PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

1) Cal
2) Gannon
3) Clarion
4) Hurst
5) IUP
6) Slippery Rock
7) Seton Hill
8) Edinboro

What's interesting is the Spratt kid said on his announcement that he got a full ride from Clarion. I'd surely think several of those freshmen from last year are also on full rides. So, some money is flowing in to Tippin all the sudden.

That gym was rocking and rolling for the first 32 minutes of the IUP game up there. It reminded be of a long ago era when Tippin was one of the toughest gyms around to play inside. It's beautifully renovated, but it still has that relatively old-school low ceiling. It can get really loud in there similar to how the Field House used to get.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

1) Cal
2) Gannon
3) Clarion
4) Hurst
5) IUP
6) Slippery Rock
7) Seton Hill
8) Edinboro

Was UPJ finally sold? lol


I can't rule Joe out yet just because he could still land two studs with these final scholarships. But, it sure appears it's Cal's to lose.

[IUPalum]

Clarion just signed Seton LaSalle guard Connor Spratt. He had a lot of offers -- reportedly more than 10 just in the PSAC.

The Golden Eagles' freshmen class from a year ago is almost all returning -- headlined by power forwards Jayson Harris and Jihad Simpson, along with guards Justice Easter, Jaylen Shippen and Cam Kearney. Senior PG Steve Kelly also returns in addition to recently-signed Pace transfer SG Gavin Cote (former WPIAL star).

I can tell all you PSAC peeps right now: Clarion is going to be a major handful come November.

When Damien Pitts started playing all his freshmen heavy minutes in February, that was a dangerous team.

Harris, Easter and Kearney all have star power.

The decision to give Pitts more time sure looks pretty good right now.

1) Cal
2) Gannon
3) Clarion
4) Hurst
5) IUP
6) Slippery Rock
7) Seton Hill
8) Edinboro

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Clarion just signed Seton LaSalle guard Connor Spratt. He had a lot of offers -- reportedly more than 10 just in the PSAC.

The Golden Eagles' freshmen class from a year ago is almost all returning -- headlined by power forwards Jayson Harris and Jihad Simpson, along with guards Justice Easter, Jaylen Shippen and Cam Kearney. Senior PG Steve Kelly also returns in addition to recently-signed Pace transfer SG Gavin Cote (former WPIAL star).

I can tell all you PSAC peeps right now: Clarion is going to be a major handful come November.

When Damien Pitts started playing all his freshmen heavy minutes in February, that was a dangerous team.

Harris, Easter and Kearney all have star power.

The decision to give Pitts more time sure looks pretty good right now.

[IUPHawks24]

You must be pretty young if you think Gannon never had students at games? Gannon had wild student sections in 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and early Aughts. In the 70s and 80s it was jam packed and college guys were throwing TP from the top of the gym until it became a tech! Their MEC, independent, and GLIAC days were incredible. And for large portions of that it was because Gannon could score send coached who did everything to encourage kids to come and create havoc lol. We were explosive, fun events with wild crowds. Not sure it will ever look the same. As others keep saying, 2023 isn't 1993. The majority of the fun crowd and season ticket holder base is dying or dead and their kids didn't buy their parents tickets...when I was 20 I thought I'd for sure buy my dad's tickets even if it just meant it was making it to one game a year. Now? Nah.

The other big issues at Gannon in the last decade plus is layered imo re crowds. I don't think they'll return, even with some MAJOR effort, but gladly would be proven wrong. Also, I don't think Hurst being good has much impact. Edinboro and Gannon used to be the show when we were in opposite conferences and Hurst was abysmal. Crowds were huge at all three then.

