OT - Sobering landscape as Temple ponders football stadium

[huskymedic]

Interesting read

>>Temple officials, who declined to be interviewed for this article, have contended a stadium would make it easier to market the school. They also believe the 12,000 students on and around campus would be more willing to attend games they could walk to. "That's what you hear. But there's not much evidence to suggest that works," Maxcy said. "In most cases, there's no particular increase in revenue. And today's students aren't coming to games. That's a problem all over college football. Even at Minnesota, student attendance didn't increase from when they played at the Metrodome."

The stay-away student has become a popular topic at athletic-director gatherings, Akron's Wistrcill said. With more entertainment options, constant technological advances, and the near-ubiquity of television coverage, students aren't as enthralled by live football as they once were. "In some ways, we in college sports have become our own worst enemies," Wistrcill said. "We've worked so hard, mostly with ESPN, to build our product that it's reached a point where it's really enticing and exciting to watch on TV."

This fall, Houston, another member of Temple's American Athletic Conference, debuted $158 million TDECU Stadium. Though the Cougars went 8-5 and earned an Armed Forces Bowl bid, crowds were smaller than anticipated. On some Saturdays, the 40,000-seat facility was less than half-full.

"You usually have to accompany a new stadium with a winning football team," Schemmel said. "Akron has gotten better, but they're not over the top yet. And I think Houston experienced the same thing. They had a mediocre season, and they didn't fill up their stadium the way they thought they would."<<

 

[Antiobserver]

If you make tailgating part of the football experience, they will come. What student doesn't want to get hammered and play cornhole with the coeds?

 

[huskypantz]

Interesting read

>>Temple officials, who declined to be interviewed for this article, have contended a stadium would make it easier to market the school. They also believe the 12,000 students on and around campus would be more willing to attend games they could walk to. "That's what you hear. But there's not much evidence to suggest that works," Maxcy said. "In most cases, there's no particular increase in revenue. And today's students aren't coming to games. That's a problem all over college football. Even at Minnesota, student attendance didn't increase from when they played at the Metrodome."

"18 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 82 percent of students live off campus"
Temple is largely a commuter school. The Temple Night Owls. If the intent is to get more students to attend games, I doubt it makes a difference. And it looks like debt service would put them in a bigger hole than paying rent to the Eagles does. There was a reason these guys got booted from the BE.

 

[huskymedic]

Link fixed

 

[whaler11]

Temple students consider not attending football games a positive thing. They mock those that do.

I work with a lot of Temple grads - I've had the same conversation a dozen times.

 

[BlueMAB]

If you make tailgating part of the football experience, they will come. What student doesn't want to get hammered and play cornhole with the coeds?

This doesn't get them inside. I am convinced the student behavior at UConn games wouldn't change with an on-campus stadium. I have sat near the students for a decade. Unless we are a very good team, playing a very good team, in primetime, they have shown time after time they have better things to do. At least in E. Hartford they've made the drive (taken the ride) they might as well go in for a little while. On campus, many would be perfectly content with tailgating, and then going elsewhere to continue to party once the game starts.

Being able to walk to a party, or back to your room to drink cheaper beer and watch the end of the game on tv (or not at all), is as much an incentive to leaving early as the bus ride home. Arguably, even more.

(This isn't directed at you, just a general observation)

Making this discussion about revenues AND student ticket sales (who get some of the best seats at a fraction of the cost of everyone else) is even more ridiculous. Want to increase revenues, lower the prices for everyone else and fill the stadium. Don't build a stadium for an extra 5,000-10,000 tickets to be sold at roughly 25%-33% of what the next cheapest ticket costs.

 

[huskymedic]

Temple students consider not attending football games a positive thing. They mock those that do.

One can argue that by recent student section attendance - it appears UConn Students may be as well...

Temple at least makes the attempt to get the students to attend by providing "free" student tickets, "free" shuttle bus transportation from campus and a "free" pre-game student tailgate w/ food.

 

[CL82]

Based upon my UConn experience, I think they would come in droves but student attitudes toward attending games may have changed. Still it was a blast, even with a weak UConn team. I don't see that changing. Now add the hassle of getting East Hartford, and the analysis changes.

 

[J187Money]

Based upon my UConn experience, I think they would come in droves but student attitudes toward attending games may have changed. Still it was a blast, even with a weak UConn team. I don't see that changing. Now add the hassle of getting East Hartford, and the analysis changes.

