The puzzle pieces to how UNF Athletics plans to fill their seats during the 2009-2010 seasons continue to fall into place.
UNF is continuing the restructuring of the Osprey Club, the fundraising and fan relations wing of the athletics department, and finding new ways to make attending UNF athletic events attractive: including the addition of a new student section in UNF Arena, for which the athletics department is considering names such as The Birdcage, said Athletic Director Lee Moon.
One of the key players heading up the reorganization efforts is Matt Kilcullen, assistant athletic director for development of the Osprey Club. Kilcullen, former head coach for UNF men’s basketball team, was appointed as the Osprey Club president in July. UNF is trying to do a number of things to align the Osprey Club with UNF’s new Division I status including expanded memberships, reserved seating and support for student-athlete scholarships, Kilcullen said.
“We have gotten off to a good start,” Kilcullen said. “This falls in line as a great support arm for the athletic department, and we are well on our way to more memberships.”
This is something that needs to be done and improved upon, Moon said. As a fundraising organization, the Osprey Club needs to raise money for scholarships and facility enhancements. In addition, these improvements could draw in more people to UNF athletic events.
“If you promote your program and make it a fun event, people will want to come and be a part of it,” Moon said. “We are doing what all major Division I programs are doing and what we have never done before.”
One of the top things the Osprey Club had to do was broaden their support base. In the past they were very narrow in their outreach, Moon said, so now they are going from student-athletes to parents and then alumni.
To gain even more support, the Osprey Club is selling reserved seating. They are reorganizing the Arena into special sections and dedicating them to club members, season ticket holders, families and general admission.
There will also be a few particular student sections including a section behind one of the baskets, said Kilcullen. Moon has hopes of calling these seats The Birdcage. If students feel like the name fits their section, Moon said he would make it happen.
“I really want to dedicate these seats to the students,” Moon said. “But it’s not going to be like it has been in the past, where you can just walk into a game. You have to have a ticket or a student I.D.”
Students will continue to be allowed into games for free, with an I.D. As for everyone else, the athletic department has released new ticket prices for the 2009-2010 season. For single tickets, it costs $10 per game, except for matches against our rival Jacksonville University that will cost $15. The base season ticket price is $120.
“It’s great that Lee Moon has big plans for the Osprey Club. He has done big things at other places, and I am excited to see what he can do here at UNF,” women’s basketball Head Coach Mary Tappmeyer said.
All of the enhancements are 100 percent necessary, men’s basketball Head Coach Matthew Driscoll said. It’s important to have funding for facilities, equipment and scholarships, but these new improvements are not the key components to bringing in fans, both basketball coaches said. It’s winning.
“I think the Osprey Club will get more people excited about what we are doing,” Driscoll said. “However, here’s the bottom line: What’s going to bring in fans is the way our players finish and win.”
