There has been a lot of good feedback in this thread alone. My question is, "Who is responsible to gather concerns and criticisms and do something about it?" Is it the AD? or Is it it the ticket management unit?
Obviously the product on the field sways some folks. Iowa overall has avoided the problems we see at Purdue and Illinois even though Iowa has not been as good as ardent fans desire. The new facilities can't hurt recruiting, only help. The point is that Iowa is in a better position for the future than where it was five years ago.
Staying competitive is vitally important to maintaining the fan base. Iowa fans remain some of the most loyal in all of college sports, but the new generation of fans may not be as loyal. For those of us following the Hawkeyes since our childhood in the 50's there has been some really bad periods and some good ones. The final year of the Fry era and the first two of Ferentz's are about the longest streak of losing seasons Iowa has experienced in the last 35 years. If you are younger than 45 you cannot understand how much it meant to see Iowa finally go to the Rose Bowl after a 20+ year absence and end the streak of losing seasons in Fry's third year. Attendance ran around 40K for a game before Fry.
The older Iowa crowd is going to show up pretty much in time of thick or thin, so the athletic department needs to really tune into Gen X, Gen Y and the Millennial generations. Make it affordable for them to attend, quit answering to TV and answer first to the fans that show up for the games, and add more value to the ticket. Nothing says you can't have a party inside Kinnick stadium after a game where students and alumni could share a beverage, some entertainment, and what appeals to the younger audience. You could turn Kinnick into a outdoor sports saloon using the video boards to show other games.
