Gophers hope six game winning streak helps bring fans back to Williams Arena

Shortly after the Gophers men's basketball team secured their 73 to 71 win over Michigan on Thursday night, an announcement for a special deal on $15 tickets for the next home game was made on the team's X page. The announcement was soon followed by a repost by the Gophers coach, Ben Johnson, urging fans to "fill the stadium" on Sunday when the team faces Maryland at the 14,625-seat Williams Arena.

"I urge everyone to come and watch," Johnson appealed to the Star Tribune after securing his team's sixth consecutive win on Thursday. "It's an entertaining group." Johnson, now in his first two seasons amid a major rebuilding effort, has never had such an exciting team to drive interest. His Gophers play a lively, sweeping style and -- importantly -- they're winning.

"I fully trusted in Ben's plan," commented Mike Mitchell Jr. "We're ready for this season. I'm highly confident taking it in the Big Ten." The University plans to capitalize on this, especially following last season's poor performance that resulted in the worst ticket sales for the program in decades.

"The team had the plans ready," noted Mike Wierzbicki, Gophers associate athletic director, referring to the promotional strategy devised after a big win for the Gophers. Currently sitting at 11-3 (2-1 in the Big Ten), the Gophers have made significant improvements after finishing last season with a poor 9-22 overall and 2-17 record within the conference.

Despite lower average home attendance this season, with an average of 7,230 still trailing last season's historic low of 9,451, Johnson is confident that fans will rally behind the team. He predicted a "buzzing atmosphere" for the weekend game against Maryland.

The Gophers' winning streak is the longest since the 2016-17 NCAA season where they secured eighth straight wins. While the announced attendance has been disappointing, the number of tickets redeemed is significantly lower. As per data bought by Star Tribune, the average number of tickets redeemed this season stands at 3,420, similar to last season's 3,313 during the first eight home games before the Big Ten games recommenced.

Also, remember, college sports, on a national scale, have been slow to recover from the drop in attendance caused by restrictions during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Gophers' marketing team is actively developing strategies to welcome fans back as the program gains momentum.

For instance, Sunday's match against Maryland is set to be a fan appreciation day, with additional incentives like reduced ticket prices following their recent victory against Michigan; only the second win after 2011.

"Our marketing and social media team deserves the credit. They are doing an excellent job. So do Ben and our team," affirmed Wierzbicki.

Though viewers watching from home may not fully grasp the atmosphere, the Barn can get incredibly loud even with half the seats filled. Fred Hoiberg, Huskers coach, blamed the deafening noise at Williams Arena for some of his team's 18 turnovers during their December 6th defeat to the Gophers.

Elijah Hawkins, Gophers' point guard, has noted a surge in player energy when home crowd support is high. He claimed, "At home, we play at our best. When our crowd is pumped up, we are formidable."

Compared to last season's six home wins, the lowest since 1967-68, the Gophers are already 10-1 at home this season. Despite a dramatic meltdown leading to a 70-68 defeat to Missouri on November 16, the Gophers' performance at Williams Arena is significantly improved compared to last season. This may yet go unnoticed by some.