CFB attendance dropping further

[Herb Street]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...e-in-22-years/


I don't think I am too surprised by this. Students are not particularly motivated to go to games - they can watch them on their phone while snap chatting their friends. No lines. No sunburn.

I attended a couple of UALR basketball games this year and there were practically no students. Yet it is the students who are underwriting the program. The students, through their various fees, are effectively subsidizing a semi-pro sports league for the rest of us to enjoy for a few dollars.

I would be curious to know what the student attendance is at your favorite D2 school. Of course I'll need to take the square root of that to get to the true number ;), but I'm interested to hear.

[SW_Mustang]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...e-in-22-years/


I don't think I am too surprised by this. Students are not particularly motivated to go to games - they can watch them on their phone while snap chatting their friends. No lines. No sunburn.

I attended a couple of UALR basketball games this year and there were practically no students. Yet it is the students who are underwriting the program. The students, through their various fees, are effectively subsidizing a semi-pro sports league for the rest of us to enjoy for a few dollars.

I would be curious to know what the student attendance is at your favorite D2 school. Of course I'll need to take the square root of that to get to the true number ;), but I'm interested to hear.

If only it were as simple as those "darn kids these days"...

The bulk of the issue can be explained simple enough - most students are working weekends. I was generally not allowed to go to games if I had to work. I asked permission once because the game was a biggie, but other than that I had to suck it up and forget about it until after I punched out. Professors also have assignments due on the weekends these days. I could go on-and-on...

We draw okay - seems like a couple hundred students come out to the games in the beginning of the season. Attendance as a whole tapers off due to the temperature dropping. It would be nice if we could get a few more through, but such is life I suppose. There is a small group that travels too, as it seems (at least to the away stadiums that aren't at bonkers distances). Basketball seems to be a bigger draw from what I've observed.

[cwfenn]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

New Haven (NE10) has their attendance all over the place. Big games will draw over 4000 but some games will draw half as much. The playoff game against Slippery Rock last year only drew 1100, but it was the weekend after Thanksgiving and the weather was nasty. They have the top attendance in the NE10.

[Herb Street]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

If only it were as simple as those "darn kids these days"...

The bulk of the issue can be explained simple enough - most students are working weekends.

That's pretty funny stuff right there. I didn't know college-aged kids worked at all these days.

[UNALions]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

That's pretty funny stuff right there. I didn't know college-aged kids worked at all these days.

Seems you're working off some pretty skewed stereotypes, then.

But, to your OP, attendance is down across the board - even in D1. IMO, college sports have become the tail that wags the dog and modern students just aren't interested.

[Herb Street]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

Seems you're working off some pretty skewed stereotypes, then.

But, to your OP, attendance is down across the board - even in D1. IMO, college sports have become the tail that wags the dog and modern students just aren't interested.

My post was in jest. Sort of. There is no question that the 20-somethings generally have an aversion to work. I know a number of parents who's kids are college graduates and content to work 25 hours a week in a coffee shop.

You do kind of have to wonder if and when colleges wake up and realize that their student bodies are subsidizing pro sports and the old folks are the ones sitting in the stands. Maybe they already know that and are OK with it?

[SW_Mustang]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

Seems you're working off some pretty skewed stereotypes, then.

But, to your OP, attendance is down across the board - even in D1. IMO, college sports have become the tail that wags the dog and modern students just aren't interested.

I got to thinking about this actually...

I think a lot of modern students choose to "experience" a game or two over the course of their time in college rather than attend as a fan. In other words, they look at it as a hiking or a canoe trip - do it once to "say" you did it, and then do something else next week. After all, college is just a 4-year vacation for a lot of people.

[SW_Mustang]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

That's pretty funny stuff right there. I didn't know college-aged kids worked at all these days.

You must not know many college-aged kids then.

[SW_Mustang]

Re: CFB attendance dropping further

My post was in jest. Sort of. There is no question that the 20-somethings generally have an aversion to work. I know a number of parents who's kids are college graduates and content to work 25 hours a week in a coffee shop.

You do kind of have to wonder if and when colleges wake up and realize that their student bodies are subsidizing pro sports and the old folks are the ones sitting in the stands. Maybe they already know that and are OK with it?

Sure - but they were raised that way by the older folks.

I blame the "college is the right path for everyone" mindset myself, but you can take your pick of the many questionable parenting practices that essentially created a generation that's borderline inept.

Anyway, a lot of kids out here grow up as Gopher, Hawkeye, Badger, or Bison fans. Those allegiances don't change when they go to Nowhere State University. They tend to continue to support the team they grew up supporting. I didn't know of any SMSU fans in elementary or middle school despite growing up in Southwest Minnesota. That's a factor for small schools, IMO.