Empty Seats

[barbrox]

Does it bother anyone else to see so many empty seats, especially in the lower bowl?

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Yes... bet it will not be like that when the games are more challenging

 

[EricLA]

Agreed but with all the hype for this team, it's really too bad. I wonder if UCONN is a victim of it's own success - After all, I'd rather stay at home then travel thru snow and traffic to see the game live (but then again I live in San Diego). Still, the attendance was not good. I'm surprised they don't do something to get more students for the empty seats.

 

[Alydar]

I'd like to see a system where unused tickets could be returned to the school (with a charitable deduction) where they could be resold to students at a reduced price or given away to High school teams. I'm sure a lot of those empties today were Giant and Patriot fans who stayed home.

 

[EricLA]

I'd like to see a system where unused tickets could be returned to the school (with a charitable deduction) where they could be resold to students at a reduced price or given away to High school teams. I'm sure a lot of those empties today were Giant and Patriot fans who stayed home.

I agree - think that's a great idea but how would it work? if they know they "only" have 8,000 tickets sold could they "give" them away to the students pre game and then let them move down as the game progressed?

 

[Alydar]

I agree - think that's a great idea but how would it work? if they know they "only" have 8,000 tickets sold could they "give" them away to the students pre game and then let them move down as the game progressed?

What I was thinking was for Corporation A to notify the school that they were returning the tickets (some sort of on-line system?) and then having the school sell the tickets the morning of the game on a first come first served basis at Gampel. I'd also consider selling upper level bleachers to students 24 hours before the game for a nominal price. My feeling is that by January this team is going to be a hot item in CT and there won't be too many unused tickets.

 

[uconnfan68]

What I was thinking was for Corporation A to notify the school that they were returning the tickets (some sort of on-line system?) and then having the school sell the tickets the morning of the game on a first come first served basis at Gampel. I'd also consider selling upper level bleachers to students 24 hours before the game for a nominal price. My feeling is that by January this team is going to be a hot item in CT and there won't be too many unused tickets.

Reselling already paid-for tickets? How about just saying "we can't make it today, give them to the kids"?

 

[Alydar]

I'm not suggesting any refunds for returning tickets, it would be a donation. And you still need a system for re-distributing them where there can be some sort of accounting. Keep the resale limited to one or two tickets per person so they don't end up in scalpers hands.

 

[Wonkster]

Does it bother anyone else to see so many empty seats, especially in the lower bowl?

Get used to it. Today's attendance, in good weather, puts the lie to the claim that high ticket prices were the main reason for sliding attendance over the years. Compared to the $22 tickets of the past, this season's $10 ticket prices are a helluva deal.

Many people kvetched about ticket prices, but UConn has called their bluff and the fans have been exposed as boolsheeters. The only price that counted, it turns out, is the greatly lowered price of large screen HDTV sets over the last decade.

Note, in particular, that television itself is not to blame since we've had TV coverage even before the first championship in 1995. The TV audience grew alongside in-person attendance all through the late 1990s. The difference now is the fabulous technology that often gives you a better view on a 50" screen at home 50 miles from Gampel than being there in person.

So it looks like Sony, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, Vizio and those other guys took the fans' money, instead of the Athletic Department. This makes the deal with SNY all the more important to the financial aspects of the business of UConn sports.

 

[Dairyair]

I haven't heard any attendance figure, but it sure looked sparse. BTW, I'd let students in FREE to fill the student section, and reduced ticket prices for any other students who want to attend.

 

[Shenandoah]

I'd like to see a system where unused tickets could be returned to the school (with a charitable deduction) where they could be resold to students at a reduced price or given away to High school teams. I'm sure a lot of those empties today were Giant and Patriot fans who stayed home.

Giants fans would have been better off going to the UConn game.

 

[pap49cba]

I haven't heard any attendance figure, but it sure looked sparse. BTW, I'd let students in FREE to fill the student section, and reduced ticket prices for any other students who want to attend.

Heard it was 6,200.

 

[HuskyNan]

Heard it was 6,200.

Officially, it was 6221.

I'm no doubt a horrible fan, but I wasn't going to drive an hour to watch the Huskies pound the College of Charleston into dust, no matter the price.

 

[Dairyair]

Heard it was 6,200.

If it was 6,200 for a game that was sure to be a blowout, that really isn't too shabby. Money is tight for a lot of people, and will be more choosy about which games they attend.

 

[arch]

edit

 

[barbrox]

I have tried to purchase tickets and all the available tickets at Gampel are bleacher seats. My poor old back cannot deal with no chairback for 2 hours. I checked stub hub and the prices are prohibitive. I would gladly watch a blow out if those seats were made available at face value.

