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Post by badgerbyproxy on Nov 22, 2023 11:15:07 GMT -5
If you want to increase volleyball attendance and viewership, you need to convert more general sports fans. Most of those fans are frankly men. When you compare volleyball to basketball, volleyball is frankly a better product. It is more graceful. It compares much better to the mens game and is frankly more watchable than the mens game. The problem is that the average male sports fan understands basketball but doesn't understand volleyball. Even at my daughters club matches, I am amazed at the number of parents who watch a lot of volleyball but doesn't understand the rules. I think one thing you could do is to align football and volleyball schedules. If UCLA is playing Oregon in football, try to have the volleyball teams follow the same schedule. Have the volleyball game either before or after the football game. Market it to fans of both schools. The answer has got to be to draft off football rather than avoid it.... I don’t think it’s so much a matter of rules. The general rules of volleyball are fairly intuitive compared to some other sports (*football*), and can be picked up by someone who’s paying attention. As others have alluded to, I think the biggest thing holding the sport back is just that it’s just not been accessible for a long time. I remember when I started getting into the sport and could only really see the final four matches and had to keep up with results using schools’ athletic websites. Now that we’re seeing a larger number of matches air on premier networks (ESPN, Fox, etc.), there should be a bit more of a rise in interest. In addition to accessibility, we also have the matter of 1) commentary and 2) which matches are scheduled and broadcast. For the former, it doesn’t help the sport when the commentators provide nothing but surface level commentary that doesn’t really dive into the actual analysis of play. I know Nebraska Public Media did some stuff last season where they would have the Nebraska coaches “break down the plays” and talk through the positioning, the transition, etc. commentary like “she’s gonna EAT” doesn’t help people understand the nuances at work. Regarding scheduling, there need to be more high level matches played in pre-conference. While Minnesota’s schedule this season was a bit too ambitious, I appreciated that nearly every matchup was against a top team as I knew it would be a higher level of play regardless of the outcome. I also remember how in 2018, Nebraska and Florida opened their seasons against each other in a “rematch” of the national championship match the season before. I understand that big time teams will want to schedule some weaker opponents to that they can work through some things, but there need to be some banger matches in there as well. Additionally, there needs to be better scheduling of WHICH matches get airtime. I understand that networks will want to provide ample opportunities for each conference member and give them a few matches to be broadcast per year, but given how some teams draw higher number than others, they need to be willing to capitalize on that. The PAC 12 network has been particularly egregious with this, as several ranked matches in that conference haven’t even been televised this season but have been relegated to low quality streams. In sum, it’s just a matter of actually promoting the sport. Hopefully the start of the PVF can help with this, but they’re going to need to market the sh*t out of it and get people tuned in. |
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trojansc
Legend
All-VolleyTalk 1st Team (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017), All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team (2016), 2021, 2019 VolleyTalk Fantasy League Champion, 2024, 2020 Fantasy League Runner Up, 2022 2nd Runner Up
Posts: 32,209 
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Post by trojansc on Nov 22, 2023 11:15:48 GMT -5
does this scream professional and serious?  I like when some coaches where full piece suits, others look like they are going to sub in to to the game the next point, some wear heels, etc. I appreciate the diversity. We can have VB go the baseball route and have our coaches dress in spandex? |
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Post by n00b on Nov 22, 2023 11:18:46 GMT -5
Final 8 is a great idea, I am just a strong believer the Final 8 needs to be somewhere in the Midwest so it is easier for everyone to attend across the country. I don't like the Final 8 idea. I think you're going to struggle to convince fans to travel for a 5-day event rather than 3 days. Yes, I know the comparison is softball, who plays for over a week. But (a) they're only drawing 12,000 fans per game, and (b) it takes place after many high schools are out for the summer so families aren't taking their kids out of school to attend. The only selling point to me is that there is a decent chance volleyball could get better TV coverage if they played on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday. |
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Post by chibadgerfan on Nov 22, 2023 11:21:02 GMT -5
I’ve often found it odd that winning a point means you must serve, but serving is on balance a disadvantage. I think it would be better to simply alternate the serve no matter who won the previous point.
