Coming to grips with college football’s declining attendance

[Beau Vine 54,940]

This will be pretty much preaching to the choir here based on what I've read over the past few years.

theathletic.com

Quote

Forty years ago, in the fall of 1978, a husband and wife purchased a pair of season tickets for a major college football program. The school in question had expanded its stadium capacity from 61,000 to 77,000. It was, at that moment, the eighth-largest college football stadium in the country. The couple did not have to pay any sort of seat-license fee or join a booster club to purchase tickets, as they would today, and though they cannot remember how much they paid, the face value on tickets at that point was somewhere between $5 and $10.

This year, that couple — who happen to be my mother and father (a Penn State professor, no less) — chose, for the first time since, not to renew their season tickets for Nittany Lions football. They made this decision for a number of reasons, but in large part, it came down to this: It was often easier and more enjoyable not to go to a game than it was to attend.

The stadium capacity has increased from 77,000 (which wouldn’t even land among the top 20 largest of today) to nearly 107,000, and the majority of the seats — at least until planned renovations are completed — are still stiff metal bleachers painted with numbers that are barely spaced wide enough to fit an actual human body.

The start times of games often slingshot between noon and 8 p.m. on the whim of the television networks, and the price of tickets has increased far faster than the rate of inflation. Often, at least two of those early-season games are scheduled against Group of 5 teams that are essentially being paid to serve as glorified scrimmage partners.

All of that made it more of a hassle than it was worth for my parents. And though they might be an exception to the rule at a competitively ascendant program like Penn State, their decision is far from unique: As reported by CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, FBS attendance decreased by an average of 1,409 fans per game last season, the largest drop in 34 years. Attendance fell in every Power 5 conference except the Big Ten (which increased by 76 fans, or .01 percent), and attendance in the SEC, generally viewed as the beating heart of the college football universe, dropped the most, by 3.14 percent. (For more attendance figures from the NCAA, click here.)

There are a million theories as to why this happening, and some of those theories, with the benefit of additional research, will no doubt prove to be valid. And some of those theories will prove to be based on false assumptions. Obviously, winning and losing plays a huge role, particularly at schools that don’t traditionally have football success. But underlying all these potential variables are a couple of quandaries — posed to me by experts in this field — that I had never really pondered:

• What if college football, by nature of having the most consistently intense home-field atmosphere of any major sport, is actually alienating a segment of its potential fan base?
• On top of that, what if college football’s two primary revenue drivers — attendance and television — are inherently structured to work against each other?

Let’s dispel with one stereotype up front: This decrease is not taking place merely because of the inherent laziness of millennials. Yes, student attendance has decreased 9 percent since 2009, but probably not because, as one expert told Dodd, college students “no longer view attending sporting events as part of the college experience.”

It also is not about the lack of consistent Wi-Fi coverage at stadiums. Nels Popp, an assistant professor of sport administration at the University of North Carolina, says that despite colleges’ obsession with improving Wi-Fi, connectivity is the “lowest reliable variable” when it comes to attendance. In other words: People don’t stay home because of lousy Wi-Fi, even if they consider good Wi-Fi to be a bonus when they do show up.

“Our response when we see students aren’t coming tends to be, ‘Let’s throw more shit at them,’ ” says Robert Malekoff, Popp’s colleague in UNC’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science.

In a way, that might be true, but it’s not about literally hurling T-shirts or network passwords in their general direction (it may not be about social media blasts, either, if Popp’s research on the lack of impact of social media on attendance bears out with further study). It’s a more subtle, experiential thing — and it might extend beyond the student body and into older generations, as well.

One example of a potential prototype may exist in Starkville: In 2016, Popp notes, Mississippi State constructed eight luxury cabanas on the terrace of Davis Wade Stadium. The cabanas had televisions, food and shade from the heat. Each cost $18,000 per season and sold out in 48 hours — and it seems relevant to note here that the cabanas don’t have a direct view of the action on the field.

This is an extreme example, but in a way, it comports with the decision my parents made. Now that every game is available on television, the majority of casual fans value comfort and an overarching experience, which is why UCF fans flocked to the beach cabana built at their stadium in 2015.

