College Football Attendance Down

Largest single-year drop in 34 years

"Since establishing an all-time high average attendance in 2008 (46,971), FBS attendance has slipped a record 10.1 percent over the last nine years...'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, Wall Street Journal found in 2014."

So overall attendance is down 10.1% since 2008, but student attendance is down 7% since 2009 (roughly the same time period), and the students are getting blamed. Makes sense.

 

Milloonnials.

 

It’s getting too much like the pros, and not only in ticket costs. Too many Bowl games. There are 41 post season games. Most had sparse attendance.

 

this

 

Yep. Ticket prices are just idiotic. I can watch at home in hi def for free.

 

I had mentioned here and to friends that it seemed many of the games on TV during the regular season were not well-attended. It was just an observation, I especially noticed it during aggie games, but that may be because I like to see them having problems. It was more along the lines for me of, "I guess we are not the only ones having this problem", but I was not sure if it was really a national thing or not. I guess it is.

 

At the risk of getting too introspective here, I'm not sure this isn't a bigger trend in culture right now. Movie attendance is in the tank, the NFL attendance was down, baseball attendance was down, not sure about NBA because I don't care. I'd be interested to see if that trend is impacting other live performances. I kind of feel like this is a larger trend of people just being more into themselves, their smart phones, or whatever experience they can have on their own terms in the comfort of their own homes. We're pretty isolated as a society and there are fewer and fewer things that are enough of an "experience" to warrant dealing with all those other people. Our entertainment is a lot more personalized and on-demand now, and attending live sporting events pretty well flies in the face of that.

 

Me thinks you nailed it, Prodigal.
Add to this the fear generated by "Fear Industry" that calls itself the "News Media" and people don't want to be in large groups for fear of getting shot or blown up.

 

What percent of total attendance are the students? 25%? 7% drop in 25% of the total doesn't equate to 10% drop total.

 

I can't even remember what I paid for tickets as a student in the mid-90s.
It must have been minuscule as I had no money but I still went to all of the home games.
What do students have to pay now?

Yep the whole experience has become much more NFL like.
It used to feel more like the team was a product of the university, for the university and their alumni. I am sure it was always the case then, but now its obviously a commodity to be sold to the wider world. It could exist completely independently of the university experience

 

Interesting quote: probably true in essence but I have to think that I cannot see myself as an "Austin Longhorn Fan" in any degree I am an Univ of Tx Longhorn fan. It does grieve me that the sport appears to becoming a minor league tryout league for the NFL to many, but I think there are still those who play because they love the game.
I do think there is a dilution factor because of the excessive bowls, etc. but what I wonder is; what are the stats for those with winning programs? I doubt there is any drop off at those colleges and Universities. Although I have stayed thru thick and thin I have certainly observed the lack of attendance at our home games, most noticeably the students. Win and I can guarantee the attendance will return. Same is true anywhere.

 

Take the post season games (bowls and playoff's) out of the equation, and the number probably goes down.
My grand scheme:
* Every Power 5 and Group of 5 team has to play 9 conference games
* No games against FCS teams
* The bowls need to go away since they are now meaningless
* Expand the playoff's to 8 (each Power 5 conference winner plus 2 Group of 5 and one at large) (if the at large team is a Power 5 team that team has to play their conference champ in the quarter finals)
* 25% of the playoff media rights payments goes to the FCS for distribution as they see fit
* Everyone not in the playoffs gets 15 extra practices between the end of the season and 31 January

 

That's a part of the equation too. The people who are likely not attending as much aren't so much the fans as the casual onlookers, who really don't have vested interest in supporting the team. It's "something to do" - which is probably why it's hitting mostly in the student attendance as well as the postseason bowls.

 

Viper - Since the TV money paid by ABC/ESPN/Disney, FOX, CBS, NBC is what fuels the Conference Shares and CFP what impact would your grand scheme have on what they are willing to pay?
Apperas the reduction in content would results in less TV money.

 

$175 /6 = $29 per home game at DKR

With the new Gen Admin seating the students can all stand by each other with their friends.

 

These kids these days...

 

That's cheaper than when I was at school at U of Washington. My son is forced to pay $250 annually for the Sports pass at Washington State.

 

Limiting supply of product should maintain or increase the fees.

 

Ah, but that includes the Pirate tax.

 

The gameday experience has become pretty miserable over the past few years. There are constant LONG tv timeouts. UT went full on over the top advertising under Steve Patterson.

Last year’s OU game at the Cotton Bowl was so refreshing to not have some advertisement SCREAMING at you during stoppages of play. It reminded me of how college football and UT home games used to be not even that long ago.

The worst are the two characters at home games, the blonde chick and black dude. GO AWAY! Stop trying to sell me something and let the band play.

 

I took my niece who is looking for a school to a game this season. I don't think it left much of an impression on her. She lives in San Antonio and been to a lot of spurs games. Seemed like more of the same to her. T-Shirt cannons. Check. Taco Bell ads. Check. Pop music (drowning out the band) check. Game happening somewhat inconspicuously behind all the noise. Check.

 

THESE^^
I have thought of it more like a couple of Austin Ice Bats or arena league football games. ...Or Mavs games.
I don't like any of it, though I doubt that this aspect of the game experience which we now speak of is a major factor in the aforementioned decline.

 

^^^ Nailed it.

When I first read the Subject of the thread I immediately thought about a general malaise effect of the Internet, social networking, entertainment via a phone or flat screen versus going to the effort to attend events in person, buying $$$ tickets, dealing with crowds, high temperatures, etc. People tend to cocoon more now than they used to - especially on the weekend.

Throw in some millennial attitudes, CPE concerns by some and in the case of some UT fans: that damn obnoxiously loud scoreboard blaring music most don't care for and ads for crap nobody wants. As Sabre stated, shut that thing off and let the Showband of the Southwest play!!!

Just my .02

 

The prices of everything you listed is astronomical these days. I can't take my family of 4 to a movie for less than $75 anymore and usually is upwards of $100 after all of the snacks.....to see a freaking movie. I used to go once or twice a month, but now I see six or seven movies a year. I really have to want to see it.

I also went to every home football game and many away games for 15 straight years, then it just got too expensive costing $500-$600 now to see a game and more if we get food....absolutely f'n ridiculous to watch a football game. I now only see one or two games a year and the average household can't afford to go to one game anymore because that's nearly a mortgage payment for some.

I wonder if HS football attendance is rising. I get my live viewing fix by watching my local HS team play under the Friday night lights the last few years. It costs me $7 to get in and it goes to the kids, not to a mega university trying to stuff their pockets and build $10k lockers.

 

Darn millennials walking around like they rent the place

 

Besides decreased attendance and interest, I fear some unpleasant and undesired changes are coming to the game. The CTE issue with the Pros is slowly trickling down to parents who don't or won't let their boys play football.

I heard a report on the news yesterday that 2-3 states are thinking of banning organized tackle football in public schools until high school. Think Calif. & Washington are a couple of them. Anyone else catch that?

 

I'd be fine with eliminating tackle football in elementary school. I think giving a couple of years in junior high to learn proper technique might prevent injuries.

US soccer banned heading the ball under 11 years old (it's a penalty) and limits practicing headers for 11 and 12 year olds.

 

Yep, I have heard CTE can take hold in young kids and the sooner it starts the worse it is. That and the fact that an 8 year old cannot be expected to understand when they have a brain injury, even if the coaches at that level knew the first thing about it...
Peewee tackle football should probably be a thing of the past.