1. Flattened season ticket base: Gannon and Lisa destroyed the season ticket base retaining Reilly and Brunelli. All that started within two years of her arrival. The environment with 65 point slogfests, 5 cheerleaders on the side who looked lost... The environment was boring and lackluster. The women's games have been better than men's for years now. Old dudes got tired of watching late game losses because no one could shoot so folks stopped renewing tickets. Program clearly lost major funding sponsors. At the same time, she started kicking old people out of seats who weren't ticket holders despitefully that having gone on for years, which pissed off a group. I'm one of dozens who stopped going because of how she was managing and viewing season tickets.
2. Media, both print, TV, and radio, coverage had been demolished. Gannon used to be the sports media king in Erie. Erie in general had just absolutely been devastated in the last 5 years in terms of coverage. So many of the faces of TV sports have died or left and the kids, and I mean that seriously covering have just no sense of the local history. Sure, Gannon had homers in Lecorchick who did afternoon sports locally and color for games, but the fact was in our miserable community it kept the team in the forefront of discussion locally and accountability to the school and the AD. Since Jim and Gary died, it's just nothing around town. Gannon used to pay Lecorchick to go to all the games, home and away. Now you get no radio coverage because of the PSAC Sports Network. And I listen to road teams and ship, esu, wcu, shu all have far better coverage. Simply put, Gannon paid professionals to cover the game and do it somewhat well, and now Hurst is at least paying professionals, even it's the TV guy trying to make more cash and professors... Oof. Gannon games now? Not even something I can frankly listen to with Amicucci and Jack. We have some local guys who are decent too who used to do radio and online games but Lisa elected to have college students do for free and those guys are doing PSU behrend and Prep. And f***, Erie newspaper is awful. I mean multiple former ETN writers work at Gannon, and Reisenweber is an abject dolt. They just repeat the SID words, there's no critical feedback or engagement like there was once in the paper and online.
3. Saturday afternoon games. Gannon used to do Saturday night games during season which meant folks could watch their college games during the day, football or hoops, and then come into the city for dinner and the games. Who wants to head into downtown at 1p or 3p Saturday after a long week. It was far more an event Saturday night tbf. Students at least used to hop in en route to parties too! 😂
4. Loss of second tournament at holidays and tournament scheduling. The Gary Miller Classic and Porreco Cup used to be can't miss events in Erie. When they nixed the Cup with the non play period, it felt like a bit of a final straw. There are maybe 8 night games the whole home season, the rest are afternoon games in the middle of the afternoon against Clarion, Seton Hill, and the likes. With Edinboro then as bad as they've been funding wise, Cal until the last few years struggling, it's a harder and harder sell to think about parking and coming to an aging facility with 400 people Sat when I could sit with slippers and a beer and watch for free (and turn it off quickly if painful lol).
5. No alumni base. It's... It doesn't exist. Ffs alumni started a prep school to develop players locally that's how disconnected they are to Gannon! And Brunelli hurt a robust women's alumni network. This is a place I think Fee may thrive the most.

I don't see much changing for Gannon with those significant factors. That said, Fee is young, he just came from two vastly different college environments that did have success with crowds. I've hear him twice speak to his knowledge of what it once was here. He said he spoke to Reilly and Slocum after the announcement. I'm sure their was discussing about the old guard. Imo the main challenge Jefferson faced was unfamiliarity to the region and people.

F***, that was more than anyone needed. But, it's not the students we need solo. It's the community, and Erie sports are struggling. Lisa is not the person to rejuvenate. The destroyer can't also rejuvenate. But we'll see what Fee can at least do to improve the environs and popularity.

Thanks for that perspective. A lot of good points. I do agree about Jefferson being unfamiliar with the region, it was a good hire on paper but I’m not sure how relevant the prep school and D1 assistant experience was for what he needed to do at Gannon. Having COVID disrupt his tenure too didn’t make things any easier on him either. Fee’s hire makes much more sense- he knows what an elite D2 player looks like.

I find the attendance/engagement aspect fascinating because IUP draws so well. East Stroudsburg draws very well too which is very impressive, but you’d think one of the Erie schools would be up there next- the area has 200,000 people and no G League team anymore. But if Mercyhurst can’t draw after being a Top 25 team for the last half decade, I don’t see how they’ll ever draw. They’ve also had a run of talented players too these last few years that is above what they’ve typically had in the past, so I’d be surprised if Manchel can sustain that- it’s almost impossible, same as IUP replacing what they have to this year. I’m guessing Fee will get Gannon back to equal with them, but it sounds like there are systemic issues at play that prevent the Hammermill from being filled and that won’t be solved simply by winning or playing a more exciting style.

