Engage with Fernando. He legit cares about every CU program and the fans.

Can someone on the non-consensual porn site send him this link for me? @RumblinBuff is doing the lords work.

A Plea For Basketball

A blog dedicated to covering University of Colorado sports, particularly basketball.

rumblinbuff.blogspot.com

 

[Buffnik]

Can someone on the non-consensual porn site send him this link for me? @RumblinBuff is doing the lords work.

A Plea For Basketball

A blog dedicated to covering University of Colorado sports, particularly basketball.

rumblinbuff.blogspot.com

Done

 

[WBBBuffs]

I will be emailing Lovo today about women's hoops. Much of what RumblinBuff wrote fits both programs, but I have some specifics for women's basketball I will point out.

I don't think RG attends women's hoops on a regular basis. He has not been a supporter of women's sports in general, from my distant watching.

 

[tante]

Can someone on the non-consensual porn site send him this link for me? @RumblinBuff is doing the lords work.

A Plea For Basketball

A blog dedicated to covering University of Colorado sports, particularly basketball.

rumblinbuff.blogspot.com

So good. I had season tickets from 2002 until 2012 and for most non conference games during that timeframe (pre 2010). I would drive to that lot on top of the hill that is west of the keg, park in the front row, and walk 100 feet to the doors and into the game. This would be 15 minutes before tipoff. Then I would get down into the second or third row at midcourt and watch a game with 1000 other fans in the most quiet gym that I have ever been in. It was incredible to see the change over time and I hope it doesn’t continue to slip away.

 

[Buffnik]

I will be emailing Lovo today about women's hoops. Much of what RumblinBuff wrote fits both programs, but I have some specifics for women's basketball I will point out.

I don't think RG attends women's hoops on a regular basis. He has not been a supporter of women's sports in general, from my distant watching.

Thank you. I was just saying to @Scotch a couple nights ago that with Lovo talking about Directors Cup top 25 and winning championships, he's got a WBB program & coach that just made a Sweet 16 despite no resources. That if he could get them a home court advantage by driving attendance and find a mil in NIL, we'd have a real shot of establishing it as a Top 10 program.

 

[Goose]

So good. I had season tickets from 2002 until 2012 and for most non conference games during that timeframe (pre 2010). I would drive to that lot on top of the hill that is west of the keg, park in the front row, and walk 100 feet to the doors and into the game. This would be 15 minutes before tipoff. Then I would get down into the second or third row at midcourt and watch a game with 1000 other fans in the most quiet gym that I have ever been in. It was incredible to see the change over time and I hope it doesn’t continue to slip away.

I still remember one of my friends studying for finals during a game under Tharp. "It's not like it's that loud and if the game turns out to be good I can just shift my attention to it"

 

[Goose]

Thank you. I was just saying to @Scotch a couple nights ago that with Lovo talking about Directors Cup top 25 and winning championships, he's got a WBB program & coach that just made a Sweet 16 despite no resources. That if he could get them a home court advantage by driving attendance and find a mil in NIL, we'd have a real shot of establishing it as a Top 10 program.

I'm not gonna pretend I'm the most knowledgeable women's fan, but JR impresses the hell out of me. I'd love to see what she could do with some support.

 

[BuffsNYC]

So good. I had season tickets from 2002 until 2012 and for most non conference games during that timeframe (pre 2010). I would drive to that lot on top of the hill that is west of the keg, park in the front row, and walk 100 feet to the doors and into the game. This would be 15 minutes before tipoff. Then I would get down into the second or third row at midcourt and watch a game with 1000 other fans in the most quiet gym that I have ever been in. It was incredible to see the change over time and I hope it doesn’t continue to slip away.

I've told this story before. In the early 90's, on game days when I got tired of studying in the law library I would sometimes walk to the keg, get free admission with my student ID, and then sit near the top reading cases and paying a little attention to the game. Let's just say I wasn't bothered by crowd noise.

 

[Buffnik]

I've told this story before. In the early 90's, on game days when I got tired of studying in the law library I would sometimes walk to the keg, get free admission with my student ID, and then sit near the top reading cases and paying a little attention to the game. Let's just say I wasn't bothered by crowd noise.

I used to sit behind a CU prof who was grading papers during games back in the Bzdelik years. When Tad's crowds got big and rowdy enough that she couldn't do that anymore, I considered it a milestone.

 

[BuffLuke80]

RG is a football and baseball guy, period. Hell, he had a big role for the ****ing Texas Rangers. He doesn't give two shvts about basketball, men's or women's.

 

[buffs233]

RG is a football and baseball guy, period. Hell, he had a big role for the ****ing Texas Rangers. He doesn't give two shvts about basketball, men's or women's.

Sad part is he royally ****ed-up football for 13 years, and CU has no baseball program. Good riddance.

 

[Buffnik]

Sad part is he royally ****ed-up football for 13 years, and CU has no baseball program. Good riddance.

 

[BuffDog]

I will be emailing Lovo today about women's hoops. Much of what RumblinBuff wrote fits both programs, but I have some specifics for women's basketball I will point out.

I don't think RG attends women's hoops on a regular basis. He has not been a supporter of women's sports in general, from my distant watching.

I have had women's season tickets for a long time. Most years have been relatively quiet. 2 years ago there was at least one sold out women's game. That was quite a season. With a little more support that could become the norm.

 

[pasadena_buf]

Can someone on the non-consensual porn site send him this link for me? @RumblinBuff is doing the lords work.

A Plea For Basketball

A blog dedicated to covering University of Colorado sports, particularly basketball.

rumblinbuff.blogspot.com

These are all good ideas. I think they should guarantee a sports pass for the following year to something like the top 500 students who attend a the most games. Then you know you’re getting sports passes in the hands of kids who will use them for more than football.

