Recommend you attend

With attendance declining, students should go to more basketball games

MARY MABRY

The JMU basketball student section is bare.

Both JMU men’s and women’s basketball game attendance is down from last year, according to a Jan. 12 article by Shane Mettlen from the Daily NewsRecord. The women’s team averaged 2,510 crowd members last year and are down to 1,957 so far this season, according to the article. The men’s team brought in 4,353 fans on average last year and are now averaging 3,465.

Students need to show more support for JMU basketball players, and there are many reasons to do so.

Basketball games take place in the Atlantic Union Bank Center (AUBC), which debuted Nov. l, 2020. The facilities are impressive and make a fantastic place for up to 8,500 people to watch a basketball game.

As reported by Mettlen, Appalachian State men’s basketball head coach Dustin Kerns said postgame Jan. 7 that the AUBC is “about as nice of a facility as I’ve ever been in.”

“I’ve been in the ACC, SEC, Gonzaga,” Kerns said. “This place is spectacular. Kudos to James Madison and their staff for this place.”

The top five places in the AUBC, in a 2020 Breeze story, are the team video room, band seating, practice court, Academic Success Center and Clubs and Suites. Students are missing out if they don’t take advantage of having such a nice facility to cheer on the Dukes.

Not only is the AUBC a great place to be, but it’s easy for students to get to. Students can reserve tickets for free online. Tickets for guests are also available to students for $16.

A “welcome-back” pat to the Italian herb and cheese bread at Subway.

From someone who eats there at least twice a week.

A “watch-whereyou're-going” dart to the ultimate frisbee club team for repeatedly hitting my charger with their chairs.

From someone who just wanted to study in peace.

The AUBC is on East Campus, so it’s an easy walk for students who live on campus. For students who live off campus, parking is available for free at the Ballard Parking Deck, which is right next to the AUBC.

Basketball games are also part of the college experience; they're a chance for students to

Contributing Columnist

show their school spirit and cheer on their college team in a community setting. This can help a student feel more connected to the university and have more pride in their school.

Not only can students go to basketball games to watch the team, but they can also hear the JMU Pep Band play, see the JMU cheerleaders and Dukettes perform and participate in fun competitions if chosen by the emcee.

According to a 2015 News-Press article, the number of students attending college sporting events such as basketball and football games is decreasing. Reasons include “cost, time constraints, endless other entertainment options” and the “widespread availability of sports broadcasts on TV and online.” But, this doesn’t mean that sporting events aren’t worth a student’s time.

Arguably, though, the most important reason for students to attend basketball games is the impact it has on the athletes.

Having an enthusiastic audience has a positive impact on team performance. According to an article published in the Journal of Sports Economics, “a supportive crowd causes the home team to be more likely to win.” Additionally, athletes will likely feel more encouraged knowing that fellow Dukes are there to support them.

The JMU basketball teams are doing well this season. According to ESPN, the women are dominating their conference and recently came off a 13-game win streak. The men are also performing well, currently ranking seventh in the Sun Belt Conference.

Don’t miss out on all the action — consider going to a JMU basketball game.

CONTACT Mary Mabry at mabrymm@dukes.jmu. edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and Twitter @Breeze_Opinion.