[IUPalum]

You must be pretty young if you think Gannon never had students at games? Gannon had wild student sections in 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and early Aughts. In the 70s and 80s it was jam packed and college guys were throwing TP from the top of the gym until it became a tech! Their MEC, independent, and GLIAC days were incredible. And for large portions of that it was because Gannon could score send coached who did everything to encourage kids to come and create havoc lol. We were explosive, fun events with wild crowds. Not sure it will ever look the same. As others keep saying, 2023 isn't 1993. The majority of the fun crowd and season ticket holder base is dying or dead and their kids didn't buy their parents tickets...when I was 20 I thought I'd for sure buy my dad's tickets even if it just meant it was making it to one game a year. Now? Nah.

The other big issues at Gannon in the last decade plus is layered imo re crowds. I don't think they'll return, even with some MAJOR effort, but gladly would be proven wrong. Also, I don't think Hurst being good has much impact. Edinboro and Gannon used to be the show when we were in opposite conferences and Hurst was abysmal. Crowds were huge at all three then.

1. Flattened season ticket base: Gannon and Lisa destroyed the season ticket base retaining Reilly and Brunelli. All that started within two years of her arrival. The environment with 65 point slogfests, 5 cheerleaders on the side who looked lost... The environment was boring and lackluster. The women's games have been better than men's for years now. Old dudes got tired of watching late game losses because no one could shoot so folks stopped renewing tickets. Program clearly lost major funding sponsors. At the same time, she started kicking old people out of seats who weren't ticket holders despitefully that having gone on for years, which pissed off a group. I'm one of dozens who stopped going because of how she was managing and viewing season tickets.
2. Media, both print, TV, and radio, coverage had been demolished. Gannon used to be the sports media king in Erie. Erie in general had just absolutely been devastated in the last 5 years in terms of coverage. So many of the faces of TV sports have died or left and the kids, and I mean that seriously covering have just no sense of the local history. Sure, Gannon had homers in Lecorchick who did afternoon sports locally and color for games, but the fact was in our miserable community it kept the team in the forefront of discussion locally and accountability to the school and the AD. Since Jim and Gary died, it's just nothing around town. Gannon used to pay Lecorchick to go to all the games, home and away. Now you get no radio coverage because of the PSAC Sports Network. And I listen to road teams and ship, esu, wcu, shu all have far better coverage. Simply put, Gannon paid professionals to cover the game and do it somewhat well, and now Hurst is at least paying professionals, even it's the TV guy trying to make more cash and professors... Oof. Gannon games now? Not even something I can frankly listen to with Amicucci and Jack. We have some local guys who are decent too who used to do radio and online games but Lisa elected to have college students do for free and those guys are doing PSU behrend and Prep. And f***, Erie newspaper is awful. I mean multiple former ETN writers work at Gannon, and Reisenweber is an abject dolt. They just repeat the SID words, there's no critical feedback or engagement like there was once in the paper and online.
3. Saturday afternoon games. Gannon used to do Saturday night games during season which meant folks could watch their college games during the day, football or hoops, and then come into the city for dinner and the games. Who wants to head into downtown at 1p or 3p Saturday after a long week. It was far more an event Saturday night tbf. Students at least used to hop in en route to parties too! 😂
4. Loss of second tournament at holidays and tournament scheduling. The Gary Miller Classic and Porreco Cup used to be can't miss events in Erie. When they nixed the Cup with the non play period, it felt like a bit of a final straw. There are maybe 8 night games the whole home season, the rest are afternoon games in the middle of the afternoon against Clarion, Seton Hill, and the likes. With Edinboro then as bad as they've been funding wise, Cal until the last few years struggling, it's a harder and harder sell to think about parking and coming to an aging facility with 400 people Sat when I could sit with slippers and a beer and watch for free (and turn it off quickly if painful lol).
5. No alumni base. It's... It doesn't exist. Ffs alumni started a prep school to develop players locally that's how disconnected they are to Gannon! And Brunelli hurt a robust women's alumni network. This is a place I think Fee may thrive the most.