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Post by pepperbrooks on Nov 22, 2023 11:38:11 GMT -5
The sports needs a Dick Vitale type on broadcasts. I don't mean they have to be a copy, but someone who's an energetic, lively presence in matches that adds to the atmosphere, heightens the excitement. Broadcasters now add very little.
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Post by n00b on Nov 22, 2023 11:39:49 GMT -5
I think the biggest thing that can happen to grow the sport quickly is for schools and conferences to work with networks in advance to schedule games made-for-TV like basketball does.
We had teams picked 6th and 10th in the Big Ten poll featured on a national broadcast on FOX. Featured on FS1: Wisconsin (good) vs Arizona (picked 8th in the P12). Also, Minnesota (good) vs Iowa (oof). Illinois vs Purdue was a little better, but it's still two middle of the pack Big Ten teams. Finally, Purdue vs Penn State was a matchup worth of the showcase.
Texas-Stanford was on ESPN2, so good job there. But Oklahoma-Iowa State on ESPN? Georgia-Auburn on ESPN?
Even if it means playing on Mondays and Tuesdays, I hope volleyball is gaining enough traction that in April, Fox Sports and ESPN go to the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12 and say "here are the 12 dates and times we're going to put you on the flagship network" and those conferences are willing to be flexible enough to put marquee matchups in those slots.
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Post by n00b on Nov 22, 2023 11:41:48 GMT -5
The sports needs a Dick Vitale type on broadcasts. I don't mean they have to be a copy, but someone who's an energetic, lively presence in matches that adds to the atmosphere, heightens the excitement. Broadcasters now add very little. They typically will get paid double to move on to football or basketball. I think Katie George is/was a bit of this, although she annoys some people on this board. Does she still do any volleyball? Edit: just checked her social media. Looks like all sideline reporting for college football and the NBA. |
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Post by bigjohn043 on Nov 22, 2023 11:45:10 GMT -5
If you want to increase volleyball attendance and viewership, you need to convert more general sports fans. Most of those fans are frankly men. When you compare volleyball to basketball, volleyball is frankly a better product. It is more graceful. It compares much better to the mens game and is frankly more watchable than the mens game. The problem is that the average male sports fan understands basketball but doesn't understand volleyball. Even at my daughters club matches, I am amazed at the number of parents who watch a lot of volleyball but doesn't understand the rules. I think one thing you could do is to align football and volleyball schedules. If UCLA is playing Oregon in football, try to have the volleyball teams follow the same schedule. Have the volleyball game either before or after the football game. Market it to fans of both schools. The answer has got to be to draft off football rather than avoid it.... so UCLA should start playing their VB games in Pasadena? You are right. This wouldn't work for UCLA & Miami. Only for the other ~300 teams in D1. |
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Post by baytree on Nov 22, 2023 11:48:19 GMT -5
does this scream professional and serious? I like when some coaches where full piece suits, others look like they are going to sub in to to the game the next point, some wear heels, etc. I appreciate the diversity. We can have VB go the baseball route and have our coaches dress in spandex? Meanwhile, I was confused bc Tara and Kevin wear the same thing except the pullover shirt is a different color
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Post by milkmandan on Nov 22, 2023 12:03:45 GMT -5
Soccer has developed growth, without some need to tie to football. VB should as well. granted, schools can use the tried and true 'show your football ticket stub and get into VB free' routine, but that's about it. can't even do that one in the spring I'd be careful drawing too many lessons from soccer, which has a number of built-in advantages that volleyball doesn't. Soccer is THE global sport with crazy a following in every country. The sport's popularity in the U.S. was inevitable even if we were the last to get into it. There are international superstars, huge professional followings, and now, a domestic league that has passionate local fanbases. It's 20-30 years ahead of volleyball here. Until you can build a similar foothold in volleyball through individual personalities and a strong domestic league, you need to build partnerships. Because of the time of year the women's college sport is played, football is your natural ally. It brings a built-in loyal following of people predisposed to like your team. It doesn't compete with you on facilities like basketball. And for God's sake, get each school its own designated floor. Don't put lines on a basketball court anymore, it devalues your product. TV broadcasts from Stanford make it look like a junior high-level production no matter how good that team is. The development of rivalries would be good for volleyball. Trophy matches, feuds, trash talking, colorful coaches. Things that posters on this board already think about (and some pearl-clutch over) but the average fan doesn't yet. Introduce more analytics into the broadcasts. Show each team's hitting and sideout percentage per rotation. Passing numbers. People will learn, they'll get it quicker than you think. Treat broadcasts like Volleyball 103 instead of 101. |
