Different Topic on In Stadium attendance

[Pudge]

http://www.capitalgazette.com/opinion/columns/ph-ac-ce-slear-column-1109-20151109-story.html

Writer that covers Navy football makes the point that the commercialization of games drives people to either not attend or leave early.

Games are now 3 and 1/2 hours and they used to be an hour shorter. He points to the Navy AD Gladchuk complaining about people leaving at halftime. And further, the ease of recording the telecast & watching it - commercial free - at home.

My take?

College Football is a commitment. Likely most of a Saturday. My attendance has always been that. As a Grad Student (and this is why listening to folks complaining about Rentschler seems wild to me), I had season tickets to UCLA. For most Southern Californians, the Rose Bowl was a hike. For me, at least 45 minutes of driving (and as always, waiting in traffic). Get there hours for the game. Picnic & Tailgate & Drink. And, never rushing home. Parking lot took seemingly hours to clear. That was a full day - say 10-12 hours.

What I think the writer points out ... We all rush through our lives. We complain about those extra 20 minutes. We do scoot out of that game, regardless of score or competition, for God knows what. Like we have 8 better things to do on a Saturday. And we are very reliant on the recorded game to watch later.

Enjoy your fandom. Don't fit in a few hours. Create your own community of friends at the game & really think of your priorities. I can't think whatever you are rushing to is all that important. Second, they are bitching at Navy for the same kinds of thing we see here on the Boneyard. I'm not sure it's easy to change collective behavior. I wish people stayed for the entire game. Third, isn't there better ways to stack all those TV commercials?

Like the writer, my MOST vivid CFB memory is that Notre Dame v Michigan State 10-10 tie. Watching with my Dad & entralled with Bubba Smith. I think we need to squeeze all the CFB enjoyment we can out of our UConn thing. And bring others.

 

[whaler11]

There are a lot of people who don't want to commit an entire Saturday to going to mid-tier college football games.

Doesn't seem that unreasonable to me.

During the East Carolina game there was a replay review that was so long I forgot what they were reviewing.

When the game has a good pace they completely let the air of it catching up on the commercial inventory.

I would say I'm a pretty big fan of the basketball program - but it's not like I'm dealing with going to Gampel to sit through a blowout tonight.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

For many people those 8 other things involve their kids.

They will always come first.

 

[noeynox]

We have way too many in game promotions. I get they help pay the bills, and I don't leave early anyways, but have heard plenty of visiting fans express grumble at how much of that stuff we do. Vividly I remember sitting near some older Towson alums during that unforgetable game. Maybe those guys were just used to FCS ball where there is probably a lot less of that stuff.

I agree with the writer, some of that stuff is just silly. Human zip line has to be one of the worst ideas ever. I'd love to make CFB an all day affair and once upon a time it was for me. Now a days, with kids activities, I'm just happy I can make most games. My son turns 6 today, if we had a game tomorrow I would miss it because of his party. Priorities change depending of wherer you are in your life.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I can see both points. I enjoy going to UConn football games; but, the game can be long and its a +2 hour drive each way for me from north Jersey and I basically have to eat a day. A day that I sometimes cannot afford, especially in the fall when I have 2x soccer teams to coach, house chores to get done that can't be done during the week as I work 10 hour days and I close to a 2 hour commute each way, and other obligations. Thus, I do my best.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

We have way too many in game promotions. I get they help pay the bills, and I don't leave early anyways, but have heard plenty of visiting fans express grumble at how much of that stuff we do. Vividly I remember sitting near some older Towson alums during that unforgetable game. Maybe those guys were just used to FCS ball where there is probably a lot less of that stuff.

I feel like I see this stuff everywhere. They certainly had just as many lame promotions at the Tulane game last week.

 

[junglehusky]

Guessing that in the midwest and south, tradition and what marketers would call "brand penetration" means making that all day commitment is just entrenched as a way of life. We have seen articles on ADs at those places and they have their own challenges with current students needing more incentives and encouragement to attend. But their alumni and local fanbase live the culture of Saturdays=football, I don't know if UConn will ever get there... I'll be happy if the Rent sells out again and more than 75% of the people are in their seats at kickoff.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I feel like I see this stuff everywhere. They certainly had just as many lame promotions at the Tulane game last week.

Exactly. People have some serious delusions about what goes on in stadiums across the country.

Late arrives. Early departures. Lame timeout gimmicks. In game advertisements.

With a handful of exceptions, this literally happens everywhere.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I can live with the timeout gimmicks and in game advertisements. What I can't live with (and was embarrassed by) was DJ Joey Franchise. Whoever thought that was a good idea to give that bum a mic during the game, should be tar and feathered and the fired.

 

[Dooley]

I understand that we have to pay the bills somehow without access to power conference money. My hope is that when the day comes when we are B1G, some of this stuff just starts to naturally die down.

