Some other new headwinds I'd add post-pandemic:
1. There's a good number of folks, particularly of the older, long-term loyal set, who are still skittish about being in crowds.
2. People aren't in their offices downtown anymore, making getting to Foggy Bottom much harder for many than it used to be on a weeknight.
3. The Metro is a shell of what it used to be, especially out in the 'burbs.
4. The inability to get into the arena for a year screwed up people's habits, and new activities, hobbies, etc. filled the gap left by the pandemic and made GW basketball feel less important.

It's clear that for program insiders, the fallout of 2016-18 is still a sensitive subject (in no small part because of specific folks continuing to pick the same scabs with the same dramatic declarations of good and evil). And while all that stuff is a black eye for the university, I think GW has to bear the blame most for failing to provide the resources and support to help the program recover from the circular firing squad of 2016-18.

Seven different classes of students have enrolled since Mike Lonergan was on the sideline at GW. There have been two presidents (with a third en route), three provosts, and three men's basketball coaches. We have a new Athletics Director. The staff has, for the most part, turned over at every level of the institution. And when most folks talk about the malaise surrounding the program for these last few years, I don't think they're talking about unsatisfying conclusions to lawsuits or unnamed sources in the Post or the lack of a GW Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They're pissed that when the wheels fell off a fast-moving train, the university seems to have walked away and left the program and department to crumble. 

GW is opaque about *why* it has its failings, but its failings are pretty transparent. Despite the incredibly hard work by the AD and the coaches and staff to keep the same level of enthusiasm and community alive, it's obvious that they've been doing all they can to move deck chairs on a sinking ship. 

GW fans have stuck through some tough times over the years, and I think each time we knew that some person or people in high places cared about the program as much as we did. I'm still looking for a sign of that in Rice Hall right now.

This is a thought-provoking thread.  Great points, particularly the one about the wheels falling off a fast-moving train while the school walked away, failing to provide the needed support.  Since the days of Dr. Chernak, who has this program had in its corner aside from those in the athletic department?  We had a university president who was a year from retiring and hid his head in the sand throughout ML/PN.  We had a Provost take on his responsibilities who was completely ill-equipped to handle such manners.  We've had another president who while seemingly a proponent of athletics, stuck his foot in his mouth one too many times to stay at GW long enough to help get this program back on track.  We've had a CFO who may have eyed the right coach for us all along but pulled a very unprofessional power play on our Athletic Director and at the expense of our former coaching staff to get him here (and who has since resigned).  I never would have imagined how important it was to have a Dr. Chernak-like figure on the inside, but this appears to be apparently so.

Going to a game is not at all like going to an NFL game where you've invested an entire day and no less than $400.  So to anyone locally who can attend but opts to stream instead, all I can say is that the experience you had last night streaming the game was 1000% different than the one I enjoyed being there live.  IMO, there is no better live sports experience than attending college basketball, bigtime college football, and NHL playoff games in person.

Finally, I must call attention to GW0509's easy fix to a lack of recent winning....just win baby.    This reminded me of a very old Steve Martin routine:

"You can have 1 million dollars, and not pay taxes.  That's right, 1 million dollars can be yours without you paying any taxes on this.  First, get a million dollars (said very softly and quickly)....." 

I continue to beat the same drum - tilt admissions towards students who have an interest in some sport - any sport.  

Shifting to remote work is having a very big impact, I think, at least among youngish alums. Speaking from experience, it was nice to be able to grab a drink and food with a couple of friends after work and then head to the game. Even if the team wasn't good it was still a good midweek social outing. Now there are so many fewer people working from offices regularly in DC, and even those who are probably don't have many friends who are also doing it. I'm willing to go see a midweek GW basketball game by myself, but more casual fans -- the ones who were showing up at least partly because of the social aspect of it -- probably aren't. Maybe this is just my specific experience but I'd be surprised if there aren't others in the same boat.

And for the youngest alums -- those who were in school in the past 5 years -- there's compounding factors upon factors. 1) the team was bad when they were in school; 2) the pandemic; 3) more have remote jobs and aren't a short walk or metro ride away from foggy bottom during the week 4) because of more remote jobs, there are probably fewer who stayed in the DC area after graduating than in previous years.

Winning will get the students back.  That problem will solve itself.
As a season ticket holder since the end of the Hobbs era, I can tell you I ended up attending less games over the past few years.  Living outside the city and committing to long drives in and out to watch “unwatchable” teams the last few years was just not worth it.  Still purchased the tickets to support the program but left it at that.
Now  the new coach has the team playing team quality basketball (let’s forget Duquesne) and it is fun to watch.  Still missing some games due to life but it is fun to commute back in to the Smith Center.
In general need better “out of the box” marketing by the GW staff.  Maybe start having free “snacks and drinks” for registered alumni - those not in the club.  Do this for a few years while the team is getting better.  You get the people “hooked” - everybody wants a freebie - and you get their contact information.  Build it as a networking event .  You can use that main concourse leve room that just goes empty.  Will take a small bit of $$now but will pay dividends in a few years.  Have a GW Lawyer night? 
If not this idea a different one.  Use all those students in the MBA program to good use.  Brainstorm.

