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Major-college football experienced its largest per-game attendance drop in 34 years and second-largest ever, according to recently released NCAA figures.
Attendance among the 129 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams in 2017 was down an average of 1,409 fans per game from 2016. That marked the largest drop since 1983 when average attendance declined 1,527 fans per game from 1982.This isn’t surprising to me. My wife and I have been season ticket holders at UH for the past three seasons. We only live about 20 miles from the stadium so we don’t have travel issues except for the dreaded Thursday night games. How do people who are driving 150-200 miles deal with having their weekends jacked around by the TV powers? Even in a place like Columbus, where we went to see tOSU a couple of years ago, hotel rooms were sold out months in advance. I can only imagine places like College Station and Klempson. The financial commitment is something we would never have made for a P5 type program with PSL’s and the like when we had young kids. We love being able to scratch our CFB itch by simply buzzing up the freeway for the games. State has been wise to keep Carter-Finley around 57-60k that’s a better long term size as more and more people opt to watch on TV.
Tex makes some excellent comments. Years ago I drove from Spartanburg, SC to Raleigh for game day. These days with the cost of PSLs and tickets and every game on TV I have little reason to drive down from the hills to Raleigh. Yes I enjoy seeing the games and I enjoyed the game day atmosphere but I’m a bit older and less likely to make the trip. Glad some do but not me.
Going to fb games is for young people with more energy and money (?) than foresight. Too many people, drunks, and cavity searches.
“Does the experience and cost outweigh the convenience of watching it at home?”
This is what first ran through my mind. It’s good that people who are paid to care also recognize the basics.
But this surprised me:
“This issue is with lack of involvement of the college students. They no longer view attending sporting events as part of the university experience.”…Student attendance had decreased 7 percent since 2009,
This might be part of the problem:
Despite leading the nation in average attendance each year since 1997, Michigan has had issues recently selling student tickets.
Nothing surpasses a good game day experience but as Va says there are issues. I’m old and am fine watching in my den. At least I can nap when things go the wrong way. To me a huge part is the schools/conferences trying to wring every last drop of money out of the experience then asking for more contributions. That said I have NO desire to fight the game day car traffic any longer with most all games available for broadcast.
One game a year is the perfect solution for old men…
IF it’s the ‘right’ game…
———————————–
I’d want to dig a little deeper into the numbers and the logic and ‘Student Issues’…1. In general…Student populations have grown faster than stadium seats, so, on the face of things, it seems ‘expected’ for student % to drop…
2. The geographical areas from which students come and to which they go after graduation to get jobs has greatly expanded over the years. Again this seems to suggest that a drop in attendance would be ‘expected’ among younger alum…
3. The impact of massive college loans limits the financial ability of many graduates for years after graduation… Again this seems to suggest that a drop in attendance would be ‘expected’ among younger alum…
The clear point here is that none of the above has anything to do with “game day experience”. More importantly, spending money on “game day experience” won’t fix 1 thru 3 above…
We had this conversation last year after football season…
B’rer Roo and I crafted the solution…
1. Free football tickets
2. $25 admission to the parking lots… Lots open at 10am regardless of game time…
3. Live music and Beer for sale in every parking lotOpens up ‘new markets’ and new revenue sources…
——————-btw… B’rer Roo is notHere but Here!
GO PACK!
#NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!The clear point here is that none of the above has anything to do with “game day experience”. More importantly, spending money on “game day experience” won’t fix 1 thru 3 above…
While I was at State, I sat between the 35 and 50 yd line for nearly every FB game. (I still remember that Sections 5 and 12 were on the 50 yd line.) Those seats have been sold and aren’t used by students anymore. So add “shitty seats” to everything else you mentioned.
btw… B’rer Roo is notHere but Here!
Good. I was wondering what happened.
This might be part of the problem:
Despite leading the nation in average attendance each year since 1997, Michigan has had issues recently selling student tickets.
My oldest son paid more for his student season ticket at tOSU ($365) in 2014. year than we did for our season tickets to UH in 2015 ($300/ea). His seats were end zone while ours are lower bowl around the 12. When you start losing the students you’ve got major problems down the road because those are your season ticket holders of the future.
When you charge students to attend an event of their student peers, that is a problem. It’s bad enough that there’s money in student fees, but there are a lot of student fees that make up the college experience. To charge on top of that is just a money grab.
I’m with those that say 1 game a year at most is enough for me in person. It is about the experience, the tailgate, the sun, the sites, conversing with friends, etc.. I wouldn’t want season tickets, and I wouldn’t want to go on the road unless I had other reasons for that trip.
I don’t even watch most games live any more. I am fine with seeing the recorded event in the evening, skipping the commercials, with the ability to turn it off when I lose interest. In the end, I think that this impacts the butts in seats more than anything else. All that TV money and increased TV coverage eventually cuts both ways — in that people aren’t going to show up.
NC State would be wise not to expand CF. We overbuilt with the ESA, and we don’t need to repeat that in football.
I don’t even watch most games live any more. I am fine with seeing the recorded event in the evening, skipping the commercials, with the ability to turn it off when I lose interest. In the end, I think that this impacts the butts in seats more than anything else. All that TV money and increased
Agree with this. With even the smaller non-conference games on ESPN3 it’s just too easy to watch at one’s convenience. I can’t remember the last time I watched a game live (and not just because of the years in Russia). I almost always watch the games later in the evening or the next day without commercials and when it’s most convenient. Going to a game is an all-day event. Nice from time to time but not regularly.
Best nugget in there was that Kenan is being downsized.
This is no surprise to me. Many factors involved. But I’m a dad now and don’t have the time. Can’t tell you how many of us just DVR or watch parts of games on our smartphones when we can. Students, also, have many competing priorities.
The cheats are just taking out the benches and installing chairs w/cup holders to be more comfortable for the fata$$es.
POP!!!!!
(just to quote someone else)
One game a year is the perfect solution for old men…
IF it’s the ‘right’ game…
———————————–
I’d want to dig a little deeper into the numbers and the logic and ‘Student Issues’…1. In general…Student populations have grown faster than stadium seats, so, on the face of things, it seems ‘expected’ for student % to drop…
2. The geographical areas from which students come and to which they go after graduation to get jobs has greatly expanded over the years. Again this seems to suggest that a drop in attendance would be ‘expected’ among younger alum…
3. The impact of massive college loans limits the financial ability of many graduates for years after graduation… Again this seems to suggest that a drop in attendance would be ‘expected’ among younger alum…
The clear point here is that none of the above has anything to do with “game day experience”. More importantly, spending money on “game day experience” won’t fix 1 thru 3 above…
We had this conversation last year after football season…
B’rer Roo and I crafted the solution…
1. Free football tickets
2. $25 admission to the parking lots… Lots open at 10am regardless of game time…
3. Live music and Beer for sale in every parking lotOpens up ‘new markets’ and new revenue sources…
——————-btw… B’rer Roo is notHere but Here!
GO PACK!
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