I don't see much changing for Gannon with those significant factors. That said, Fee is young, he just came from two vastly different college environments that did have success with crowds. I've hear him twice speak to his knowledge of what it once was here. He said he spoke to Reilly and Slocum after the announcement. I'm sure their was discussing about the old guard. Imo the main challenge Jefferson faced was unfamiliarity to the region and people.

F***, that was more than anyone needed. But, it's not the students we need solo. It's the community, and Erie sports are struggling. Lisa is not the person to rejuvenate. The destroyer can't also rejuvenate. But we'll see what Fee can at least do to improve the environs and popularity.

OMG, this post is a joke!

1) You're absolutely wrong about keeping Reilly. Reilly consistently won. If the fans couldn't follow a winner then they are nothing but fair weather fans!
2) Lisa is a problem! I'm sure she'll try and take full credit for hiring Fee once he turns the program around. Fee was handed to her on a platter because he wanted to come back to PA. In all actuality, Fee wanted the Nova job when Howlett retires but Nova wouldn't give him that guarantee.
3) Media is a joke everywhere so you can't use that as an excuse. If you want your school to have exposure, create your own through Facebook, Twitter, etc. That's what all the successful schools have been doing now for years.
4) No alumni base is created from the athletic department as a whole. That starts with your girl Lisa and Teliski. Create events for the alumni and make them want to come back! Gannon gives them no reason to come back and the little receptions thrown by Gary Miller at the Classic isn't it!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Great insights, TheMadLibs . Its been a while since I lived in Erie but I don't think its as big of a sports town anymore as some like to say or most likely as it was in the earlier decades. Its a small minor league town and those groups don't necessarily draw well. Decent but not well - any crowd is usually tied to a unique promotion. Dollar Dog Night at the Seawolves and Otters games used to be **** shows full of young people there for the fun. Attendance at things below big time events is down everywhere. I agree local media is on its deathbed so those local events lost coverage and promotion. Local event promotion is being dumbed down to poorly written posts on Facebook community pages. But also people generally have less expendable income than they used to and have way more options for entertainment than they did even in the early 00s. Instead of spending $100 a month on cable I'm now spending just as much on streaming services that are more tailored to my interests. Never paid for HBO when I had cable but now have a hard time going a week without watching something on HBOGO. My kids can spend 3 hours scrolling through Tik Tok but can't sit still long enough to watch the local high school football game. Tik Tok is free. WPIAL AA football game is $10. PSAC football game is $10. IUP football game is $45 after fees lol

And $65/per for tailgating spots. Note: that's not sarcasm.

[Fightingscot82]

Great insights, TheMadLibs . Its been a while since I lived in Erie but I don't think its as big of a sports town anymore as some like to say or most likely as it was in the earlier decades. Its a small minor league town and those groups don't necessarily draw well. Decent but not well - any crowd is usually tied to a unique promotion. Dollar Dog Night at the Seawolves and Otters games used to be **** shows full of young people there for the fun. Attendance at things below big time events is down everywhere. I agree local media is on its deathbed so those local events lost coverage and promotion. Local event promotion is being dumbed down to poorly written posts on Facebook community pages. But also people generally have less expendable income than they used to and have way more options for entertainment than they did even in the early 00s. Instead of spending $100 a month on cable I'm now spending just as much on streaming services that are more tailored to my interests. Never paid for HBO when I had cable but now have a hard time going a week without watching something on HBOGO. My kids can spend 3 hours scrolling through Tik Tok but can't sit still long enough to watch the local high school football game. Tik Tok is free. WPIAL AA football game is $10. PSAC football game is $10. IUP football game is $45 after fees lol

[TheMadLibs]

Gannon has never had a good student following. For one - a bunch of friends and I didn't find out that students got free admission with ID until 2nd semester of our sophomore years. I don't know how they are now, but if I was Gannon, I would be emphasizing that at freshmen orientation and every way possible to freshmen. Get them then! Also regarding students... Gannon was trying to stray away from night classes towards end of my time there. I have students that work for me and night classes are not only in full effect - most labs are night classes and other majors have added a bunch of night classes. (Also looking through Gannons faculty... they have a TON of adjunct professors and many are HS teachers).

