Alex Taylor: Taylor UW basketball games need to be an 'event'
Feb. 14—Jeff Linder wants his team feeling the love on Valentine's Day.
That includes getting fans in the seats for the University of Wyoming men's basketball team's home games at the Arena-Auditorium.
The Cowboys (12-11 overall, 5-5 Mountain West) have been one of the biggest surprises in the conference after being picked 10th in this year's preseason poll. UW has upset wins over Nevada and Colorado State at home this season, the latter which was the program's first win over a ranked opponent since 2018.
With the more challenging portion of their conference schedule behind them, the Cowboys sit just 2 1/2 games back in the MW standings going into Wednesday's home matchup with Utah State. The Aggies (20-4, 8-3) have a one-game lead in the conference standings and sit No. 29 in the NCAA Net rankings.
Linder, who's in his fourth season as UW's head coach, used the tail-end of Monday's news conference to encourage fans — specifically students — to come support the Cowboys on Wednesday night.
"It's always been a challenge at Wyoming during the weekdays of getting fans," Linder said. "... In the past, when you're having to travel from say Casper or Rock Springs or Rawlins or some of the places that are not close by, well, the only way you could see the Cowboys play is by coming to the game.
"Now, when games are on TV and games are online, it makes it easier (to not come), especially on a weekday and you have kids and whatnot, and the weather is always a factor and it makes it tough to get here. But at the same time, for us, the one thing we do know that's constant is that we know there's students on campus on the weekdays.
"In order to try to get them there, whatever we need to do to get them there — not just from an administration standpoint, but from a staff standpoint — if that means I have to do more to do that, then I guess that's what it has to be."
The Cowboys have played the fewest home games out of the 11 teams in the MW so far this season. Through its 10 games at the Double-A this winter, UW is averaging an announced attendance of 3,958, which ranks eighth in the conference.
The Cowboys have hosted two ranked opponents this season, including then No. 24 Colorado State on Jan. 27 and then No. 25 New Mexico last Tuesday. Against the Lobos, the announced attendance was 3,685.
"It's not good enough. That's the bottom line," Linder said. "That's where I feel for our guys. In this day and age, it's really hard to keep the players that you do have where they're at. The one thing that can maybe help you not necessarily trump some of the money that some of these guys get offered, but is that when you come into the arena and you see a certain type of atmosphere. That's where I feel bad for our guys.
"You go on the road in our league, and now, you're going to Utah State and you have 4,000 students there. You go to New Mexico, and New Mexico is what it is. You go to San Diego State, and you have a tremendous student section. You go to Boise, and they're pretty much selling out. You look at Nevada and all those top teams in the top seven, and you look at the advantage that they have with the crowd at home. It's huge."
Having lived in Gillette for two years, I understand the impossible logistics of commuting across the state for a two-hour basketball game on a weeknight. What makes matters worse is the price of admission not correlating with the amount of empty seats in the lower bowl of the Double-A.
For Linder, attendance at home games could play a big part in retaining star players who aren't necessarily raking in money from the newly implemented name, image and likeness movement.
"The elephant in the room is NIL," Linder said. "That's the bottom line. We can sit there and ignore it, but that's what it is. There's some teams in our league — there are guys that are making a lot of money. Our guys aren't making a lot of money.
"At the same time, too, it's not an excuse. But at the same time, too, if we want to keep these guys, when they come back to the Double-A, when they come down the ramp, for them to see fans in the stands and students in the stands, that's going to help them stay here."
Winning and home attendance go hand in hand. Less than a year ago, the Cowboys were stumbling to a last-place finish in the MW while having three players leave the team midseason.
Linder has already surpassed last year's season win total, but those results haven't put more fans in the seats.
Not yet, at least.
"For me, obviously I'm a little bit frustrated by it," Linder said. "... Where we've come from in the last year to get to this point, and having some really good kids who are really trying hard and playing hard for us ... it's not good enough. That's the bottom line.
"If you want these kids to stay, you have to give them a reason to stay."
The Cowboys' football team shattered an attendance record this fall through its seven home games in Laramie. While football schedules are far less demanding for fans to commit to — especially those outside of Laramie — Linder wants to see UW basketball games transform into an event that extends beyond what's transpiring on the floor.
"The thing about football games is, it's an event," Linder said. "... We don't get a lot of games, but it needs to be an event. You go play at Grand Canyon — when you go there, it's an event. Go to San Diego State. It's an event. You have to make the basketball games an event and try to get as many people as you can.
"Get the elementary kids here. Try to do everything we can to get people in the stands. It's tough. I get it. But at the end of the day, everybody wants me to beat (Colorado State). I watch those games at CSU — and they're what, (two games ahead of us in the standings)? They have a full student section, and they have a full gym in Moby.
"That's not my plea, but man, if you want good players to stay here ... then, you know what, when they walk in that gym, there better be people in there supporting them through thick and thin, and not just when you're winning.
"That's what I came to the University of Wyoming for was that support. That's why I came here. It's the one school in the state, and I just hope that we can find a way to keep trying to build it, I guess. But somebody has to talk about it, because it's not good enough."
The Cowboys have four home games remaining this season, starting with an 8 p.m. tipoff with Utah State on Wednesday. When it comes to attendance at the Double-A, Linder is open to suggestions.
"If you have any ideas, please let me know," the coach said.
Alex Taylor is the assistant editor for WyoSports and covers University of Wyoming athletics. He can be reached at ataylor@wyosports.net. Follow him on X at @alex_m_taylor22.
