New England Mutiny, Western Mass. Pioneers Enjoying High Times

By Zach Baru

For Western Mass. soccer fans, you may not realize it, but these days are some of the best we have ever had.  It may sometimes feel differently, with the two soccer clubs playing non-professionally, but this region is very fortunate to have two class organizations in its own backyard.

The New England Mutiny currently competes in a league that shares the title of the most competitive women's soccer league in the country.  The Mutiny are members of the newly formed Women's Premier Soccer League Elite, which along with the USL W-League is the highest form of women's soccer in the U.S.

Although the Mutiny have never been professional, they are seasoned.  They have now been playing since 1999, when they were the Springfield Sirens of the W-League.  They joined the WPSL in 2002, and now play their home games at East Longmeadow High School and Northampton High School.  While the two towns are certainly not a far trip, this is a good approach to giving the two communities a chance to see soccer locally, similar to what the Springfield Slamm use to do when they played at Springfield College and different high schools.

One thing that cannot be criticized by fans is their competition.  WPSL Elite includes three former franchises from the currently suspended Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), including the Boston Breakers.  The reality is that some of the best soccer in the country is being played right here in the Pioneer Valley.

The Western Mass. Pioneers may have switched from professional to amateur in 2010, but this allows them to compete more from both a competitive and economical perspective.  They now compete in the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League, a league with as much change as the length of its name.  What this has done is create an even more stable franchise in the very special and intimate Lusitano Stadium, in Ludlow, Massachusetts.

The 3,000 seat stadium is a treat for any soccer fan to experience.  Built in 1918, it is the only soccer-specific stadium in the area.   Its location right in the middle of a residential neighborhood of Ludlow makes for a very interesting feel, and it provides the opportunity to more or less get as close as you want to the field.  It is great to see competitive soccer like this so close to home.

The lack of professional soccer in Western Mass. is irrelevant.  Soccer is perhaps better than it's ever been in this region, and in time the attendances should show this.  It has taken many years, and a decent amount of changes, to get to this point where two well run organizations combine great amateur and youth development.  We are very lucky to have soccer in Western Mass. as competitive as it has become today.

Zach Baru also blogs for Sports Business Boston.  He can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

Springfield Falcons Finish 27th in Attendance

By Zach Baru

The Springfield Falcons finished the 2011-2012 American Hockey League season with an average home attendance of 3,659, placing them 27th out of 30 franchises in the league. If this sounds disappointing, one must first take into consideration Springfield's small media market, in a league with teams from large cities such as Chicago, Toronto and Houston.

The Springfield-headquartered AHL no longer is the northeast-based league we once new.  The league now has multiple large markets, and ended the season with an average attendance of 5,638.  While the league's largest market, Chicago, finished 2nd with 7,909, the small market Hershey Bears topped the league with an impressive 9,872 fans per game.

Springfield's attendance this season could certainly have been worse, but as the AHL continues to grow, and the associated expenses remain at their current levels, an increase in attendance still remains a need for our club.  Playing in a league one level below the NHL comes with a price to pay, and less than 4,000 fans a game should not be the norm.

Although Hartford is a bigger media market, the Whale finished 23rd in attendance with 4,573.  Just behind, the Worcester Sharks finished 24th, with 4,402.  Another regional team, Albany, was last in the league with 3,435 fans per game.

There is definitely room for improvement for Springfield.  Fans need to embrace the franchise as they have in the past, and appreciate the top caliber of play we have in our city.  Western Mass. fans should take advantage of the intimacy the MassMutual Center gives fans to see such competitive hockey, right in our own backyard.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

Big Box Office Weekend for Armor and Falcons

By Zach Baru

As if Friday’s record attendance at the Springfield Armor of 6,061 fans was not enough, the Springfield Falcons responded with a sell-out crowd of 6,789 on Saturday.  Springfield may be a small market, but their fans did not make it seem like one over the weekend.

This is encouraging news for our local teams, as support is coming at a much needed time, with the playoffs right around the corner.  Friday was the Armor’s last home game, but they have clinched a playoff spot, and are currently one game behind Dakota for first place in the NBA Development League’s East Conference.

Even more interesting than Dakota actually being in the D-League’s East Conference, is that the Falcons are 4 points out of the playoffs, currently eleventh in the American Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.  The Falcons have two more home games on the schedule, giving them an opportunity to pack more crowds into the MassMutual Center.

Last year in the 2010-2011 season, the final home game for the Armor drew 4,489 fans, showing a modest increase in support this season for the first place team.  As the Falcons look to their home finale April 14, they hope to have a similar attendance to last year’s crowd of 5,723. 

To all of the doubters out there that say Western Mass. does not support their teams, last weekend was an example of the potential this market has.  Our teams do not need 6,000-plus crowds every night to survive, but rather consistently decent attendance to show the community’s support for their teams.  For this to be achieved, the fans and the teams must work together to do their part.  The fan’s part is pretty clear, but good marketing and affordable ticket prices need to continue from our teams to ensure bodies are put in the seats. 

There is absolutely no reason why Springfield sports have to be associated with attendance problems.  How often have you glanced down in an article about local sports to check the attendance before the score?   Unfortunately, this has been the world we have been use to for quite some time.  It does not, and should not have to be like this.  The region needs to realize that we have the potential to support our teams, and last weekend was a great example that local fans truly can come out in numbers.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

NIT Continues to Give UMass National Exposure

By Zach Baru

UMass may not be in the big dance, but the NIT is treating UMass just fine, as it provides a fourth game televised on an ESPN network Tuesday night.  The NIT semifinal against Stanford will be prime-time on ESPN2, giving UMass another great opportunity to showcase their program to a national audience.

