Sports Illustrated: Why Is College Football Attendance Tanking?

[neb llarmus]

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My concern with this would be, stadium improvements would result in increased ticket prices. The money would have to come from somewhere.

The capacity at BDS would be significantly reduced if the west stands had to meet current construction codes.

 

[BobintheATL99]

From the article, there are a hurricane of things affecting this:

• Blowout wins/losses
• Lack of interest from otherwise financially burdened student bodies
• Availability of other options to consume the product (satellite TV at tailgates in the parking lot)

From the non-student perspective:

• TV commercials lengthen the experience to a point it’s not practical to attend, especially when you have kids sports, etc...
• Beer is not available
• The stadium experience is not great

TV itself has become a parasite on the product it promotes. The outrageous contracts need to be “fed”, which leads to more commercials and higher fees to the cable providers/consumers... The end consumers then stop showing up because they don’t want to deal with losing a whole day. I don’t see a solution. Reducing stadium size is an option, but may be a slippery slope. I’ve tried to think of this in a “supply and demand” frame of reference, but its a really weird model.

 

[MWBATL]

What is fascinating is the sheer number of bowl games which are ghost towns in the stadiums....yet they must pay off for ESPN because they haven't exactly started to cut back on them.

So, I guess the message is that ESPN don't need no stinking' fans in the stadium.

This is the same mentality that overarms one piece of land until it is useless.

 

[BobintheATL99]

What is fascinating is the sheer number of bowl games which are ghost towns in the stadiums....yet they must pay off for ESPN because they haven't exactly started to cut back on them.

So, I guess the message is that ESPN don't need no stinking' fans in the stadium.

This is the same mentality that overarms one piece of land until it is useless.

It’s cheaper for ESPN to televise a bowl game than studio produce 3-4 hours of on air content. It’s a no brained for them.

 

[MWBATL]

It’s cheaper for ESPN to televise a bowl game than studio produce 3-4 hours of on air content. It’s a no brained for them.

I agree. Which is why we will continue to see them pay tons of money for football rights and manipulate the games to maximize TV revenues....regardless of whether there are tons of empty seats at the stadium.

For me, the uncertainty about kickoff times makes it nearly impossible to plan away game trips...and often home games interfere with previously made social plans when one has to guess at the kickoff times. But...ESPN could care less if I (or we) are there.....$$$$

 

[Milwaukee]

 

[bobongo]

Propoganda.

 

[SteamWhistle]

It’s gonna catch up to ESPN one day with how many people stream their content for free and illegally. I watched the recent UFC fight for free and have watched every ACCN Tech basketball game the same way.

 

[Milwaukee]

It’s gonna catch up to ESPN one day with how many people stream their content for free and illegally. I watched the recent UFC fight for free and have watched every ACCN Tech basketball game the same way.

Piracy was cool when I was a teenager. Now it’s just bush-league. Don’t steal content, whether it be streamed sports or music tracks. Pay for what you consume.

 

[Coloradojacket]

The games just aren't as competitive to me. You can pretty much name the top 8 teams every year thus making it increasingly boring

LOL...it has been this way forever. In the 1970's it was all Alabama, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Penn State, USC, Texas, ND, Nebraska...with Pitt or Georgia every now and then. In the 80's Alabama fell off but Miami rose. In the 90's FSU rose.

 

[SteamWhistle]

Piracy was cool when I was a teenager. Now it’s just bush-league. Don’t steal content, whether it be streamed sports or music tracks. Pay for what you consume.

If Xfinity would just add the ACCN.