Date Posted:10:32:11am 01/20/06 Fri, Author:WS Stag Subject: Apathy is alive and well - why?
Recent emails point out light attendance in the MAAC and suggested that it was throughout mid major hoops. I disagree. This morning I read that there were 6,700 at the Hofstra-Old Dominion game last night. While frankly Hofstra is an exception within the CAA, most leagues have natural rivals, in which a student might apply, or has friends who apply, to other schools within the same league. The majority of the most successful leagues are comprised of schools that would fit this bill. I believe that this sets the tone and builds a season ticket fan base that continues with the occassional outlier school that is a competitive, but not a natural, fit (Horstra). Who in the MAAC is Fairfield's natural rival? There is none.The kids that attend Fairfield do not apply to other MAAC schools, with the exception of Loyola. With a higher frequency, the Fairfield student also applies to Providence, Holy Cross, Villanova, Fordham, BC, Georgetown and UConn. Who among students or Alumni care about the other schools that comprise the league? I understand the geographics of the league, but the Administration forgot, or did not realize the importance of, social similarities in the equation.
