How many teams must perform well before we start showing up to games? The answer is blowing in the wind.
While the Wildcat athletic programs are performing great across the board, attendance at games does not show that. Simple math would show high performance sports programs equal high attendance numbers. So what is it about campus culture that has made people forget about sports programs?
Chico State’s student body is filled with well-rounded young adults. Chico State is more than a party school. We are more than studious intellectuals and weekend warriors. We have some of the best sports programs Division II athletics has to offer, but support of these outstanding programs is not where it should be.
Recently I attended a baseball game, and attendance was pretty thin. But I get it, baseball is not everyone’s cup of tea. That aside, the Wildcats have the number one ranked division II baseball program in the country decided March 28.
Our baseball team is not the only one performing at a high level. In the Division II rankings, the softball team is seven in the country, hockey at the top of Division II, track and field team is three, men’s golf is 25, women’s golf is 10 in the west region and our basketball team just made it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Championship Tournament. This is just to name a few, and these are only the sports going on right now.
Our head of sports marketing is Jeff Kragel, who has been working at Chico State for almost 15 years, is one of the best at what he does. If Kragel can capitalize on using social media then he can direct student’s attention to how well our programs are performing.
Support of our athletic programs will improve campus culture and create a better sense of community. The Wildcats don’t just come to play, they come to win. And that’s just what they’re doing.
Let’s get behind them as students and fans to turn our winning culture in athletics into a victory for all of Chico State.
Chris Hedrickson can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_sports on Twitter.
