On the surface, the University of Kansas athletic department’s decision to stamp a few hands and [re-open the gates to fans who want to reenter Memorial Stadium after halftime on Saturday][1] may seem pretty mundane.
But it’s a big frickin’ deal.
And most Kansas fans know it.
At a time when the product on the field is not doing enough to inspire attendance and get people to support the program, it’s critical for athletic department leaders to find ways to entice the fan base to come anyway they can.
This move, coupled with the willingness to open the gates and let people in for free during the second half of the Jayhawks’ near-upset of No. 3 Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago, shows with clarity that first-year KU AD Travis Goff gets it.
The money “lost” from those ticket sales or even a few hundred extra halftime concessions is peanuts compared to the money that can be made down the road by attracting fans to be a part of the fun on Saturdays in the fall.
Former KU Al Bohl is often given at least part of the credit for breathing life into Kansas football again by bringing tailgating back to Memorial Stadium. And Lew Perkins, who has his own chapter in the recent downfall of the program, followed up on that by marketing the product as fun for the whole family with enticing season-ticket packages.
It’s still early, and there’s been no real progress made yet, but Goff appears to be gunning for inclusion on that list.
Losing is never fun. And the goal within the program remains for Lance Leipold and company to get this thing going again so that winning returns to Memorial Stadium.
Until then — and it may be a while — getting the fans back and making it worth their while is a necessary step in what KU hopes will be a successful turnaround.
This athletic administration appears to be thinking about that on an almost daily basis. No idea seems too small. And no staff member is too low-level to not be heard. That’s a great start.
This concept extends beyond ideas and execution, too.
If you haven’t yet, next time you’re up there take a look outside of the stadium behind the north bowl. There you’ll find landscaping that actually makes it look like Kansas cares.
Things like that, as well as the reentry policy and steps like it, take time, a little bit of money and create more work for a whole bunch of people. But if KU officials don’t care and aren’t willing to show it, then how can they expect their fan base to do the same?
This weekend’s weather forecast, along with the fanfare that surrounds the Sunflower Showdown rivalry, should make for a pretty good setting for college football.
And it’s now crystal clear that KU officials want you to be a part of it. Every little bit helps. And, as we saw with the Oklahoma game a couple of weeks ago, you never know what you might find yourself walking into.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2021/nov/05/ku-athletics-will-allow-reentry-2nd-half-jayhawks-/