The biggest concern for the UConn AD is increasing the 2016 football season ticket base. Sluggish attendance is a big concern at the CDA (and UConn), according to their report, and would be a deterrent to UConn's claim to Power conferences that we have a large, loyal fanbase when we have 10K+ empty seats per game. It's incredibly difficult to sell over 20K tickets to each game whether we're winning or not when game times are not announced until days before the game. UConn should do everything possible to restore season ticket levels back to pre-Pasqualoni levels.

The good news? The 2016 team forecast looks good. I think reasonable pre-season expectations should range anywhere from 7-8 wins (floor) to a conference championship (ceiling). That kind of buzz should help sway a few fans off the season ticket fence. More good news? The 2016 home schedule looks good. OOC games against UVA and Cuse should draw over 35K for each and sway more folks off the fence. AAC games against Cinci, Temple, and conFLiCT (of course!) are decent games.

The school needs to get off its keister and aggressively push season tickets right away. Young Alumni, Top of the Rent, Choose Your Own Flex Pack...all need to be available the moment the 2015 season concludes. Give early renewal/purchase discounts. Set up booths at the Spring Game to push more tickets. Let fans pick their seats where and when possible. Push the extra tailgating time and concessions discounts. Establish a RV parking area for 24 hour tailgating. Email. TV advertising. Push tickets at hoops and hockey games. Offer ticket discounts to fans who buy football season tickets + basketball or hockey. Alter student season tickets so that your ticket package includes bus trips to/from the stadium. Set up a student tailgate tent and give the kids a burger and soda or water. Express lanes for student busses after the game ends. Get corporations involved. Give bulk discounts to companies like UTC, United, Aetna, GE, ESPN, etc. Discounts on road game packages/tickets and bowl game. Give a power conference discount promise (you are grandfathered your seat location at the same price point if/when UConn gets into a P5 conference)!

Stress the importance of a full and loud Rentschler Field. First, it can impact a game. Second, it could impact CR. Third, everyone has a good time when it feels like a big game inside our stadium. Set up a "Pay the Rent" fan tracker (can be corporate sponsored) next to the videoboard. Every penalty or time out caused by crowd noise gets counted and a bell ring. Reach X number of instances, fans get a free blue t-shirt (throw the corporate sponsor logo on it). Season ticket holders get something extra per game.

If we can get our season ticket base back to mid upper 20s, then selling single tickets isn't that difficult. Give student ID discounts to CCSU, ECSU, WCSU, SCSU and all CT high school kids for all games. Give military personnel discount tickets to all games. Give UConn alumni discount tickets to all games. Promo codes for select games. As the team wins games (and we should), more fans will come.

 

[SubbaBub]

We have way too many in game promotions. I get they help pay the bills, and I don't leave early anyways, but have heard plenty of visiting fans express grumble at how much of that stuff we do. Vividly I remember sitting near some older Towson alums during that unforgetable game. Maybe those guys were just used to FCS ball where there is probably a lot less of that stuff.

I agree with the writer, some of that stuff is just silly. Human zip line has to be one of the worst ideas ever. I'd love to make CFB an all day affair and once upon a time it was for me. Now a days, with kids activities, I'm just happy I can make most games. My son turns 6 today, if we had a game tomorrow I would miss it because of his party. Priorities change depending of wherer you are in your life.

The promotions are built around TV timeouts and help pass the dead air time. Those are set by the networks.

 

[NYUConn]

I went to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 2012 to see the UCLA-USC game.

Cool stadium, never again though.

Parking is atrocious. They just park you on a golf course nearby and it's impossible to get out.

Took us 4 hours to leave the stadium and get to Santa Monica after the game.

 

[Dooley]

Parking is atrocious. They just park you on a golf course nearby and it's impossible to get out.

Hopefully it wasn't this golf course...

 

[freescooter]

The tv timeouts can be brutal. I went to a Wesleyan game a few weeks ago and it's amazing how much those things disrupt the flow of the game and lengthen it. That game went about 2.5 hours vs 3.5 plus for games at the Rent. The NFL did a study a few years back that put the optimum game time at 3 hours and thats what the strive for. Over that and fans lose interest both in the stadium and at home. College games are well over that. Now I get that you need to pay the bills but how many adds for payday loans and discount furniture do we need?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I don't get the complaining about in-game promotions. Most, if not all, happen during dead-ball situations (usually commercial breaks). So with a promotion or without, the gap in game delay is basically the same. If you don't like the promotion...just don't watch. Hit the restroom, get food, stretch your legs, get a drink. It is really that hard? People want schools to cut revenue streams, but they want enhanced game-day experiences at the same time. I had a guy complain about lack of time to tailgate just after complaining about a promotion. I asked, if they open the lot an hour earlier, who is going to pay for the police and parking service? He didn't get the connection.

 

[weyuo]

Pudge said: What I think the writer points out ... We all rush through our lives. We complain about those extra 20 minutes. We do scoot out of that game, regardless of score or competition, for God knows what. Like we have 8 better things to do on a Saturday.

I agree. People need to slow down and enjoy the day. They go by so fast now.