College Game Attendance is Dropping...

[jizzrag85]

You are such a ****ing millennial.

Nope. I didn’t get married until 33 and I’ve seen the chaos, I want to live my life. I used to want kids but my family already has 9 nieces and nephews, I’m good.

 

[Darth Snow]

Nope. I didn’t get married until 33 and I’ve seen the chaos, I want to live my life. I used to want kids but my family already has 9 nieces and nephews, I’m good.

Avoiding responsibility and commitment. Lazy. Not focused on family. Just wants to travel and inundate their friends with sweet instagram pics. Yea, pretty stereotypical.

 

[Bread]

Can’t tell if Snow is tossing out sarcasm or not..

 

[WarBuff]

Can’t tell if Snow is tossing out sarcasm or not..

I believe that’s just the way he rolls.

 

[Darth Snow]

I believe that’s just the way he rolls.

 

[jizzrag85]

Avoiding responsibility and commitment. Lazy. Not focused on family. Just wants to travel and inundate their friends with sweet instagram pics. Yea, pretty stereotypical.

Follow me on Instagram @go****yourself

 

[Darth Snow]

Follow me on Instagram @go****yourself

Don't be mad that you got busted. Also, as a leading millennial cause I'm one of the oldest ones, It always amuses me when millenials claim they aren't millennials. it's a leading indicator that someone is, actually, a millennial. Plus, you show all the other traits. .


(psst, anyone born in the last 20 years isn't a millennial....)

 

[jizzrag85]

Don't be mad that you got busted. Also, as a leading millennial cause I'm one of the oldest ones, It always amuses me when millenials claim they aren't millennials. it's a leading indicator that someone is, actually, a millennial. Plus, you show all the other traits. .


(psst, anyone born in the last 20 years isn't a millennial....)

Huh. Okay!

 

[Deleted member 807]

Maybe a bubble?

Some negative trends
- attendance down
- TV viewership - flat
- uncertainty about long term linear TV viability vs emergence of new media (OTT) and potential new media players (FAANG)
- commercials - too many
- ticket price increase and security hassle
- CTE, sexual assault
- college player fair labor/pay debate
- debt from facilities arms race
- Refs and rule changes transforming (neutering) game
- Imbalance between top 12 blue bloods, several dozen middling P5 who theoretically could win mNC, and 60+ programs who can’t win mNC even with perfect season
- home theater experience a viable substitute for game attendance
- changing preferences for discretionary screen time (video games, Netflix, YouTube, etc)

Positive - football is a cornerstone of America tradition and culture

 

[Agent Dave Kujan]

Maybe a bubble?

Some negative trends
- attendance down
- TV viewership - flat
- uncertainty about long term linear TV viability vs emergence of new media (OTT) and potential new media players (FAANG)
- commercials - too many
- ticket price increase and security hassle
- CTE, sexual assault
- college player fair labor/pay debate
- debt from facilities arms race
- Refs and rule changes transforming (neutering) game
- Imbalance between top 12 blue bloods, several dozen middling P5 who theoretically could win mNC, and 60+ programs who can’t win mNC even with perfect season
- home theater experience a viable substitute for game attendance
- changing preferences for discretionary screen time (video games, Netflix, YouTube, etc)

Positive - football is a cornerstone of America tradition and culture

All of this is true. The imbalance scares me the worst. Neither semifinal game was really competitive. Much of the SEC seems to be in their own league. It is not good for the future of the game.

 

[skibum]

It's really weird to me that there is such reluctance to reduce prices, even when it should be an obvious move.

FedEx field seats about 85,000. Rather than reduce prices, they tarp over almost half the seats. This isn't too unusual at more than a few stadiums.

When whole tiers of the stadium are empty, why not sell tickets in them for $10? Get a family of 4 all in, including hot dogs and soda, for under $80 - and you might start building some new fans.

I understand that you can't "undercut" your season ticket holders with ridiculous walk up ticket prices (this was one of Bohn's mistakes), but I'm sure you could come up with some pricing strategies that would work for everyone.

Hell, hire a consultant and tell them to come up with a pricing strategy that will sell the most seats without reducing ticket revenue (or even accept some reduction in ticket revenue if increased concessions make up the difference).

Once your season attendence is in the 85-90% range, then think about trying to make a little bit more money - but keep an eye on that attendence, and understand that you're going to make a little less mind today in order to ensure that you continue to make money tomorrow...

 

[Highlander]

I read an article a full on 20 years ago that projected a future where they literally pay fans to show up to games to create the right game day atmosphere for those at home watching the game on TV with better views and insight into the intricacies of the outcome.

I scoffed at the article at the time, but never forgot it.

Future truth?

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

I read an article a full on 20 years ago that projected a future where they literally pay fans to show up to games to create the right game day atmosphere for those at home watching the game on TV with better views and insight into the intricacies of the outcome.

I scoffed at the article at the time, but never forgot it.

Future truth?

