As the Vice President and Director of Athletics at one of the largest universities in the country, luxuries like private jets and a stable cash flow come with the territory to allow for consistent cross country trips for Gene Smith.
When Smith down with Eleven Warriors May 14, he shared the tale of a travel expedition in late March, when he docked in Portland for three days to see Thad Matta's men's basketball team compete in the NCAA Tournament before bolting to St. Louis to witness Logan Stieber and the wrestling team win the national title.
"That was a hike," Smith said.
Smith attended each home basketball affair for Matta's 2014-15 club, which finished 24-11 after falling to Arizona, 73-58, March 21. He, like plenty of Buckeye fans, took heed to the lack of liveliness present at The Schottenstein Center.
There's a slew of reasons why, too, but it all comes down to one simple, yet substantial thing.
"We have to win," Smith said.
He didn't mean to say Matta and company haven't won in his 11 years at Ohio State, but back-to-back seasons with double digit losses doesn't do the program any favors when trying to fill seats in a massive arena at a football school.
Smith said students were moved courtside in hopes of a better in-game vibe.
"We've always had in our non-conference, fan participation has always been kind of shaky with the exception of the big games," Smith said. "This year, we picked up Virginia in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, so that will be rocking. When we get in the Big Ten, we have more atmosphere."
He's right, and it makes sense — people are more willing to see Ohio State host a solid opponent like Michigan State or Wisconsin instead of James Madison or Campbell. Ohio State's non-conference slate for 2015-16 isn't terrible, but outside of Virginia, the home games aren't likely to be too prominent prior to Big Ten season when you look at its track record in recent years. It's a different game getting attention to the team, especially right after the football team won it all.
"There's a certain demographic because we still had over 16,000 or something in attendance. Most schools would pass out to have 16,000 people," Smith said. "I was never really disappointed with our attendance numbers. I was disappointed just in the atmosphere. Just wasn't there to help our team get going and that's the way our fans are."
Smith said scheduling is one of the hardest parts of college basketball, particularly with conferences making deals with television networks that demand games be played when they want.
Competition plays a part, just like anything in athletic ticket sales. So, too, Smith said, does a personal bond with guys on the basketball court.
"I think our fans appreciate a connectivity. You look at that success over the years, our teams have had that. I mentioned some, Jon Diebler, David Lighty, Aaron Craft, Jared Sullinger, Evan Turner ... there was a connectedness," Smith said. "We're getting back to that now. I think these kids are going to be here awhile. That's my view of it, I could be totally wrong but I think that's where we are."
"I was never really disappointed with our attendance numbers. I was disappointed just in the atmosphere. Just wasn't there to help our team get going and that's the way our fans are."– Gene Smith on OSU basketball.
Craft played four long years at Ohio State, a fanbase favorite for reasons that don't need to be explained here. Lighty, Diebler, Turner and even Dallas Lauderdale played between three and five years before exiting. Fans bought into them not only because of how well they performed, but because they felt like they had a relationship with them since they stayed.
"Basketball's a little bit different that way. You cheer for the team but also part of the demographic is (to) connect with the players," Smith said. "I think Jae'Sean Tate is going to be one of those guys. People are going to want to go see him. His style of play, he dives on the floor, all that."
Smith made sure not to condone the decisions of guys like D'Angelo Russell, Mike Conley, Greg Oden and others — players who've bounced out of Matta's program after one season for the NBA. They needed to for their own personal gain, but he believes guys who stick around are a big reason why fans fill seats at Value City Arena.
Winning doesn't hurt, either.
"Our ticket office is working with student organizations to make sure we figure out that seats (near the court) are filled for every single game. And they weren't the last couple games," Smith said. "Part of that is we have to win."
