Ideas for Student Sections at Ball Games
- Giveaways are an instant way to attract students to sporting events. If attendance is sagging at games then offer some freebies to get students in the stands. T-shirts in the school's colors entice students to attend and the create a spirited atmosphere, as students are all wearing the school colors. Other giveaways, from miniature footballs or basketballs to face paint to wigs in the school colors, can create spirited fans while encouraging attendance.
- At every game, honor a student who represented the best fan. Have someone on the athletic department's staff be on the lookout for the student who cheered the loudest, wore the craziest outfit or got the rest of the crowd into the game. Honor that student during a timeout near the end of the game. Give him a gift certificate to the campus bookstore, a gift basket full of fan gear or front-row seats to an upcoming game.
- If your school's student section does not have a name yet then create a contest where students can submit entries to name the student sections. Some of college sports' most intimidating environments to play has recognizable names for their student sections, from the Cameron Crazies at Duke University to the Rowdy Reptiles at the University of Florida. This contest can get students interested in the sport and they'll feel like they're part of an elite group of students once the section has an official name.
- Entice fans to athletic events by choosing a student or two from the student section to participate in halftime contests. At a basketball game, you can challenge a student to make a basket from half-court to win a prize. At a football game, ask a student to kick an extra point through the uprights. If the student succeeds, reward her with a prize, like a semester's worth of books at the bookstore. The more attractive the prize, the more students will enter the contest.