 

[RS9999X]

So it looks like Sony, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, Vizio and those other guys took the fans' money, instead of the Athletic Department. This makes the deal with SNY all the more important to the financial aspects of the business of UConn sports.

Nearly every restaurant and bar is a Sportsbar these days.

With wages stagnant, home equity off 20% in many cases, families facing income disruption someplace in the extended family, the grinding forces of inflation in fuel, education costs, medical costs, and foodstuffs--this isn't a great economy for Sunday Hartford or Storrs jaunts. Less discretionary income per capita

There's also demographic change: Those that were rabid fans in the 90s are older and dying. A lot fewer blue hairs these days, There's a larger minority demographic under 33 these days and they often weren't here for the struggles of the 90s. Many are new to this country in the last 20 years. UConn means very little to them. The challenge is making them fans

There's also the football argument: that's another 275,000 seats that directly compete against cupcake season in November and early December.

So. When do the Men's and Women's double headers start at the Civic Center for cupcake season?

 

[arch]

Get used to it. Today's attendance, in good weather, puts the lie to the claim that high ticket prices were the main reason for sliding attendance over the years. Compared to the $22 tickets of the past, this season's $10 ticket prices are a helluva deal.

Many people kvetched about ticket prices, but UConn has called their bluff and the fans have been exposed as boolsheeters.

Agreed, all they did was throw away 1/3 to 1/2 of their revenue. Who makes it up? The team? The students? Nah. Dumb move that probably can't be reversed.

 

[Phil]

I'd like to see a system where unused tickets could be returned to the school (with a charitable deduction) where they could be resold to students at a reduced price or given away to High school teams. I'm sure a lot of those empties today were Giant and Patriot fans who stayed home.

Yes, I've proposed this before. Easier to do when you do electronic scanning than when you are doing the tear-offs.

 

[Fiftyish]

Heard it was 6,200.

I swear today's crowd looked smaller than the crowd at the 1st exhibition game (Indiana of PA). Couldn't believe the poor attendence for the first regular season game with an outstanding freshman class. This team is going to do great things this year. Plus, the weather was perfect and it was an afternoon game. It looks like UConn and/or Geno are going to extra lengths to get the students to regularly attend games. Grea idea.

 

[alexrgct]

I actually think the perfect weather didn't help. This is one of the last nice weekends we're going to have for a while. Do you want to spend it schlepping to Storrs to watch Uconn dismantle a weak team, or would you rather go outside...or perhaps watch the Giants or Pats instead?

If the Maryland game isn't well-attended, this convo should be revisited.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I watched the game on a big screen at home. I enjoyed the comfort of my favorite chair, a couple of glasses of wine. snacks of my choosing. All that with no knees in my back, no hill to climb, and no post game concrete numbed ass. I doubt if I will ever attend another game at Gampel. It's not worth it and I'm not talking about ticket price.

Tonight's attendance was pretty dismal for a home opener. My guess is that it's probably the lowest 1st game attendance since the dark ages. I think that it may be an indication that the attendance downturn of the post Taurasi era will continue.

 

[Buckaroobanzai]

These comments about not attending the Charleston game because it was a certain blowout and because some boneyarders feel the need to sip wine in front of their big screen TV are simply rationalizations for laziness and a lack of commitment to Uconn WBB. My spouse and I were at the game (I had to drive a WHOLE hour to get to Gampel - what an incredible burden) and I must tell you that watching this team live - particularly the Freshman phenoms - was tremendously exciting. There was an electricity in the air that you could not sense on a TV screen. And to those who could not be bothered to attend the game I ask: do you think that future recruits might be influenced by the fact that Uconn WBB fans apparently considered it a waste of time to attend the first game in which this spectacular recruiting class played? Do you think that Tennessee or Louisville or Notre Dame fans would be so blasé?

 

[Wonkster]

... This is one of the last nice weekends we're going to have for a while. Do you want to spend it schlepping to Storrs to watch Uconn dismantle a weak team, or would you rather go outside...or perhaps watch the Giants or Pats instead? ...

If I recall correctly, the NY Giants as well as the Patriots were playing football for quite a while before The Year of Rebecca Lobo. On TV, too, I think. Didn't stop Husky fans back then, did it?

 

[Wonkster]

... Do you think that Tennessee or Louisville or Notre Dame fans would be so blasé?

You've assumed that their games are all broadcast on television, and not some crap-assed streaming service. Streaming is a lousy replica of the action, a poor man's substitute for desperate fans otherwise shut out of better options.

Only one game of this year's edition of UConn women's basketball will not be shown in real time over an actual (not ersatz) television channel. Were Tennessee, Notre Dame and Louisville's season-opening games shown on broadcast television?

Knocking UConn fans may be satisfying, but I don't think it survives close examination.