Not basketball specific (more relevant to football, really), but ESPN.com has an article discussing the financial impact on the big schools involved in realignment. From the discussion of A&M:

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Ticket sales revenue -- about $37 million for all sports combined -- had been steadily increasing since 2008, and average sales for the first two years in the SEC were 6 percent higher than the last two years in the Big 12.

The bump in conference revenue was more substantial: Last year, the SEC gave Texas A&M about $21 million, which is an increase of about 72 percent from the $12.2 million Texas A&M received from the Big 12 in 2010-11. (The Big 12's tax returns show it gave the school just $3.8 million in its last year in the conference. It withheld $12 million, prompting the university to give the athletic department a loan, which is being paid back $1.5 million each year.)

Getting $21 million from the SEC might not seem like a big coup, considering the Big 12's payouts now average $21 million, and it isn't right now. But that doesn't factor in the future revenue potential of the just-launched SEC Network by ESPN. Much like the other schools that moved from one major conference to another, the big payoff is to come. Some estimates show that in only the third year of the SEC Network, schools could see payouts of $40 million.

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http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11592735/financial-winners-ncaa-conference-realignments-begin-take-shape

So, thanks to football, total ticket sales revenue has actually increased despite the decline in men's basketball.

I know very little about basketball and cannot comment on our coaching, but I am very excited about the potential incoming 2015 recruiting class. For that reason I just bought three season tickets this year.

So there are at least three new butts at the game!

I feel like getting butts in the seats WON'T be hard. Just get some hype, some energy and some promise for the team going and people will attend.

Example: Remember when A&M beat UK on the road behind Elston's 41 points? The next home game was vs. ranked Florida and there were a LOT of people there. What happened? We got demolished. There goes any sort of excitement or enthusiasm for the team.

Bottom line: It's like drinking at a tailgate...get a good buzz going and then keep it up. Doesn't mean you have to constantly win games, but the frequent blowouts, road losses to bad teams and home blowouts against the North Texas' will immediately scare away any of the casual fans.

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I know very little about basketball and cannot comment on our coaching, but I am very excited about the potential incoming 2015 recruiting class. For that reason I just bought three season tickets this year.

So there are at least three new butts at the game!

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I also just purchased three season tickets this year. Seems like a good time to buy and there is never not enough excuses to come back to God's country.

Really looking forward to the season!

Gig'em!

maybe BK will let his new assistants coach the team ... Otherwise more of the same.

i've said this before, and I will say this again, the best way to get butts in seats is win. Unfortunately, that's not something we have done a lot of under kennedy

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I feel like getting butts in the seats WON'T be hard. Just get some hype, some energy and some promise for the team going and people will attend.

Example: Remember when A&M beat UK on the road behind Elston's 41 points? The next home game was vs. ranked Florida and there were a LOT of people there. What happened? We got demolished. There goes any sort of excitement or enthusiasm for the team.

Bottom line: It's like drinking at a tailgate...get a good buzz going and then keep it up. Doesn't mean you have to constantly win games, but the frequent blowouts, road losses to bad teams and home blowouts against the North Texas' will immediately scare away any of the casual fans.

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As a student that's here now, I can tell you that it will be hard. Mostly everyone thinks we're bad thanks to the Vanderbilt game that they hyped up all week on campus only to lose it to a team with hardly any scholarship players. Aggie basketball games are just boring, period. And it's almost because the people at Reed Arena try TOO hard to force traditions. If we keep losing, it's going to be another terrible attendance year.

The inviorment in Reed is awful. That said how is playing pretty good defense boring? If Kennedy can simply light a fire under this team and just have them play tough I'll be at Reed.

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Mostly everyone thinks we're bad thanks to the Vanderbilt game that they hyped up all week on campus

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Thank goodness Marshall Henderson coming to Reed was still able to draw you back in.

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I keep beating this dead horse alone, but I just don't get it as far as the students. You talk about "marketing" to them? Uh? WHEN did it become that Aggie spirit only applies to football? OK, so it did, now how do you capitalize on making that student body realize that more than 5% of them CAN and SHOULD make it to basketball games to keep the Aggie spirit alive and obvious at the second highest revenue sport? Where are the Yell Leaders in promoting it? If they are going to take the spring off, then what happened to the Reed Rowdies? And the Batt, they can't promote games, advertise games, etc.? Surely the Athletic Budget could afford Batt promotion. Help an Old Ag out here, WHERE are the students and WHY isn't it the 'event" that football is any longer? More importantly, how do you get it back? And I'm talking about instilling the pride to support your student athlete buddies, not giving away corny dogs.

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Ask locals, A&M students, and alumni to name five historical great A&M football players.
Ask locals, A&M students, and alumni to name five historical great A&M basketball players.

I'm betting your results will be a lot better on the first question. Basketball has always been more of a niche thing here. For a few years it exploded... people cared about the basketball team while I was at A&M (2006-2010). People talked about it and a lot of conference games were EVENTS. I remember the texas ticket pull one year... 5,000 students camping out for basketball tickets. Ticket lotteries. Huge lines to race down and get the best GA seats when Reed opened. Many packed houses and raucous atmospheres. The whole student side executing choreographed free throw interruptions (almost) flawlessly. You couldn't hear yourself think.

That said, it always felt like we were kind of working against the attempt to impose a football cadence and atmosphere. Replicating Kyle Field didn't work. I always felt that it was loud in spite of the yell leaders, not because of them. Going to games was inherently fun and popular but the athletic department was not a big factor.

In conclusion, frisbee dogs.

Get rid of the damn yell leaders at basketball (especially away games)

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Get rid of the damn yell leaders at basketball (especially away games)

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I'd sign that petition

One of my pet peeves (at any sporting event, but ESPECIALLY Aggie basketball) is stadium music. It's so cheesy and manufactured. I'd love more emphasis on the Hullabaloo Band and less on hip hop music.

Go to any NBA arena and almost all top bball arenas and it is all hip hop music and not much band if any.

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Go to any NBA arena and almost all top bball arenas and it is all hip hop music and not much band if any.

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Hence why I said ANY sporting event

The only non manufactured environment I can think of is Cameron Indoor.

I think we have a normal mix

The Lakers and the Knicks still use an organ player, and that's pretty awesome to me.

alright, dude

I'm sure we can find ways to blend our tradition/style with the pace and energy of a modern basketball environment.

Give me Kanye, Kendrick and almost any other rap artist over a rousing rendition of Camptown Races by Hullabaloo.

That's extreme, but seriously, Hullabaloo needs to be used as little as possible. That's not to say that they don't add to the atmosphere, because they do. But they by no means should be the main focus. It's a matter of preference, but if you're trying to get away from the " strict tradition" and football game feel then playing better rap music is the way to go. The DJ they hired last year was way better than the people they had in the past.

Doesn't matter how hip it is if you aren't winning.

Winning and scheduling are far and away the most significant factors. Next comes price. Then another huge gap, then all the other crap.

New baby (who is still in the NICU) plus da with Cancer means that we won't be there with our six pack this year.

Myself, wife and dad have gone every year since I graduated and last year we added 3 more with my brothers family. Just can't do it this year.

Thoughts and Prayers BigAggie06. Sorry to hear about that. Hang in there.

Avery Johnson @CoachAvery6

3m3 minutes ago

"@mattywatty01: @CoachAvery6 Will we be seeing you in Aggieland a lot this winter? Hope so! #GoSpursGo #GigEm" Yes Sir! #enjoytheride