Fan Experience Committee talks improvement

The West Virginia fan experience committee is designed to take a cross-section of the Mountaineers fan base and brainstorm ways to improve the overall game-day outing in the future.

And the groundwork for that goal was laid Saturday afternoon when the group held their first meeting according to Matt Wells, associate athlete director for marketing and sales.

The group consists of around 25 total people including internal staff members representing the marketing office, cheerleaders and concessions, along with members of the fan base from all levels both in-state and out of state.

The goal of the initial meeting was to identify things both on the positive and negative sides of the current game-day experiences. Topping the list for things that fans are currently satisfied with are the pre-game festivities such as the band's performance and the post-game tradition of signing John Denver's legendary "Country Roads," after victories, Wells said.

However, on the flip side factors identified that need improvement are various attendance issues and the concerns over the connectivity at the stadiums with Wi-Fi and cell services.

"We talked about what else we can do to enhance those areas and talked about the music selection and other ideas to keep fans and students engaged in the game," he said.

The round-table style discussion addressed various other issues during the course of the meeting, with the focus then shifting towards some homework for those in attendance.

"We want everyone to think about one important issue of all the things everybody listed that you really liked and things that need improved," Wells said. "We want to know the important things moving forward and how much commonality there is with the group."

That is expected to open the next meeting which is set for late June and the group is expected to meet quarterly although they will remain in communication through emails and phone calls. Group members also are encouraged to speak with other fans and bring back ideas as well as generate their own as they continue to attend West Virginia sporting events.

"What are some areas we can improve upon to make the experience better from driveway to driveway?" Well said. "What can we do to help you have a better time?"