ATTENDANCE from page 7
Eight Championship in 1994 and a
national championship in the NIT in
1995, and we still couldn’t sell out.”
Still, while nobody has a definite
answer about what is causing the
attendance slump, there is speculation.
“Some of the people think ‘Well,
part of the reason (people don’t attend)
is because Danny Nee is the coach,”’
Nee said. That might be. If it is, then
I’m going to do everything possible -
if I’m part of the problem, I’m going to
be part of the solution.”
The Lincoln demographic, in
addition to die student makeup at NU,
also lends to the falling opinions of
attending Husker basketball games.
The Lincoln Stars hockey team
competes for fans and has drawn well
from the NU student body. Time con
straints and other leisure activities
have also added to the decline.
“I don’t know that it’s just apathy,”
Byrne said. “There are just so many
things going on and people, especially
students, aren’t following the
Cornhuskers like they have in the
past”
The ongoing problem has only
been recently called to the forefront as
a full-blown dilemma.
And up until the crisis became
magnified three weeks ago, Nee said
he has never had much of a role in try
ing to make his team a top draw, except
that he has always known that winning
translates into bigger figures at the
ticket office.
“Winning is my responsibility,” he
said. “But we want the people to come.
We’d like every game to be a sellout,
but I don’t have much control over
that. Winning is the formula.”
There was also some concern over
advertising and marketing, but
Anderson said his office has had no
decline in using the media.
He said that nothing has changed
in how his office sells die tickets and
NU basketball as a whole. If anything,
he said, the push has been more force
ful.
“We are doing everything we can
to solicit people and students to come
to the games,” Anderson said. “We
have been proactive in using all outlets
to get people excited.”
Among recent programs, NU has
instituted a ‘Take a Kid to the Game”
day, which was started Saturday
against Colorado. For $10, the first
500 adults and a child (high school and
under) receive two tickets, two soft
drinks, two hot dogs and a program - a
$34 value.
The same program will also be in
effect for NU home games against
Missouri on Feb. 6 and Iowa State on
Feb. 13.
In addition, Nee said that he thinks
the program has put on a fresh face to
the community through the “Read to
Win” program. Through this program,
players and coaches visited 31 Lincoln
elementary schools last October.
“There’s going to be a relationship
developing there,” Nee said. “We’re
recruiting those kids to become fans;
we’re recruiting them to come to the
games. But we’re also doing some
thing right in helping them Team to
read.”
Improvements are planned inside
the Devaney Center, where
HuskerVision screens, a staple at
Memorial Stadium, are expected to be
installed.
“Those are going to be phenome
nal,” Anderson said.
Anderson said two screens would
be placed at the east and west ends of
the arena for maximum viewing capa
bility.
Things are also looking up from
the basketball end of the game.
Following a crowd of 9,407 at
Saturday’s game against Colorado,
tonight’s game with perennial Big 12
Conference power Kansas is usually
looked forward to as a healthy shot in
the arm for drooping attendance.
“Kansas is a big game,” Husker
forward Andy Markowski said. “Our
crowd likes to watch the Kansas game.
It should be a good atmosphere.”
And once again, like other things,
KU will be a building block for the rest
of the Husker season.
“We have to do something to cre
ate a more exciting atmosphere at the
Devaney Center,” Nee said. “We’re
doing the little things, but we have to
do more.”
DlmMshini returns
Attendance at the Bob Devaney Sports Center
experienced an upsurge in attendance in 1990's,
and is now part of a downward curve. Here are the
yearly attendance averages for the arena since
Danny Nee took over at Nebraska.
(Record of team next to year)
1986- 87 (21-12) 11,611
1987- 88(13-18) 11,364
1988- 89 (17-16) 10,753
1989- 90(10-18) 1CWJ13
1990- 91 (26-8) 13,307
1991- 92 (19-10) 12.997
1992- 93(20-11) 13457*
1993- 94(20-10) 13,278
1994- 95 (18-14) 11,923
1995- 96 (21-14) 10414
1996- 97 (18-15) 10,882
1997- 98(20-12) 9,431
'single-season record
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