I agree with the group though, the old days are long gone. Families are overbooked as it is with club basketball, travel basketball, school basketball, AAU, travel/club/school soccer, same with baseball and now hockey - all of which have become year round ventures.

Additionally, and im 100% guilty of this, free PSAC digital network gives no incentive to attend a live game. Now granted Gannon has sucked for a few years so they've not given me a reason to want to attend... but even a good team - not sure I would. My couch or bed... or the bleachers.

You must be pretty young if you think Gannon never had students at games? Gannon had wild student sections in 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and early Aughts. In the 70s and 80s it was jam packed and college guys were throwing TP from the top of the gym until it became a tech! Their MEC, independent, and GLIAC days were incredible. And for large portions of that it was because Gannon could score send coached who did everything to encourage kids to come and create havoc lol. We were explosive, fun events with wild crowds. Not sure it will ever look the same. As others keep saying, 2023 isn't 1993. The majority of the fun crowd and season ticket holder base is dying or dead and their kids didn't buy their parents tickets...when I was 20 I thought I'd for sure buy my dad's tickets even if it just meant it was making it to one game a year. Now? Nah.

The other big issues at Gannon in the last decade plus is layered imo re crowds. I don't think they'll return, even with some MAJOR effort, but gladly would be proven wrong. Also, I don't think Hurst being good has much impact. Edinboro and Gannon used to be the show when we were in opposite conferences and Hurst was abysmal. Crowds were huge at all three then.

1. Flattened season ticket base: Gannon and Lisa destroyed the season ticket base retaining Reilly and Brunelli. All that started within two years of her arrival. The environment with 65 point slogfests, 5 cheerleaders on the side who looked lost... The environment was boring and lackluster. The women's games have been better than men's for years now. Old dudes got tired of watching late game losses because no one could shoot so folks stopped renewing tickets. Program clearly lost major funding sponsors. At the same time, she started kicking old people out of seats who weren't ticket holders despitefully that having gone on for years, which pissed off a group. I'm one of dozens who stopped going because of how she was managing and viewing season tickets.
2. Media, both print, TV, and radio, coverage had been demolished. Gannon used to be the sports media king in Erie. Erie in general had just absolutely been devastated in the last 5 years in terms of coverage. So many of the faces of TV sports have died or left and the kids, and I mean that seriously covering have just no sense of the local history. Sure, Gannon had homers in Lecorchick who did afternoon sports locally and color for games, but the fact was in our miserable community it kept the team in the forefront of discussion locally and accountability to the school and the AD. Since Jim and Gary died, it's just nothing around town. Gannon used to pay Lecorchick to go to all the games, home and away. Now you get no radio coverage because of the PSAC Sports Network. And I listen to road teams and ship, esu, wcu, shu all have far better coverage. Simply put, Gannon paid professionals to cover the game and do it somewhat well, and now Hurst is at least paying professionals, even it's the TV guy trying to make more cash and professors... Oof. Gannon games now? Not even something I can frankly listen to with Amicucci and Jack. We have some local guys who are decent too who used to do radio and online games but Lisa elected to have college students do for free and those guys are doing PSU behrend and Prep. And f***, Erie newspaper is awful. I mean multiple former ETN writers work at Gannon, and Reisenweber is an abject dolt. They just repeat the SID words, there's no critical feedback or engagement like there was once in the paper and online.
3. Saturday afternoon games. Gannon used to do Saturday night games during season which meant folks could watch their college games during the day, football or hoops, and then come into the city for dinner and the games. Who wants to head into downtown at 1p or 3p Saturday after a long week. It was far more an event Saturday night tbf. Students at least used to hop in en route to parties too! 😂
4. Loss of second tournament at holidays and tournament scheduling. The Gary Miller Classic and Porreco Cup used to be can't miss events in Erie. When they nixed the Cup with the non play period, it felt like a bit of a final straw. There are maybe 8 night games the whole home season, the rest are afternoon games in the middle of the afternoon against Clarion, Seton Hill, and the likes. With Edinboro then as bad as they've been funding wise, Cal until the last few years struggling, it's a harder and harder sell to think about parking and coming to an aging facility with 400 people Sat when I could sit with slippers and a beer and watch for free (and turn it off quickly if painful lol).
5. No alumni base. It's... It doesn't exist. Ffs alumni started a prep school to develop players locally that's how disconnected they are to Gannon! And Brunelli hurt a robust women's alumni network. This is a place I think Fee may thrive the most.