Sure, I know what you’re thinking, because when I heard this, I thought the same thing: That’s idiotic. Why go to a college football game if you’re not interested in watching football? Isn’t that what sets our game apart from professional sports, where the atmosphere has long been sucked dry of any soul by television, corporate sponsorship and luxury-box culture? Aren’t we proud of the fact that college football is not as casual an experience as, say, minor league baseball? When I was a kid, we used to wait on the overcrowded ramps to get to our seats while mooing like cattle. Isn’t the inherent discomfort of attending a game part of the experience?

But here’s what those of us who grew up as hardcore fans must come to terms with: We’re not the ones who need to be marketed to, because we’re not going anywhere.

“I think it’s an old-school mentality, that if you come to a game you’re going to sit on the edge of your seat,” Popp says. “But this is a six-hour commitment. And I don’t think we can ask them to make the game the only draw. People want a lot of other entertainment options. The mindset of the attendee is changing.”

There will always be a cadre of students who prefer to be crammed in tight, who prefer to paint team colors on their chests, who are too busy shouting to take note of the amenities. But those fans are going to the games, no matter what. It’s the rest of the people who make the difference between sellouts and empty sections. If they’re students, they might want to go if their friends are going or if the game feels more like a social event. If they’re adults, they might want to go if their children feel more welcome or if they have access to more comfortable seating and an experience that can compete with television.

And that brings me to the second quandary, which is that, in a way, college football is competing against its own televised product. “They’re kind of going head-to-head,” Malekoff says. “TV is much more like the game-day experience now. There’s food. There’s a bathroom right there.”

By shifting many kickoff times six to 12 days before the game, television has made it harder for people to plan ahead to attend. People with children may have their Saturdays scheduled around soccer games; older people might not want to drag themselves to an 8 p.m. game, and students might not want to drag themselves out of bed for a noon start against a subpar opponent. People are always going to complain about the cost, but in a way, Popp wonders, the time commitment could matter more than the monetary commitment.

How do schools remedy all of this? First, says Malekoff, we need to find out more about the why. “Don’t just guess why fans don’t come,” he says, “Ask.”

In that same vein, says Popp, don’t merely “crowd-blame” — look inward instead. Given the impact of television, it might be time for the schools to ask what matters more to them: maximizing revenue through television or having a full house? (This is an idea professional sports has largely come to terms with, for better or worse.)

It’s a quandary that will take time and study to resolve, but in the meantime, says Popp, there’s at least one idea that has proved far more positive and far less destructive than administrators thought it would. And it no doubt enjoys near-universal generational acclaim.

“Two words,” Popp says. “Cheap beer.”

 

[RockyMountainHighHorn 896]

Let me know what it says when someone reads it. Thank you 

[bernorange 8,377]

Author missed the impact of ruining the experience with overzealous efforts to monetize everything.  Brought to you by Carl's Junior.

[David Dennison 19,131]

The games are way too long and there's a whole lot of stretches where nothing is happening. 

[The Tower 369]

Quote

Attendance fell in every Power 5 conference except the Big Ten (which increased by 76 fans, or .01 percent), and attendance in the SEC, generally viewed as the beating heart of the college football universe, dropped the most, by 3.14 percent. 

don't tell that to aggy.  

[Hornius Emeritus 12,506]

It is a combination of a million different things, all of which have been mentioned ad nauseum (emphasis on the nausea) on this board, or rather the other board before it was this board.

[elfenix 34,387]

28 minutes ago, RockyMountainHighHorn said:

Let me know what it says when someone reads it. Thank you 

 

cheap beer seems to help attendance.  shifting time slots seems to hurt. 

[Gardner Barnes 1,562]

Going to a UT game is a pain in the fucking ass if you have a family. For the costs of parking to the shitty competition to the heat to the cost of concessions.

We gave up our tickets years ago.

Many of our friends (with kids) that go now are also some of the biggest social
media whores that we know - and I’m convinced they go to just post about it.

[Cairn Horn88 8,441]

Got rid of the family.  No problem going now.