While other teams’ NIT games have been broadcasted only on ESPNU or ESPN3, UMass has been fortunate enough to receive two ESPN telecasts, and two on ESPN2.  This is not only excellent exposure for the program, but it greatly benefits the UMass basketball brand, which has been seeking national attention for quite some time.

The Tuesday night game at Madison Square Garden presents a great stage for UMass to make up for missing out on the NCAA tournament yet again this year, as they have since 1998.  While the NIT does not attract the television ratings of the NCAA, UMass has nothing to be ashamed of.  A Tuesday night game on ESPN2 at 7:00 will bring in halfway decent ratings no matter what the game is, and UMass is very fortunate to get the call.

Win or lose, this season is sure to be looked at as a success on and off the court.  Between their 25 wins, postseason success, and multiple 6,000-plus home attendances, this season has been very kind to the Minutemen.  Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden will likely be full of UMass students and fans making the trip down to New York.  A bus trip has already been organized, and MSG should be more like a home-court to UMass when they play Stanford.

You can wish for an NCAA tournament appearance all you want.  But the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden is fine by me.  The whole country will have a chance to see UMass basketball  try to reach their second NIT championship in four years, providing even more national exposure for our Minutemen.

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

2,250 Attend MAAC Women's Championship, Men's Draws 1,821

By Zach Baru

The attendance at the 2012 MAAC Basketball Championships in Springfield was not quite what the city had hoped.  The final day drew 2,250 for the women's championship game, and only 1,821 for the men's.  To make this sting for Springfield even more, these two games were televised on national TV, ESPNU and ESPN2 respectively.  

This was not the turnout the MAAC, or Springfield was expecting.  With many schools needing to travel far distances, local support was very much needed to make this tournament a success.  Unfortunately, this was not the story at the MassMutual Center.  

While the hotels and restaurants were packed, full of teams, league and school officials, and families, the arena simply was not.  This tournament proved to be greatly beneficial for the city, but the gate did not help the MAAC.  Here is a list of attendance of the five-day tournament, grouped by session:

Session 1: Thursday, March 1, 2012 - Women's First Round (12:00 PM and 2:00 PM)

590

 Session 2: Friday, March 2, 2012 - Women's Quarterfinals (9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM)

1,400

Session 3: Friday, March 2, 2012 - Men's First Round (7:30 PM and 9:30 PM)

1,613

Session 4: Saturday, March 3, 2012 - Women's Semifinals (9:30 AM and11:30 AM)

1,295

Session 5: Saturday, March 3, 2012 - Men's Quarterfinals (2:30 PM and 4:30 PM)

2,256

Session 6: Saturday, March 3, 2012 - Men's Quarterfinals (7:30 PM and 9:30 PM)

2,124

Session 7: Sunday, March 4, 2012 - Men's Semifinals (2:00 PM and 4:30 PM)

2,278

Session 8: Monday, March 5, 2012 - Women's Championship (12:00 PM)

2,250

Session 9: Monday, March 5, 2012 - Men's Championship (7:00 PM)

1,821

Zach Baru can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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MAAC Basketball Championships to Impact Springfield Economy

By Zach Baru

The 2012 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Basketball Championships brings a lot more than just five days of basketball to the MassMutual Center, it gives the entire economy of Springfield a much needed economic boost.  Not only will thousands come down to the arena to watch one of the nine different sessions throughout the week, but many will call the city home during the week as hotels and restaurants benefit from tournament.

In the end, the city of Springfield will come out a winner, as five days of Division I college basketball and 20 teams bring money and attention to the city.  ESPN will be here to broadcast 10 games on ESPN3, ESPN's internet and mobile-based network.  They will also broadcast the women's final on ESPNU and the men's final on ESPN2, bringing national attention to Springfield.

At any given moment, tens of millions of viewers are tuned into the networks of ESPN, and Springfield will get another chance of exposure, just as it did when ESPN broadcasted the 2012 Spalding Hoophall Classic at Springfield College's Blake Arena in January.  This time, the spotlight goes downtown to the 7,000-plus seat MassMutual Center.

If the tournament gets 18,000 fans to the arena, it will be looked at as a success.  But this is just the first of a 3-year agreement for the tournament, and it is a great opportunity to get the community and the rest of the region introduced to what hopefully will become a long-term home for the MAAC.  If Western Massachusetts does their part, and semi-local colleges like Fairfield, Siena, and Marist show their support, this tournament has a real chance of being a success at the gate, and for the economy.

Support has been shown from the MAAC, as the conference has been marketing this tournament for months.  Earlier MAAC broadcasts this year on ESPNU and ESPN3 have included promos and even directions to get to Springfield.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to more money being pumped into the city.  This tournament is an excellent opportunity for Springfield to take advantage of economic benefits, and attract attention both at the same time.  You can be sure the hotels and restaurants will do their part to represent Springfield well.  But will it work?  And more importantly, will it stay?  That always seems to be the story here in Springfield.

Zach Baru also blogs for Sports Business Boston.  He can be followed on Twitter @zbaru and reached at zachbaru@gmail.com.

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