I don't see much changing for Gannon with those significant factors. That said, Fee is young, he just came from two vastly different college environments that did have success with crowds. I've hear him twice speak to his knowledge of what it once was here. He said he spoke to Reilly and Slocum after the announcement. I'm sure their was discussing about the old guard. Imo the main challenge Jefferson faced was unfamiliarity to the region and people.

F***, that was more than anyone needed. But, it's not the students we need solo. It's the community, and Erie sports are struggling. Lisa is not the person to rejuvenate. The destroyer can't also rejuvenate. But we'll see what Fee can at least do to improve the environs and popularity.

[bballfan03]

To be honest, IUP doesn't have a good student following, either. There are certain nights throughout the season they show up, but, by and large, they don't. IUP has predominately a 'townie' crowd, which, is very, very loyal. For as large as IUP's crowds can get (upward of 3,400 several times this year) the KCAC is a pretty quiet venue on most nights. There's a few 'tuned up' games a year. Slippery Rock, for whatever reason, is typically the biggest and most-engaged crowd of the year. Danny Sancomb's yearly visit(s) also get the building pretty hot. When he (paraphrase) told Joe to 'Go F Himself' this year ... that was one of the loudest reactions I've ever heard in there.

You aren't alone with the Digital Network theory. A lot of people choose to watch at home. Personally, I hate watching on the TV. Each his own. I think it has certainly taken away ticket sales at our more remote schools with very small towns. Indiana is a pretty nice-sized, small town. So, most of the fan base lives within a couple miles of the KCAC.

I also think as long as Mercyhurst maintains what they've been doing - any "basketball fans" in the area (with no tie to a school) are going to continue going to Hurst games. I think it'll take more than just one good/great season by Gannon to win back any of the school-neutral basketball fans.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Gannon has never had a good student following. For one - a bunch of friends and I didn't find out that students got free admission with ID until 2nd semester of our sophomore years. I don't know how they are now, but if I was Gannon, I would be emphasizing that at freshmen orientation and every way possible to freshmen. Get them then! Also regarding students... Gannon was trying to stray away from night classes towards end of my time there. I have students that work for me and night classes are not only in full effect - most labs are night classes and other majors have added a bunch of night classes. (Also looking through Gannons faculty... they have a TON of adjunct professors and many are HS teachers).

I agree with the group though, the old days are long gone. Families are overbooked as it is with club basketball, travel basketball, school basketball, AAU, travel/club/school soccer, same with baseball and now hockey - all of which have become year round ventures.

Additionally, and im 100% guilty of this, free PSAC digital network gives no incentive to attend a live game. Now granted Gannon has sucked for a few years so they've not given me a reason to want to attend... but even a good team - not sure I would. My couch or bed... or the bleachers.