[High Plains Drifter 11,064]

1 hour ago, David Dennison said:

The games are way too long and there's a whole lot of stretches where nothing is happening. 

You can thank instant replay for that.

[In10se 175]

Have gone to more games in last three years than the previous 34 combined thanks to generous in laws but after getting heat exhaustion and nearing heat stroke at the cotton bowl last october I think I just want to watch on tv. The only positive going in person has over tv is the social aspect of tailgating, but you can do that pre game then just go watch it somewhere else.  

[David Dennison 19,131]

16 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

You can thank instant replay for that.

Yep. And TV.

[In10se 175]

3 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Yep. And TV.

Yep and 30 minute halftime. And stopping clock after ever first down. 

[Born Burnt 6,190]

1 hour ago, Gardner Barnes said:

Many of our friends (with kids) that go now are also some of the biggest social
media whores that we know - and I’m convinced they go to just post about it.

I hate your friends.

 

[PatSolitanojr 518]

[Gardner Barnes 1,562]

The only positive going in person has over tv is the social aspect of tailgating, but you can do that pre game then just go watch it somewhere else.  

This is exactly what me and most of my friends with kids do now.

[Chico_SA 521]

He's talking about his older parents who are tired of dealing with the game day.  No surprise.  It happens. 

 

[Tailleur17 361]

Wouldn’t go to a game at DKR if you paid me these days. Much more fun at my house or at a bar.

['stache 21,919]

Let me know what it says when someone reads it. Thank you 

I only read the first three paragraphs. Sounds like Penn State fans who stopped buying tickets for a reason other than the fact that their school covered up child rape for 30 years.

[WhatTheBuck 28,842]

48 minutes ago, In10se said:

The only positive going in person has over tv is the social aspect of tailgating

That and being able to see all the players on the field and getting a better overall view of the game. The best way to watch a game, if you're actually interested in the game and not just using it as an excuse for a social mixer, is to watch it in person. 

[PatSolitanojr 518]

10 minutes ago, Tailleur17 said:

Wouldn’t go to a game at DKR if you paid me these days. Much more fun at my house or at a bar.

If you truly believe this you’re effed in the head. 

[Bevojoe 44]

Good points above. Fan attendance has been falling off the last few years. The student section is pretty vacant. Game day experience is getting too expensive. After 35 years as a season ticket holder, this or maybe next year will be the last. Besides all game are on the tube and my bar is always open. No lines to take a piss either. 

Edited April 7, 2018 by Bevojoe

[PatSolitanojr 518]

12 minutes ago, Bevojoe said:

Good points above. Fan attendance has been falling off the last few years. The student section is pretty vacant. Game day experience is getting too expensive. After 35 years as a season ticket holder, this or maybe next year will be the last. Besides all game are on the tube and my bar is always open. No lines to take a piss either. 

Good lord, is this the state of Longhorn fandom? 

"Fan attendance has been falling off the last few years." I wonder why. Maybe it has something to do with the worst years in UT football history?

"The student section is pretty vacant." See above. 

"I've been a donor for 35 years but now it's too expensive." You are grandfathered in. The only thing that's changed is you can actually buy beer where the normal folks sit. 

This year will not be the last. We are going to make a great run this year. Bet on it. I guarantee you everyone on this board will be snatching up all the tickets they can get. 

"Besides all games are on the tube.." And what games do you care about besides Longhorn games? Record anything that interests you, also the UT games. See above. 

"No lines to take a piss either." Piss your pants because I guarantee you I'll be doing the same when we stomp USC at home. 

Is this really the absolute state of shaggy/surlyhorns? Go to the damn game. There is nothing like the experience. The live band, the hype, the other side of the stadium screaming "Fight" after you scream "Texas." Even during the dark years, the only time I was almost as pumped as winning the natty was beating ND at home. I was there when they pushed our shit in at South Bend. That dark age is over. Get ready. That win won't even compare to whats coming. Everyone likes to feel sorry for themselves and scream "woe is me" when we're down. Fan attendance doesn't mean jack shit when we're losing. Horn the fuck up and get your ass in the stands. You know you want too. Don't regret on seeing the berth of a new era. 