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Post by mervinswerved on Nov 22, 2023 12:11:26 GMT -5
Introduce more analytics into the broadcasts. Show each team's hitting and sideout percentage per rotation. Passing numbers. People will learn, they'll get it quicker than you think. Treat broadcasts like Volleyball 103 instead of 101. Speaking as a broadcaster, this is easier said than done. Getting access to that data isn't easy unless your crew is doing it live. We had started to play around with building rotations graphics in the 2019 season but COVID was a major shock to the sports broadcasting sector and a lot of operations got scaled back. You also need to have a color person who can talk about rotations and side out percentages. I'm not sure there are a lot who can. (to be clear, I think big ESPN could take this one but I don't think they really care to run their shows in such an analytical fashion) |
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Post by BeachbytheBay on Nov 22, 2023 12:14:46 GMT -5
so UCLA should start playing their VB games in Pasadena? You are right. This wouldn't work for UCLA & Miami. Only for the other ~300 teams in D1. well, it might help grown the game in Pasadena! I guess they could play at Cal Tech |
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Post by BeachbytheBay on Nov 22, 2023 12:18:50 GMT -5
Soccer has developed growth, without some need to tie to football. VB should as well. granted, schools can use the tried and true 'show your football ticket stub and get into VB free' routine, but that's about it. can't even do that one in the spring I'd be careful drawing too many lessons from soccer, which has a number of built-in advantages that volleyball doesn't. Soccer is THE global sport with crazy a following in every country. The sport's popularity in the U.S. was inevitable even if we were the last to get into it. There are international superstars, huge professional followings, and now, a domestic league that has passionate local fanbases. It's 20-30 years ahead of volleyball here. Until you can build a similar foothold in volleyball through individual personalities and a strong domestic league, you need to build partnerships. Because of the time of year the women's college sport is played, football is your natural ally. It brings a built-in loyal following of people predisposed to like your team. It doesn't compete with you on facilities like basketball. And for God's sake, get each school its own designated floor. Don't put lines on a basketball court anymore, it devalues your product. TV broadcasts from Stanford make it look like a junior high-level production no matter how good that team is. The development of rivalries would be good for volleyball. Trophy matches, feuds, trash talking, colorful coaches. Things that posters on this board already think about (and some pearl-clutch over) but the average fan doesn't yet. Introduce more analytics into the broadcasts. Show each team's hitting and sideout percentage per rotation. Passing numbers. People will learn, they'll get it quicker than you think. Treat broadcasts like Volleyball 103 instead of 101. I think there can be marketing for VB to football fans, but IMO that's basically going to increase fans via school loyalty, which is good, but doesn't grow where it's most needed. which the two areas are youth boys and professional league. for VB schools without MVB, would be good to see them promote/target youth boys VB. I mean if football (mens' sport) was the vehicle for growing girls sports, why shouldn't WVB do the same for youth boys? |
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Post by bbg95 on Nov 22, 2023 12:22:29 GMT -5
does this scream professional and serious? I like when some coaches where full piece suits, others look like they are going to sub in to to the game the next point, some wear heels, etc. I appreciate the diversity. We can have VB go the baseball route and have our coaches dress in spandex? Yeah, I mean, if you win enough, you can wear whatever you want. The Hoodie is the worst-dressed coach in the NFL, and nobody cares. |
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Post by BeachbytheBay on Nov 22, 2023 12:22:35 GMT -5
I’ve often found it odd that winning a point means you must serve, but serving is on balance a disadvantage. I think it would be better to simply alternate the serve no matter who won the previous point. huh? so don't reward the great servers? really? the put the ball in play strategy, maybe we can just drop the ball at mid-court each point as an option and do away with serving |
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