Paying fans to come is probably a little far fetched, but I could definitely see a tipping point and “attendance crisis”, with even the really good teams, and they are forced to substantially lower ticket prices to the point where fans will start coming again. Even if that meant selling 50 yard line seats for $40/each, enough people will always come to games. The only way they’d have to pay fans is if humans completely lost interest in the sport itself.

 

[skibum]

Random "when I was a kid" story: I was about 12 or 13, and spent some of my summer doing yard work for a few different people. I might have worked about 10 hours a week, maybe 15 hours once or twice.

I decided use half the money I made to buy 2 season tickets for air force so my dad and I could go to all the games (he ended up buying 4 and then made me put my money in a savings account).

But think about how much those tickets must have cost where a 12 year old kid "working" part time over the summer could afford them...

 

[MtnBuff]

It's really weird to me that there is such reluctance to reduce prices, even when it should be an obvious move.

FedEx field seats about 85,000. Rather than reduce prices, they tarp over almost half the seats. This isn't too unusual at more than a few stadiums.

When whole tiers of the stadium are empty, why not sell tickets in them for $10? Get a family of 4 all in, including hot dogs and soda, for under $80 - and you might start building some new fans.

I understand that you can't "undercut" your season ticket holders with ridiculous walk up ticket prices (this was one of Bohn's mistakes), but I'm sure you could come up with some pricing strategies that would work for everyone.

Hell, hire a consultant and tell them to come up with a pricing strategy that will sell the most seats without reducing ticket revenue (or even accept some reduction in ticket revenue if increased concessions make up the difference).

Once your season attendence is in the 85-90% range, then think about trying to make a little bit more money - but keep an eye on that attendence, and understand that you're going to make a little less mind today in order to ensure that you continue to make money tomorrow...

What you are saying makes sense but the numbers don't work out.

The biggest impact of selling a bunch of cheap seats is that you devalue the expensive ones. The guy who is paying an average of $150 per seat per game in a premium section doesn't mind someone up behind him getting in for $25 but when it gets to what he sees as basically free, say $10-15 dollars then he resents it and is likely not to renew the following year. He wants there to be some measure of exclusivity to going to the game.

Then factor in the additional marketing cost and other associated cost and there is a real question to the benefit of selling cheap.

What does make sense is pushing for maximum numbers for a limited number of games. This leaves the value in place for the higher revenue purchaser while introducing more people to the game experience.

What you can't do is give the potential buyers the idea that there is no benefit to buying season tickets because the can "always" get cheap seats when they want them.

 

[Bliff Cranch]

Irreversible trends happening - health and safety, demographics, economics, lots of diversions for kids. Gonna be a long, slow decline but we’re witnessing the beginning of the end, Twenty five years from now the game will be a regional sport. A bit like what lacrosse was twenty years ago.

 

[MtnBuff]

Random "when I was a kid" story: I was about 12 or 13, and spent some of my summer doing yard work for a few different people. I might have worked about 10 hours a week, maybe 15 hours once or twice.

I decided use half the money I made to buy 2 season tickets for air force so my dad and I could go to all the games (he ended up buying 4 and then made me put my money in a savings account).

But think about how much those tickets must have cost where a 12 year old kid "working" part time over the summer could afford them...

A smart strategy way back in the day of Denver Bears minor league baseball was they would sell kids a general admission pass for the entire summer for $5. In those days that was enough that we wanted to get value and use it but cheap enough to make it a bargain. What it did though was have us spending all summer convincing our dads to take a bunch of us to the game, and of course they had to pay regular price.

 

[The Alabaster Yak]

Irreversible trends happening - health and safety, demographics, economics, lots of diversions for kids. Gonna be a long, slow decline but we’re witnessing the beginning of the end, Twenty five years from now the game will be a regional sport. A bit like what lacrosse was twenty years ago.

I could see it being like baseball is now. Still something people watch, but you don’t watch or really pay attention to it nationally, more just your own team on TV and every so often a National game. You’ll have the option of purchasing a national package like you do now, it won’t be standard. I don’t know how lacrosse was 20 years ago.

 

[Bliff Cranch]

I could see it being like baseball is now. Still something people watch, but you don’t watch or really pay attention to it nationally, more just your own team on TV and every so often a National game. You’ll have the option of purchasing a national package like you do now, it won’t be standard. I don’t know how lacrosse was 20 years ago.

Lacrosse was played regionally twenty years ago. Maybe thirty years ago. Time flies.

 

[skibum]

The guy who is paying an average of $150 per seat per game in a premium section doesn't mind someone up behind him getting in for $25 but when it gets to what he sees as basically free, say $10-15 dollars then he resents it and is likely not to renew the following year.

What is the "magic" price at which the guy paying $150 becomes offended?
$17.07?
$22.36?

That's a pretty ridiculous assertion. Seriously, you're better than that. He might be bothered if the guy right behind him is paying $10, but the guy on Concourse C, 110 feet up and back from him? Won't bother him at all. Probably the opposite: he'll think it's great that they come to the game and make the stadium loud, fun and exciting.

Now, if the $10 ticket holder sneaks into his section, or overruns the concessions, that's a different story...

