The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

I looked at last years bb attendance. WSC's ave was 649.............ave Div 2, is 642. For a town of 5000 and really small old area towns probably not terrible.

Augie (2400) outdraws USD and SDSU by a couple hundred. Augie outdraws UNO (2366). Omaha is a lot bigger but UNO has not captured the imagination by any shot.

It is a bigger consideration than just attendance but I am more impressed now. I would assume mediocre Div 1 basketball could bring in 4 to 5,000 some games.

If your Dad is Denny Sanford ..........that is more important than adding 1000 folks at your games in Div 1.

The argument being made from the anti-Augie Summit League crowd is that the attendance numbers will most likely decrease when, due to the stupid scheduling of the Summit League, the Vikings are playing random games on Wednesday nights or rivalry games over Christmas break, and generally no doubleheaders, which is fairly common for SDSU/USD/etc.

Supposedly the Summit League is going to try to schedule more doubleheaders moving forward, but that's just what I have read, not what I know for certain. I would imagine, at least for a few years, the excitement of renewing a rivalry with the former NCC schools will boost attendance numbers, even if the game is played on a Wednesday night or not a doubleheader.

[wsc94]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

I looked at last years bb attendance. WSC's ave was 649.............ave Div 2, is 642. For a town of 5000 and really small old area towns probably not terrible.

Augie (2400) outdraws USD and SDSU by a couple hundred. Augie outdraws UNO (2366). Omaha is a lot bigger but UNO has not captured the imagination by any shot.

It is a bigger consideration than just attendance but I am more impressed now. I would assume mediocre Div 1 basketball could bring in 4 to 5,000 some games.

If your Dad is Denny Sanford ..........that is more important than adding 1000 folks at your games in Div 1.

[laker]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Sioux Empire Home Show

Makes sense. Probably more drawing power.

[Stanger86]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

I'm assuming that the reason why the USF/Southwest games the last weekend of the regular season are at the Elmen is because the Arena is hosting a tournament?

Sioux Empire Home Show

[laker]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

I'm assuming that the reason why the USF/Southwest games the last weekend of the regular season are at the Elmen is because the Arena is hosting a tournament?

[MrAugustana]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Augieholic's responses would probably be funnier, but I'll give it a shot for the sake of getting you some answers...

Does Augie play all games at the older SF arena? Or do they play most at home?

All conference games or major non-conference games (like Northwest Missouri State in the 2015-16 season) are at the Arena. But I think it's double-headers only at the Arena. Otherwise most non-conference games are played at the Elmen Center. Regarding laker's point, the only reason the Vikes played at the Pentagon this year is because it was part of the Sanford East/West Challenge, not because it was any sort of "home game" on Augie's schedule.

What do they draw for a good conf game?

For a good conference game (Mankato, Northern, USF), I'd estimate... 2,800-3,200? For an average conference game? 1,500-2,200? Someone can probably just look that up and make me look like an idiot though, as those numbers could be way off.

Would they play at the new Sanford arena if a div 1 school?

Depends on which arena you mean. The Pentagon? Hopefully, if they could make sure the schedule works with the Sioux Falls Skyforce schedule. Other than the fact that the Pentagon is roughly 15 minutes away from campus. If you're talking about the Premier Center, that's a tougher sell. From what I understand, the Summit League can't have a tournament participant that plays its home games in the same venue as the conference tournament. And I can't imagine the Summit League would agree to giving up the Premier Center, seeing as they sell a crapload of tickets each year at that tournament.

The location upon jumping to D1 is definitely going to be an interesting situation. It's hard not to imagine we would stay at the Arena unless/until it is torn down, otherwise I would guess we'd shift over to the Pentagon with a slightly irregular schedule. But from what I can tell, the Summit League schedule seems to already be irregular as it is, so maybe that wouldn't even be a major challenge.

If, in 10-20 years, the fan support has grown beyond the walls of the Pentagon, I wouldn't be shocked if the Vikes would try to do a major, major Elmen Center overhaul or build an entirely new on-campus stadium. But we'd have to be drawing, what... 7,000-10,000 a game?... before things would get that crazy, and I find it hard to believe it would happen anytime in the near, near future.

[laker]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Does Augie play all games at the older SF arena? Or do they play most at home? What do they draw for a good conf game? Would they play at the new Sanford arena if a div 1 school?

Some games are at the Elmen (on campus), others are at the Arena, and some at the Pentagon.

https://goaugie.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=1199

[wsc94]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Does Augie play all games at the older SF arena? Or do they play most at home? What do they draw for a good conf game? Would they play at the new Sanford arena if a div 1 school?

[MaroonJackRabbits]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

If football doesn't go, then OJ should. He is a low level D3 coach pretending to be a low level D2 coach. Scholarship league or non scholarship league, I fail to see why he should be around for the transition.

[Purple Mav Man]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Gee. Thanks a lot.

Nothing personal towards fans or the school. Same could likely be said about MSU. Sioux Falls is a great market for D2 sports. Yes, we'll still have USF in the conference but it seems that Augie is #1 in Sioux Falls (for current D2 schools anyway).

The conference isn't going to implode upon itself losing Augie. But it will feel the impact.

[Stanger86]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

It will be interesting to see if the corporate sponsorship from the Sioux Falls area that drives a lot of the league postseason stuff to Sioux Falls stays at its current level once Augie does leave.

Don't the Sanfords already sponsor the Summit League tournament? It's not like the Augie move means their dollars would have a new conference to support.

[DapperDan]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

It will be interesting to see if the corporate sponsorship from the Sioux Falls area that drives a lot of the league postseason stuff to Sioux Falls stays at its current level once Augie does leave.

[DapperDan]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Not personal at all. Just trying to phrase things in a way that you may understand. My comment of 'the rest of the fans' doesn't mean I literally speak for them. Everyone is allowed to disagree with that, just from my experience in talking to other fans and reading their posts, it's clear most don't have the same hatred for the NSIC as you. Your posts have always come across as self serving, I'm trying to say it's about more than you.

No obsession with you, although not surprised you'd make it about you. Just a severe hatred for stupidity and selfishness. When I see that, I can't keep my mouth shut. Personal flaw I suppose.

It's ok that you want a 1960s conference. The reality is that isn't the case in D2 anymore. Winona is free to drop to D3 and play with all Minnesota schools. The conference would miss them much less than they'll miss Augustana.

Gee. Thanks a lot.

[wscsuperfan]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

It will be interesting to see if the corporate sponsorship from the Sioux Falls area that drives a lot of the league postseason stuff to Sioux Falls stays at its current level once Augie does leave.

[John]

Re: The NEW Official Thread of the Augustana Vikings

Do you have trouble seeing other colors than black and white??

Perhaps. But I don't care what you think :) Clearly... (insert whatever joking emoji you prefer)

No, but my sense of humor does not translate very well through message boards.

I'm glad. There is honestly nothing anyone could say on here to upset me and I hope the reverse is also true.

I'll stop hijacking this thread now so Augie fans can start talking about how much they are going to struggle in D-I. :)