 

[Hook1997 5,434]

57 minutes ago, Tailleur17 said:

Wouldn’t go to a game at DKR if you paid me these days. Much more fun at my house or at a bar.

That’s a bit of crazy talk...   Yes it’s convenient to watch at home or the bar, but you don’t have close to the same energy or feeling of being in the stadium and watching it live.  Once we start winning again that will even be better and now you can have beer at the stadium too.

[Dbeasy 15,241]

Many variables but the biggest without question is price elasticity. That’s why attendance has declined slightly. They can charge a whole lot more but lose only a small percentage of buyers. 

[Tex Pete 21,033]

28 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Many variables but the biggest without question is price elasticity. That’s why attendance has declined slightly. They can charge a whole lot more but lose only a small percentage of buyers. 

Well, Texas made a huge mistake that coincided with our on field fall-off.

Throughout the '00s, we were winning games and the stadium was full. Those of us who had been longtime season ticket holders only had to pay for our tickets; a donation to the Longhorn Foundation was optional.

If a person wanted to become a new season ticket holder, that person could get the best available seats for no donation (maybe top of the upper deck or endzone) or make a donation to "compete" for the best available seats in the stadium (yard lines).

I am sure the change in policy had been discussed in Bellmont for a long time, but it was implemented by Steve Patterson in Charlie's first season, IIRC. Well, for one thing, we had been sucking for a while, so demand was already soft. The donation thing was just too much for some people. It made the cost of getting tickets more expensive, and it couldn't be reasonably justified. 

Personally, I was pissed off about the whole thing so I dragged my feet renewing and i accidentally missed the deadline. When I realized it and called in, they passed me to a rep for new season ticket sales, despite the fact that I had been a season ticket holder for 15 years, AND that no one had purchased my seats. I told them to fuck off, that those seats weren't worth what I had been paying, much less what they wanted me to pay with the donation added on. 

After sitting out that season, I have renewed, but it still rubs me the wrong way. No one refunded me any money when I was overpaying for shit seasons. I'm not sure how many more years I'll be purchasing tix because it's an all day ordeal to go to games and the value just hasn't been there.

Hell, just back in The mid-90s, we were decent and all seats to all games were $20. Lately, we have been much worse than we were then and tickets have been much more expensive, even adjusted for inflation. They need to get the shit straight. Required donations for all seats is fucking stupid. 

[Tex Pete 21,033]

tldr: fuck off

[kopp0e 1,135]

2 hours ago, Hook1997 said:

That’s a bit of crazy talk...   Yes it’s convenient to watch at home or the bar, but you don’t have close to the same energy or feeling of being in the stadium and watching it live.  Once we start winning again that will even be better and now you can have beer at the stadium too.

An example of how to #MakeCollegeFootballGreatAgain, would for one, put an end to conference realignment; and second, re-establish some (if not most of the old collegiate football rivalries, and attempt as best possible to keep the remaining (in all sports) within the realm of in-conference contest, as the Red River Showdown..!

The monetization of the sport has out-priced the average blue collar family man, in affording the luxury of attaining season tickets for means as recreation for a couple, let alone the average family of 4... In the future, it looks that we might wind up in an economy that makes it easier to watch collegiate sports in virtual reality, while on the go...

Everyday activities as out of location for schooling/ working/ hiking/ fishing/ camping & hunting, as long as there is a signal within range by via cell tower, a participant could enjoy the sporting event nearly the same as if watching from one's own living room... Will it eventually lead to a reduction of viewership for standard at home television..? That's debatable, as some already point to the trend of slumping revenues for broadcast giants as ESPN & FS1... Could the entry into the field by tech giants as Amazon & Google lead to a farther drop in not only broadcast viewership, but also a reduction in attendance at stadiums..? That's something the power conferences need to put on the front burner in solving now, by increasing old rivalries/ keeping many regional rivalries while being conducive to maximize leverage of branding for the schools within the conference...