As to the not letting season ticket holders think they can "always" get cheap seats - guess what?

They already can.

If games aren't regularly sold out, you can pretty much always buy single game tickets for less. The value proposition for season tickets is
A. Better seats for the same money (this is arguably what Bohn ****ed up the most)
B. The same seats every game (yeah, that's actually worth a premium).

It's only when there are all sell outs that C comes into play :
C. Guaranteed seats at a reasonable price.

 

[Zapata]

The first 2 minutes of this video, provides a rich but educational perspective of the millennial living next door. Perhaps, this clip will help the non-millennials on the board gain some understanding so we can all move on.
.

 

[ScottyBuff]

What you are saying makes sense but the numbers don't work out.

The biggest impact of selling a bunch of cheap seats is that you devalue the expensive ones. The guy who is paying an average of $150 per seat per game in a premium section doesn't mind someone up behind him getting in for $25 but when it gets to what he sees as basically free, say $10-15 dollars then he resents it and is likely not to renew the following year. He wants there to be some measure of exclusivity to going to the game.

Then factor in the additional marketing cost and other associated cost and there is a real question to the benefit of selling cheap.

What does make sense is pushing for maximum numbers for a limited number of games. This leaves the value in place for the higher revenue purchaser while introducing more people to the game experience.

What you can't do is give the potential buyers the idea that there is no benefit to buying season tickets because the can "always" get cheap seats when they want them.

Pretty sure the Carolina Hurricanes tried this in hockey a few years back and it bombed to nearly epic proportions. New owner bought the team and immediately reversed course and started trying to build back only with loyal PAYING customers and they have started to return to competitiveness both at the gate and on the ice.

 

[ScottyBuff]

Maybe a bubble?

Some negative trends
- attendance down
- TV viewership - flat
- uncertainty about long term linear TV viability vs emergence of new media (OTT) and potential new media players (FAANG)
- commercials - too many
- ticket price increase and security hassle
- CTE, sexual assault
- college player fair labor/pay debate
- debt from facilities arms race
- Refs and rule changes transforming (neutering) game
- Imbalance between top 12 blue bloods, several dozen middling P5 who theoretically could win mNC, and 60+ programs who can’t win mNC even with perfect season
- home theater experience a viable substitute for game attendance
- changing preferences for discretionary screen time (video games, Netflix, YouTube, etc)

Positive - football is a cornerstone of America tradition and culture

I also wonder if there is a growing fear in America of being in large crowds due to so many active shooter situations.

 

[lvbuff]

I quit watching NFL in 1982. Figured I could follow a Wells Fargo logo as well as an NFL Franchise. I used to be able to name the players on the Cowboys Redskins Giants, Cards and Eagles. Never could sit through a baseball game past 3rd inning except for Cubs out field bleachers one time. College football games were fun at CU when I was a student as I usually guarded the Keg. I have been to a few CFB games in last 20 years but hate the hassle. TV is better anyway.

 

[ScottyBuff]

I quit watching NFL in 1982. Figured I could follow a Wells Fargo logo as well as an NFL Franchise. I used to be able to name the players on the Cowboys Redskins Giants, Cards and Eagles. Never could sit through a baseball game past 3rd inning except for Cubs out field bleachers one time. College football games were fun at CU when I was a student as I usually guarded the Keg. I have been to a few CFB games in last 20 years but hate the hassle. TV is better anyway.

Curious to know: in all honesty: how much of your in-home TV enjoyment would be diminished if the stadium were half empty?

 

[skibum]

I quit watching NFL in 1982. Figured I could follow a Wells Fargo logo as well as an NFL Franchise. I used to be able to name the players on the Cowboys Redskins Giants, Cards and Eagles. Never could sit through a baseball game past 3rd inning except for Cubs out field bleachers one time. College football games were fun at CU when I was a student as I usually guarded the Keg. I have been to a few CFB games in last 20 years but hate the hassle. TV is better anyway.

 

[Bliff Cranch]

I could see it being like baseball is now. Still something people watch, but you don’t watch or really pay attention to it nationally, more just your own team on TV and every so often a National game. You’ll have the option of purchasing a national package like you do now, it won’t be standard. I don’t know how lacrosse was 20 years ago.

I can also see another, disturbing future where the game is played by bots instead of humans. I hope I don’t live to see it.

 

[ScottyBuff]

I can also see another, disturbing future where the game is played by bots instead of humans. I hope I don’t live to see it.

So you're saying the Pac-12's secret weapon is to recruit Caltech now before they establish their supremacy in the future sport?

 

[StormTrooper]

I don't want to freak you all out too much, but most college kids aren't millennials anymore. They're Generation Z.

 

[Bliff Cranch]

So you're saying the Pac-12's secret weapon is to recruit Caltech now before they establish their supremacy in the future sport?

2050 AP Top Ten:
1. CalTech
2. MIT
3. USMA
4. USNA
5. USAFA
6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
7. Vanderbilt
8. Northwestern
9. Duke
10. Stanford