The vision, when Paul Westhead was hired as Oregon’s women’s basketball coach, was of a high-scoring team that would restore the program’s winning tradition, and in doing so produce a significant byproduct — returning attendance levels to the lofty numbers of a decade ago.
The UO athletic department made a significant financial investment in Westhead, and hopes it has spent money to make money. Season-ticket sales and average attendance dropped by about half during the up-and-down Bev Smith era, and fixing that problem was “a huge priority” when the Ducks went looking for Smith’s replacement, UO senior women’s administrator Renee Baumgartner said.
Tonight, the Ducks open the Westhead era when they host Eastern Washington in McArthur Court at 7. If recent trends hold up, fewer than 2,000 fans will be in attendance. But given Oregon’s potential to field an entertaining uptempo team, as shown in two 109-point exhibition games, there’s hope around the Casanova Center that wins are on the horizon, and that fans will follow.
“Our community, they’ve always wrapped their arms around competitive teams,” Baumgartner said. “I feel he’s going to get more competitive every year, and he’s going to get everything he can out of each and every student-athlete.”
The two impressive exhibition outings were the best statement Westhead could make that his program will be competitive. Oregon easily outpaced Southern Oregon and Western Oregon, and sent notice to future opponents about the conditioning level they’ll need to match when they play the Ducks.
Also, the Ducks hope they sent notice to local fans who flocked to the team during the highly successful Jody Runge era that they should consider coming back to Mac Court this season.
“I feel like the people that have always been behind us are still behind us,” sophomore Amanda Johnson said. “We see the same faces out here every day, and we appreciate those people who continue to come and support us. We’re looking to open that up and attract some new fans, or some people who have lost interest. But it’s still early. We’d love to see a lot more faces in the chairs, but what’s important is, we’re coming out here and playing our game.”
So far in 2009-10, season tickets are down from last season by about 150 to 665, continuing their steady decline over the past decade. But new sales of season tickets are up slightly, as are single-game sales, particularly for marquee games against Stanford and Oregon State, according to UO assistant ticket manager Jason Harris.
“People aren’t jumping into the deep end,” Harris said. “They’re putting their foot in the pool to see how it is.”
The Ducks have held a number of outreach events in the preseason, some of them traditional gatherings with fan clubs, some new. The Daisy Ducks hosted a potluck event for both UO basketball programs, and Westhead has invited the Fast Break Club as well as donors to the Duck Athletic Fund to attend open practices.
Two of Westhead’s staff members, assistant coach Dan Muscatell and director of operations Janell Bergstrom, have previous experience in the UO athletic department and have been de facto liaisons for Westhead as he settles in Eugene. And he’s had his eyes opened by the presence on campus of a top football program, something he hasn’t experienced previously in his career.
“I’m like a kid,” Westhead said. “My wife and I go to games, and we can’t wait for the next game. So I’m a fan. And being a fan makes me realize, at least athletically, what this town is about. They embrace sports.”
Will they embrace Westhead and his program? In hiring him, administration hopes it has found the key to restoring McArthur Court’s homecourt advantage.
“The bottom line is, we don’t take our fans for granted,” Baumgartner said. “It’s a priority for our basketball staff and this administration to reach out to our fans, and hope they will come with an open mind and support this young team that is going to have great success.”
UO women vs. Eastern Washington
7 p.m. today at McArthur Court. Radio: KUJZ-FM (95.3).