West Virginia - Pitt/ Texas - Arkansas/ Oklahoma - Nebraska/ Notre Dame - Michigan/ Miami - Florida, are some of the games that should be regained, while de-emphasizing the need for multiple "tv timeouts" & corperate branding all over every part of the average stadium that is not inside a port-a-potty... 

But that is the reality we live in now, most states suffer massive budget cuts, & revenues must be made up from somewhere...

  

 

[AUinHsv 580]

7 hours ago, bernorange said:

Author missed the impact of ruining the experience with overzealous efforts to monetize everything.  Brought to you by Carl's Junior.

Exactly - Adzillatron says hi....

[Parliament 14,392]

Programs have figured out the "sweet spot" in the price v attendance relationship and think they have it all figured out.  They're content to sit there.

Edited April 7, 2018 by Parliament

[tonedeaf 56]

9 hours ago, The Tower said:

don't tell that to aggy.  

They are doing their part.  All their games are sold out.  Just ask any of them....they will tell you.

[Laga4 1,270]

Make all TV's black & white with 24" screens and more people will go to the games. 

[tbone_ 14,296]

Make all TV's black & white with 24" screens and more people will go to the games. 

And televise maybe 3 games a year.

[trza-hawk 269]

There are a lot of fans who have never gone to a game in their lives, or maybe once every few years or something. Some people just don't have the cash, or the time to spare for a hours long road trip and back and hotels and food add up. But a huge portion of the fan base just wants to spend their money on something else.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,688]

It's just too damn expensive for most people to justify.

Edited April 7, 2018 by Bozo_Casanova

[EastTexan 662]

13 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

This will be pretty much preaching to the choir here based on what I've read over the past few years.

theathletic.com

 

 

Stopped reading when got to pedo state part.

[Telegraph_it 3,374]

It's just too damn expensive for most people to justify.

Basically this. I’m no poor but there are other things I’d rather spend my money on. Like traveling around the world for example.

Now if someone wants to give my tickets I’ll be there.

[Sleepygrad 1,029]

I love going to games, but I'm gonna save my money and effort for big games. I'm not gonna spend the time and money required for a weekend trip to austin for Texas v Kansas. I just have better shit to do these days.

I will, however, do what is necessary for Texas v USC

[In10se 175]

3 hours ago, Laga4 said:

Make all TV's black & white with 24" screens and more people will go to the games. 

That's the rub. The colleges make a lot more from tv rights than they can from getting a few more people in the stadium so they made their choice. 

[mdleast 8,393]

Other than special circumstances like Texas-OU every year and traveling out to the USC game last season (or whatever is similarly a unique/attractive OOC game), for me personally watching a game down in Austin (I’m here in Dallas) means potentially missing out on watching other good CFB games immediately before and after (& even during commercials). I love my Fall Saturday afternoons and nights when I can gorge on CFB. I typically smoke some BBQ, have the games on a TV in my backyard and switch over to watching them on a projector in our backyard when it gets dark. The experience of going to a game in person (other than maybe once a season down and in part to also have an excuse to be in Austin for the weekend) doesn’t outweigh what I’m missing in my normal Fall Saturday night routine. Hopefully CDC will help turn around the fan experience at DKR to make it more attractive to attend in person.

[Yesh 932]

TV timeouts breakup the action way too much

[Sbbruin 21,925]

The biggest single issue causing me to question my season tix is not price and required donations, but the start times.  Not knowing when kickoff is going to be until 6days beforehand really restricts your ability to plan big tailgates because half the people you expect bail out due to conflicts.  And then you find out kickoff is 7or even 8 pm.  No game should kick off after 6 pm, ever.  And I live close to the stadium. Friends who live in the South Bay won’t go to a night game, and that’s a big contingent of our tailgating.  So no real tailgating only happens maybe two or three times per season.  

[Doc Sam Beckett 5,808]

1 hour ago, mdleast said:

Other than special circumstances like Texas-OU every year and traveling out to the USC game last season (or whatever is similarly a unique/attractive OOC game), for me personally watching a game down in Austin (I’m here in Dallas) means potentially missing out on watching other good CFB games immediately before and after (& even during commercials). I love my Fall Saturday afternoons and nights when I can gorge on CFB. I typically smoke some BBQ, have the games on a TV in my backyard and switch over to watching them on a projector in our backyard when it gets dark. The experience of going to a game in person (other than maybe once a season down and in part to also have an excuse to be in Austin for the weekend) doesn’t outweigh what I’m missing in my normal Fall Saturday night routine. Hopefully CDC will help turn around the fan experience at DKR to make it more attractive to attend in person.

