The Warrior battle cry was louder during the 2015 fall football and basketball seasons. That’s because there were more Wayne State students in the stands than in previous years.
As part of the WSU Athletic Engagement and Warrior Pride Initiative, nearly 1,000 more students filled the stands at Tom Adams Field during the 2015 football season, an average increase of 102 student students per game (16 percent) from 2014.
For men’s and women’s basketball, nearly 2,000 students filled the Matthaei Center over the course of the season. It was an average increase of 93 students per game — a 103 percent increase from 2014.
“There weren’t really any numeric expectations, other than always wanting the bleachers full, but we hoped that students would come to the sporting events, have fun and be part of and feel the Warrior pride. I was always thrilled with all the students I saw in the Warrior Zone student section,” said David Strauss, dean of students. “We are pleased with the numbers, but will not rest on our laurels. We will continue the momentum gained this past year.”
The largest student attendance increase came during the Oct. 10, 2015, homecoming game against Grand Valley State University (pictured), with 1,823 students filling the stands compared to 816 in 2014. Total attendance for the 2015 homecoming game was 5,377 — the second largest in the 47-year history of Tom Adams Field.
The increase in student attendance and participation was part of a concerted effort by the Dean of Students Office, Department of Athletics, Office of Marketing and Communications,Office of Housing and Residential Life, and the Office of International Students and Scholars.
“We could not have done it without this team,” Strauss said. “I think the success was due to the buzz on campus created by the Warrior Zone student leaders, the recreation of the student activities model with athletics events as the centerpiece, the branding of the ‘Warrior Zone’ as the Warrior Pride initiative, the mass marketing and advertising effort, and the different theme days and giveaways.”
Promotions and giveaways during the 2015 football games included T-shirts, thunder sticks, WSU wide receiver gloves and rally towels, among others. Strauss said planning for the 2016 season has already begun and will include an incentive program, more giveaways, festivities and other surprises.
New traditions were also started in 2015: the Warrior Uproar during Orientation Part 2, the Warriorthon that showcased 24 hours of being a Warrior, and the infusion of social awareness to events such as Make a Difference Day and the Teal Out during the Jan. 28 basketball games that raised awareness for sexual violence prevention.
“We made a lot of progress this past year,” Strauss said. “I have no doubt we will continue this momentum when students return in the fall and continue to fill the bleachers with engaged and energized Warrior fans.”