Athletic program geared to boost ASU school spirit

By Grover Welch, The Herald Staff

The new plan for marketing the ASU athletic program will include a new focus on student attendance, said Athletic Director Paul Griffin.

"The students have zero obligation to the ASU athletic program," Griffin said. "However, we intend to increase student participation through a direct marketing plan that will focus on them specifically."

In the past ASU has largely ignored the student population to the detriment of the program, he said.
The new plan calls for ASU students to become more involved in the marketing process. Through student leadership meetings, round table discussions and organizational meetings Griffin hopes to boost the popularity of all ASU athletic events to students.

"We are sending student athletes and coaches to meetings like the SGA to increase the student recognition of athletes," Griffin said. "This is a new proactive approach to interesting students."

Student leaders have already met with Paul Griffin through the Student Affairs office leadership council meetings.

"This is an opportunity to speak with those students who are active in the school and get feedback or ideas about attracting students," he said.

The athletic department sees students as the future of the program, Griffin said.
"They will go out and become donors to the university," he said. "It is their continued support that will help generate the excitement in the programs we offer."

Griffin sighted the new higher standards for Division IA competition as a catalyst for increased student involvement.

"We have to get attendance up, and one way to do that has to be by getting students to games," Griffin said.

Included in the new plan to up student attendance include giving away prizes, increasing student recognition by athletic programs and increasing the general atmosphere of the student sections of programs.

"We fully see the energy students can generate when they are engaged at the games," he said. "We hop that energy will translate into actual increases in paying attendance at games."

The ASU football season is going to provide an interesting challenge to the athletic administration, Griffin said.

"With the first game in Little Rock we will begin an interesting new marketing campaign," Griffin said.

The new campaign will include more than just students, Griffin said.Utilizing groups throughout the region the athletic program hopes to improve attendance and support for all areas of ASU athletics.

"I am also meeting with community groups, and organizations to begin outreach for the programs we offer," he said. " We will try to increase our fan base in the North East Arkansas Region and improve our support outside the university as well as with the students."

Sach Oliver, president of the Student Government Association, said he understood the new approach.

"The students here want to support the athletic programs at ASU," he said. "Not just football or basketball, but the whole program. I think working to get students to games has to be the focus if we are going to insure that future problems with athletic funding are going to be done away with," Oliver said.

"We as students have been ignored in the past, and now most are disconnected from the teams. This new plan will lend itself to increased pride, and interest in what or how ASU is doing."