Do you need a friend to enjoy these Saturdays with? 

[Llano Estacado 1,257]

And televise maybe 3 games a year.

I’ve been saying it since they announced LHN was official.

They should do a limited commercial telecast from 2-3 big time sponsors. “Kansas at Texas brought to you with limited commercial interruption by SWA and HEB.” No tv timeouts just on the qtr and throw some logos up on the broadcast under the box score / ticker.

Fans in the stands would appreciate the 3hr game, old school feel, and fewer adzillitron breaks. Fans at home would definitely appreciate only being subject to 4-5 repeat ads instead of every 3 mins of repeats.

[Rip76 4,987]

Just fucking win.

Then they will show.

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

I’m not sure declining attendance is a bad thing.  I know this is very pollyanna, but I just think it’s been too commoditized and made into a hyped-up, national league where people who have never set foot on campus have favorite teams and root for schools they know nothing about. I don’t like the playoff for that reason- it helps make the sport into an alternative NFL.   I don’t like that those loser sports radio “Bald Asshole with Eastern Seaboard Accent who wears NBA jerseys” shows discuss college sports just like pro sports. I don’t like that people watch some 17-year old’s hat selection press conference. I don’t like not even being able to lie to myself that the superstar kids are there even partially for an education. 

FWIW, basketball is just so much worse.  

I’d be completely fine with a college football and basketball landscape like baseball, where if you really don’t want to do anything but try out and train for the pros, you go to the minor leagues and skip college.   I know that the CWS winner typically wouldn’t beat a good AA club, but that’s OK.

I’d also be fine siting with 70-80,000 people who feel connected to the game rather than 110,000 people who have corporate tickets, are entertaining clients, and are treating it like the hospitality tent at the Byron Nelson.

 

[GreenspointTexas 9,880]

Who the fuck travels to Austin/the stadium area just to tailgate and not go to the game?

 

1) The ticket prices arent too expensive if you dont have to pay the tied-in donation amount.

 

2) Attendance numbers will continue to decrease, as most people in society have technology and access to most game(s) and dont wanna hassle with parking, lines, etc. Its just easier for most people

 

3) Like others have said, this topic has been beaten to death already multiple times... its a combination of things causing this. And its only going to get worse

 

 

That being said, I find it hilarious that people dont go to the games, yet post on here. Its not hard to go to the games. Its not expensive. Parking is rather easy. Its never really that hot... at least not hot enough to ever say “man its too hot outside, i cant go now.” Yes, the atmosphere is worse than it was in the past... but its still light years better than watching it at home on the couch. 

 

Its funny that some of yall call yourselves Texas fans. Maybe casual fans, sure. But come the fuck on. Park in north campus for free. Walk 0.4 miles to the game. Grab an Axis. Grab a fletchers. Walk to your seat and enjoy football. 

 

Nah wait... thats too hard

 

 

[Red Five 41,090]

It’s all of these things. Ads, shitty gameday atmosphere, Godzillatron, Bob Cole, idiots in the stands, ugly field, OSU orange, replay, ticket prices, shitty Texas teams.

Versus the comfort of your home and your big tv and cheap food and beer. It’s not a tough decision.

[Bullneck 19,320]

15 hours ago, Tailleur17 said:

Wouldn’t go to a game at DKR if you paid me these days. Much more fun at my house or at a bar.

^^ New lease on life, eh?

[Tex Pete 21,033]

I will also say that adding the cost of donations to the tix meant many people just decided to skip buying at all.

And many people figure they'll just go to the games they want to go to. So, the AD has lots of unsold seats for most games and has to sell tickets for the other games for less than they're selling them to season ticket holders, devaluing season ticket holders' investments.

The result is that a lot of people have just said fuck it.