Spruced-up arena helps head count

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders are crushing their attendance from last season.

OK, crushing is an exaggeration. A big one.

The Riders go into their regular-season finale tonight against Fargo averaging 2,582 fans per game at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. Last season's attendance average was 2,581.

No lie.

“We are going in the right direction,” said RoughRiders President and CEO Jeff Jauch.

Let's explain what Jauch means. The RoughRiders got off to a slow start, averaging fewer than 2,000 fans the first half of the season. Since Christmas, however, Jauch has watched crowds pick up significantly.

In 13 games since Jan. 16, the Riders are averaging 3,217 fans, including a season-high 4,325 two weeks ago against Waterloo.

“I think it's been great (lately),” said Mark Carlson, the team's coach, general manager and part owner. “The front office, everyone is doing a great job. I think people are really excited about all the improvements that have been made here at the arena. I'm a hockey coach, and I love the hockey, obviously. But it's more than hockey. There are so many things going on the video screens. The entertainment. It's a great night out.”

First-year ownership group Newco Riders LLC made about $500,000 in arena improvements last summer, things like painting the interior green and black, installing Gobo lights and four video screens, and hiring Metro Studios for a high-tech, spruced-up game experience. Jauch theorizes it took a while for word-of-mouth to spread.

He said it helps the RoughRiders have another successful team headed to the USHL playoffs a ninth consecutive season.

“I think it's a combination of things,” Jauch said. “The show has a lot to do with it. People that come to the games, the feedback I'm getting is that they like what they see. It's entertaining, it's fun, it's a good atmosphere to be in. So I think that has a lot to do with it.

“Once people get here and realize how fun it is, they are coming back. And they're telling their friends. Our biggest group of salesmen out there are people who are telling their friends that it's fun to go to RoughRiders games.”

Jauch warned that the organization needs to keep working.

“Am I 100-percent pleased? I'm encouraged, but we need to do better,” he said. “(Attendance) has drastically improved from the beginning of the season, which is nice to see.

“But we want those seats filled every single game. We won't rest until that happens. It's all about giving people value.”