Random but hopefully relevant thoughts...

This is a universal problem.  I teach a class in event management at Mason and every semester I do a day on event marketing (the premise being you can have the best event in the world, but if nobody comes then you might as well not had the event).  As part of that I do a case study with the class with the premise: "How did George Mason Basketball see a significant lack of student interest after their Final Four year, and why do virtually no students attend now?

The results from my most recent case study discussion:
- When asked how many of my 15 students have ever attended a game, the answer was just one.
- When asked what it would take to get them to go (I gave them choices), 1 said she would go if there were free pizza, 2 more said they would do it for a $25 discount at the bookstore, and 3 said they would if they were entered into a contest (by attending) in which they could win free or reduced tuition via some kind of scholarship/grant.    
- The other 8 wouldn't go under any circumstances.

The above is a telling stat about the interests of students versus the alternative (whatever that is, and often which could be just staying in and doing nothing).

I also asked about Greek organization participation at games and found that they don't attend.  I found this surprising as I always felt this was such a great marketing and bonding opportunity for them. There are certainly incentives they can do with Greek organizations via points toward some kind of reward.

When I worked at Virginia Tech back in 2004-2005, to earn first dibs on football tickets and also to get the best seats at basketball games, students could earn "points" by attending just about any school sporting event.  

There are all sorts of ways to motivate casual fans into becoming committed ambassadors who show up every game.   It's like PKGW said..everybody likes a freebie.  They also like chances to win something big (not some random giveaway).

I was at the LaSalle game last week and there's free parking for all fans.  That's a win in my mind and makes it more likely I'd attend. 

Anybody in business (or who watches Shark Tank) can tell you there's a cost to obtain a customer.  There's also a cost to keep them when it comes to coming to games.  If it's important to GW (or any school), they have to treat it like it's a vital existential element of the business of being a university.

OK...that's my two cents.

Win and they will come--at least some more will.  But even in Mike Jarvis" heyday, sellouts were rare. I'll feel better if sometime soon I just don't have to be surrounded by our opponents' fans in the Blue Seats no less. Very sad! GW has never been a "sports school" and it never will be. The administration has never really given a damn about real and consistent sports success-- even since the mid-1960s when the school was down to one revenue-producing sport--men's basketball. 

I will start by saying that I think attending college basketball in general-- and GW games in particular-- is one of the best values your entertainment dollar can obtain. If attending games did not involve long-haul flights for me, I would go to every home game.
Even in the Before Times when maskless breathing in public was an acceptable social behaviour, in-person attendance at entertainment events was waning, GW basketball included. After shelling out the money to build a "man cave", fewer and fewer fans were willing to struggle with transportation, cost, uncomfortable seats, bathroom queues and putting up with the "bro" on his cell phone next to you talking loudly about his crypto deals instead of watching the key play to bother to attend in person. Add in the high def multiple camera angles, the ability to choose one´s adult beverage of choice and being able to pause the action on the TiVo when the call of nature necesitates, and the home-viewing experience was beating the schlep to the old barn to see it in-person, even before the End of Times. 
This was true not just for college basketball but for sports, theater, movies, opera and even live music. Add in the COVID-era discovery of streaming and the realization that being around other humans is not all it is hyped up to be, and the drop off in attendance is understandable. Sure, the fact that GW hoops has not exacly had a "can´t miss" product on the court has contributed, too. But when they give people what they want (the Top Gun and Black Panther sequels, for example) even movies are having a hard time putting butts in seats because audiences are happier at home in their bathrobes watching Tiger King and Stanley Tucci putterring around Italy. 
I thought student turnout for the Richmond game was lousy and a surprise given how supportive they had been at games earlier in the season. And the frats/sorrorities thing is a pretty crummy excuse (I was proudly a member of GDI -- God Damn Independent-- and I seem to recall we were the majority so  if the emotionally needy members of the little boys and girls clubs were too busy reinforcing their social status there were still plenty of students left to fill the stands). But the trend throughout entertainment is to expect fewer butts in seats for anything but the biggest events (apparently scalpers are making less of a premium on this year´s Super Bowl than last year´s, for example).
So, how does GW compete with the stay at home and/or do other things experience? If I knew I would be rich. To start, I would say all the above suggestions sound good (although free pizza for all might not be financially viable, and without vegan options it will be seen as an "exclusionary" promotion by those who want to whine anyways). But short of halftime performances by Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny, I am not sure if we will ever see the Smith Center become a hot item on the resale market.
 

WisconsinColonial2021 wrote:

My 7 year-old grandson and I watch the weekend games together (thank goodness for ESPN+) and he is now a fan. He wants me to take him to a game, which I hope to do some day. He also wants a James Bishop jersey but, of course, they don’t exist for sale. In fact, the bookstore doesn’t have much in the way of basketball stuff. Here in Madison, you can buy the jersey of every U of WI player, as well as former players. I know, apples and oranges, but still …
.

Go to amazon or ebay and you can have one made for you.  Does James B have an NIL - merchandise site?