Syracuse Athletics officials last year zeroed in on creating a point system for student attendance at sporting events. Then-athletic director Mark Coyle and his chief deputy headed collaborative meetings with key student leaders to discuss the possibility.

But with the university’s third athletic director in as many years, the process has grown internal with the athletic department pursuing the idea — on its own accord.

“With Coyle, we knew we were going to make the move to some sort of point system,” Otto’s Army President Johnny Oliver said. “The change of leadership has derailed the whole process.”

The idea of a point system is very much alive. By the start of next football season, SU Athletics hopes to adopt such a program, which incentivizes students to attend athletic events through prizes. SU Athletics is exploring a point system because of its success at other Power 5 schools, said Anthony Di Fino, SU’s associate athletics director for business development.

“It’s a priority for us that we get the point system up and running for our students, especially if we go to a student activity fee,” Di Fino said. “It’s just a matter of implementation.”

A point system at SU was first considered under Coyle’s management. His departure meant plans in the works between Otto’s Army, the student section, and Syracuse Athletics were halted.

Representatives from Otto’s Army met with Coyle several times in the months leading up to his leave. The last meeting occurred one week before Coyle left for Minnesota in May. Coyle, whose tenure lasted 11 months, supported a points system idea that would attempt to increase student attendance at SU sporting events. The program would serve as incentive for students to attend all athletic events, not just football and men’s basketball games. Coyle, the Student Association and Otto’s Army were close to a concrete plan.

As part of last year’s discussion around the point system, officials talked about including a $100 athletic fee into the general student fee that would replace the way students purchased season tickets. They would be automatically enrolled in the fee and have to opt out, which was met with some questioning over whether the student athletic fee would benefit the broader student body.

“The fee’s been flown under the radar with the change of leadership,” Oliver said.

Since last spring, Otto’s Army has met with Di Fino about four times. Di Fino said a program is coming to SU in the next few weeks but declined to specify exactly what it would entail or when it would launch.

The talks have included the possibilities of the point system — how it would work at SU, how students would redeem points and what rewards would entail. Students who attend games could earn free T-shirts, better seats and entry to select closed practices.

John Wildhack, Syracuse’s director of athletics, has not expressed to Otto’s Army whether he supports a point system, Oliver said. The first-year director of athletics made a “brief appearance” at a recent meeting.

Around the ACC, point systems are not uncommon. Several conference schools run point systems, while SU charges students $219 for a men’s basketball and football package. Syracuse has offered the plan in its current format for at least 10 years, said Jeremiah Maher, SU’s associate athletics director for ticket sales and operations.

A greater percentage of freshmen and sophomores buy ticket packages than do juniors and seniors. Herein lies one of the athletic departments’ greatest challenges: implement a system that draws students through Carrier Dome turnstiles.

“We need to look at ourselves from a marketing standpoint and say what more can we do to get the students there?” Di Fino said. “What’s going to make them walk into that game?

“I can’t see what it is, it hasn’t been announced yet,” Di Fino said, adding, “we are looking into programs that will help us do that and really bring that drive back to the student section that was once there.”

That drive has lessened across the country. Student tickets have trended down nationally, according to analysis by The Wall Street Journal. From 2009 to 2014, student attendance of public colleges with top programs decreased 7.1 percent. Even at perennial contender Michigan, student ticket sales plummeted 40 percent in 2014.

At Georgia Tech, students pay an annual activity fee of $127 that grants them entry to all home football and basketball games. The school has considered a point system but has not implemented one because the university’s student government organization has one of its own, said Rick Thorpe, Georgia Tech’s athletic director for sales and fan experience.

Boston College runs a point system titled, “Gold Pass.” For $199, students can attend all BC home events. For high-demand games, students with the most points are given prioritized seating location.

Miami charges students a $138 annual athletic fee, granting students admission to all Miami home events. This plan, and Georgia Tech’s, are considerably cheaper than that of Syracuse and other ACC schools.

Florida State runs a “Spirit Rewards Program,” in which students tally points when they complete activities. Attending games — which are free — is just one activity. Connecting a student’s Facebook account, posting photos on Instagram using an official hashtag and tweeting at games all garner points. Students with higher point totals get better seating at games, said Rob Wilson, FSU’s associate athletic director.

Daily Orange File Photo

The traditional point system has had its pitfalls. Four years ago, Louisville tested out one of its own: “Cardinal Chase.” It lasted only one year because students swiped their IDs at events then left just to rack up the points, said Erika Fitzgerald, the school’s assistant ticket manager.

UofL, which is “always” looking at other Division I schools’ student ticket programs, got its current model — one similar to that of SU — from a little due diligence.

Prior to the 2014 season, Louisville athletics staff members phoned their counterparts at Michigan, among other schools. Intrigued by the Michigan system, Louisville gave it a shot. In its third year, the program mirrors systems at Indiana and Kentucky. UofL attendance jumped more than 30 percent in the first year.

“Literally you name, we’ve tried it,” Fitzgerald said of the school’s trial runs.

Di Fino, SU’s associate athletics director for business development, has looked to other ACC schools and peer institutions outside of the ACC, including Georgetown and George Washington, in efforts to improve the SU student package.  

“Are we fair?” Di Fino said. “We’re looking at that now. We’re on the right track, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Published on November 2, 2016 at 1:21 am

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21