 

[Bread]

2015-16: 62,966 (7,871). (Partial)
2014-15: 66,468 (9,495)
2013-14: 84,133 (9,348)
2012-13: 61,513 (10,252).

For the life of me, I can’t figure out what the numbers on the left represent? And I’m not talking about the years for any of you smart asses

 

[skibum]

For the life of me, I can’t figure out what the numbers on the left represent? And I’m not talking about the years for any of you smart asses

Total attendance for the season. Number in parentheses* is per game.

*notice correct nomenclature.

 

[CarolinaBuff]

For the life of me, I can’t figure out what the numbers on the left represent? And I’m not talking about the years for any of you smart asses

Total attendance for all the non-con games maybe?

 

[Bread]

Total attendance for the season. Number in parentheses* is per game.

*notice correct nomenclature.

That can’t be total for the season. That’s saying we only had 6 home games in 2012/2013? Am I just not thinking clearly right now?

 

[BuffLuke80]

Sad part is he royally ****ed-up football for 13 years, and CU has no baseball program. Good riddance.

I'm aware they don't have a baseball program, but I don't disagree with him exiting stage left.

 

[Corey Trevorson]

AD needs to bring back the students going to tourny games on the AD's dime like they did in 2012 - unbelievably fun trip. The sweatshirts and shorts they gave out if you were always there were real nice too.

 

[tante]

AD needs to bring back the students going to tourny games on the AD's dime like they did in 2012 - unbelievably fun trip. The sweatshirts and shorts they gave out if you were always there were real nice too.

What about football sideline passes for one game to the top students based on game attendance, you can probably pick 10-12 students a game and it costs the AD nothing for 60-80 students to have that experience. Would be an amazing college experience.

 

[WBBBuffs]

I can't find an email addy for the AD. There is not one listed on cubuffs.com.

 

[Bisonic]

That @RumblinBuff blog is a masterpiece. Great thoughts and passion around the program I've been watching for almost 50 years now.

To me this feels like a chicken and egg argument. Does the team need to win in order to get Denver folks like me into the seats, or do we try to fill the seats to build a winner? Boyle (and coaches before him) argue the latter. Having sat in that arena since it was built in 1979 or so, I've always felt that a winner will fill the place up. If it can happen in Lincoln (hello, Mister Mayor ... of Ames, IA), it absolutely, positively can happen here. There is great passion in the Denver market for good basketball. The fact that suburbanites like me have something close by, aside from the Nuggets, is gravy. At various times, I've seen non-CU people in those seats, glad to be Buff fans even though they have no affiliation.

Tad is a fine man. Integrity is his first nature, which is why so many other coaches, analysts, etc., respect him. But sorry guys, he continues to be outcoached within games. His teams continue to tantalize then disappoint. He's an excellent leader and CEO, but he's not an excellent basketball coach.

As for this talk about AD's and their impact on the program, again, the article is terrific but it's all a pointless exercise unless the coach can make the most of the opportunity he's given. My hunch (and it's only that) is that Lovo will see a stale program that needs an overhaul. The revenue impact on the AD budget right now is probably a little in the red, but that's negligible. The key there is opportunity cost. What is it costing us to maintain a lackluster program? I would argue, a lot. Changes are needed, and I suspect Lovo will see that evidence first hand in the next two months.

Meanwhile, the women's team almost knocked off a ranked team on the road the other night. And their only true PG is out for the season. Their effort was nothing short of inspiring, even though they couldn't sink a damn layup all night.

Minor nit: I will never forgive Mike Bohn for allowing Patton to go into the final year of his contract. That indecision was a program-killer at a decisive moment. (Loved Patton but just like Boyle, he showed us his upside and that was not enough. Many similarities with where we are right now with Tad, only Tad has the financial security that Ricardo was never afforded.)

 

[Buffnik]

That @RumblinBuff blog is a masterpiece. Great thoughts and passion around the program I've been watching for almost 50 years now.

To me this feels like a chicken and egg argument. Does the team need to win in order to get Denver folks like me into the seats, or do we try to fill the seats to build a winner? Boyle (and coaches before him argue) the latter. Having sat in that arena since it was built in 1979 or so, I think a winner will fill the place up. If it can happen in Lincoln (hello, Mister Mayor ... of Ames, IA), it absolutely, positively can happen here.

Tad is a fine man. Integrity is his first nature, which is why so many other coaches, analysts, etc., respect him. But sorry guys, he continues to be outcoached within games. His teams continue to tantalize then disappoint. He's an excellent leader and CEO, but he's not an excellent basketball coach.

As for this talk about AD's and their impact on the program, again, the article is terrific but it's all a pointless exercise unless the coach can make the most of the opportunity he's given. My hunch (and it's only that) is that Lovo will see a stale program that needs an overhaul. The revenue impact on the AD budget right now is probably a little in the red, but that's negligible. The key there is opportunity cost. What is it costing us to maintain a lackluster program? I would argue, a lot.

Minor nit: I will never forgive Mike Bohn for allowing Patton to go into the final year of his contract. That indecision was a program-killer at a decisive moment. (Loved Patton but just like Boyle, he showed us his upside and that was not enough. Many similarities with where we are right now with Tad, only Tad has the financial security that Ricardo was never afforded.)

Did Bohn want that situation with Patton? I'm sure it was a case of CU refusing to let him pay a buyout for a basketball coach. Most of my criticisms of Bohn are about instances where he allowed himself to get pushed around instead of confronting people/decisions and drawing a line in the sand.