To be honest, IUP doesn't have a good student following, either. There are certain nights throughout the season they show up, but, by and large, they don't. IUP has predominately a 'townie' crowd, which, is very, very loyal. For as large as IUP's crowds can get (upward of 3,400 several times this year) the KCAC is a pretty quiet venue on most nights. There's a few 'tuned up' games a year. Slippery Rock, for whatever reason, is typically the biggest and most-engaged crowd of the year. Danny Sancomb's yearly visit(s) also get the building pretty hot. When he (paraphrase) told Joe to 'Go F Himself' this year ... that was one of the loudest reactions I've ever heard in there.

You aren't alone with the Digital Network theory. A lot of people choose to watch at home. Personally, I hate watching on the TV. Each his own. I think it has certainly taken away ticket sales at our more remote schools with very small towns. Indiana is a pretty nice-sized, small town. So, most of the fan base lives within a couple miles of the KCAC.

[bballfan03]

I'd guess what was left of the glory days crowd is probably long gone. Some probably remain although they really abandoned things the past 5-7 years. Even at the end of the JR run their crowds were decimated.

They'll need to mirror how IUP rebuilt the fan base with a younger audience (basketball).

Gannon has never had a good student following. For one - a bunch of friends and I didn't find out that students got free admission with ID until 2nd semester of our sophomore years. I don't know how they are now, but if I was Gannon, I would be emphasizing that at freshmen orientation and every way possible to freshmen. Get them then! Also regarding students... Gannon was trying to stray away from night classes towards end of my time there. I have students that work for me and night classes are not only in full effect - most labs are night classes and other majors have added a bunch of night classes. (Also looking through Gannons faculty... they have a TON of adjunct professors and many are HS teachers).

I agree with the group though, the old days are long gone. Families are overbooked as it is with club basketball, travel basketball, school basketball, AAU, travel/club/school soccer, same with baseball and now hockey - all of which have become year round ventures.

Additionally, and im 100% guilty of this, free PSAC digital network gives no incentive to attend a live game. Now granted Gannon has sucked for a few years so they've not given me a reason to want to attend... but even a good team - not sure I would. My couch or bed... or the bleachers.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don't know. Gannon's basketball faithful are the same age as IUP's football crowd. The grand opening of the Cheddar's on Interchange Road probably drew more than the average of the three PSAC basketball programs in Erie County.

I'd guess what was left of the glory days crowd is probably long gone. Some probably remain although they really abandoned things the past 5-7 years. Even at the end of the JR run their crowds were decimated.

They'll need to mirror how IUP rebuilt the fan base with a younger audience (basketball).

[Fightingscot82]

Question for you (and the other Gannon faithful, if there are any more lurking)- if Fee gets Gannon rolling, will the crowds return? I didn’t know if the fanbase is too old now/nonexistent, or if the losing/style of play drove people away.

The crowds from the 80’s and 90’s were wild. Even as recently as the last Elite Eight run (2009ish I believe) attendance still looked very strong. Is that permanently gone? Or if Gannon experienced the same success IUP or West Liberty has (or even Mercyhurst over the last 5 years, for an Erie comparison) would they still be drawing 1000+ a game?

I don't know. Gannon's basketball faithful are the same age as IUP's football crowd. The grand opening of the Cheddar's on Interchange Road probably drew more than the average of the three PSAC basketball programs in Erie County.

[IUPHawks24]

Gannon has 23-24 schedule up already (which is extremely odd as they typically didn't post it until late late summer). Interesting note... all their home games in 2023 (including Gary Miller Classic) are listed as being at Highmarl Events Center.. all home games in 2024 just say Erie, PA..no venue listed.

I was under the impression they were starting renovations soon and the HMEC wouldn't be used at all in the 23-24 season.

Question for you (and the other Gannon faithful, if there are any more lurking)- if Fee gets Gannon rolling, will the crowds return? I didn’t know if the fanbase is too old now/nonexistent, or if the losing/style of play drove people away.

The crowds from the 80’s and 90’s were wild. Even as recently as the last Elite Eight run (2009ish I believe) attendance still looked very strong. Is that permanently gone? Or if Gannon experienced the same success IUP or West Liberty has (or even Mercyhurst over the last 5 years, for an Erie comparison) would they still be drawing 1000+ a game?