The student section for non-marquis games at Gampel isn't full. Why would they fill an on campus student section?

Unless it is an "event" they won't go. And face it, at this point, UCONN football is far from an event.

 

[whaler11]

The student section for non-marquis games at Gampel isn't full. Why would they fill an on campus student section?

Unless it is an "event" they won't go. And face it, at this point, UCONN football is far from an event.

It's not just students. That's the general population. I've got a Spackler length post coming on sports attendance everywhere.

 

[J187Money]

It's not just students. That's the general population. I've got a Spackler length post coming on sports attendance everywhere.

Agreed. My wife "sometimes" comes along to sporting events...depending on the level of jealousy she can inspire in her friends.

 

[uconnric]

Based upon my UConn experience, I think they would come in droves but student attitudes toward attending games may have changed. Still it was a blast, even with a weak UConn team. I don't see that changing. Now add the hassle of getting East Hartford, and the analysis changes.

There's a lot more students attending games at the Rent than there ever were at Memorial Stadium.

 

[Dooley]

Attendance is an issue everywhere, including Michigan this past season (although that should be helped with Harbaugh's hiring). They had to resort to some stupid Coca-Cola promo to try to entice students to go to games. The promo was swiftly and mercifully killed by alumni, but the point is the same: attendance is dropping everywhere and everyone is trying to scramble to figure out why and what to do about it.

 

[whaler11]

Attendance is an issue everywhere, including Michigan this past season (although that should be helped with Harbaugh's hiring). They had to resort to some stupid Coca-Cola promo to try to entice students to go to games. The promo was swiftly and mercifully killed by alumni, but the point is the same: attendance is dropping everywhere and everyone is trying to scramble to figure out why and what to do about it.

Why is fairly simple.

 

[BlueMAB]

There's a lot more students attending games at the Rent than there ever were at Memorial Stadium.

That's because the stadium is located in East Hartford, a 20 minute bus drive away, and has absolutely nothing to do with the fact we went from 1AA to FBS football.

 

[noeynox]

It's not just students. That's the general population. I've got a Spackler length post coming on sports attendance everywhere.

 

[whaler11]

Bart Scott does remind me of my lunch with Bryan Cox. What's the statute of limitations in Connecticut?

 

[Carl Spackler]

UCONN fans have demonstrated over and over, for decades, literally, that they will show up for events. It's happened every year for decades, including this year. UCONN hockey, I believe, will soon be part of it too.

What UCONN fans won't show up for, is losers.

 

[BNich]

UCONN fans have demonstrated over and over, for decades, literally, that they will show up for events. It's happened every year for decades, including this year. UCONN hockey, I believe, will soon be part of it too.

What UCONN fans won't show up for, is losers.

I get yelled at for these comments.

 

[Gate97]

They need to address the game experience as a whole too - and this is a much broader BCS issue, rather than anything specific to UConn.

Thanks to completely selling out to TV for exposure, the average game takes 3-3.5 hours and has more commercial breaks than most people can take. It's much easier to overlook it at home when you can flip over to another game, but when you are at the game and there is a score, followed by a TV timeout, a kickoff, followed by a TV timeout, and finally a new offensive series, it's interminable. I've grown to hate the man in the red shirt even though he's never done a thing to me, personally.

I remember some games at the Rent back in 2004-2006 (prior to every game being available on TV or online) that took about 2.5 hours. We need more of that with all the entertainment options we have at our finger tips in this day and age.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I think it's pretty simple. Damn near everyone I knows has a 50+ HDTV and damm near everyone I know can't go more than 30 seconds without looking at their phones.

People's attention spans are non existant and if you have entertainment in the palm of your hand, plus the game on the big screen, going to the game becomes way less enjoyable.

Not to mention not dealing with the travel, traffic, parking and the free time saved from staying at home.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Attendance is an issue everywhere, including Michigan this past season (although that should be helped with Harbaugh's hiring). They had to resort to some stupid Coca-Cola promo to try to entice students to go to games. The promo was swiftly and mercifully killed by alumni, but the point is the same: attendance is dropping everywhere and everyone is trying to scramble to figure out why and what to do about it.

Michigan's attendance woes in large part were due to the on field product and increased ticket prices and foolish policies (such as prohibiting student groups sitting together) by their former AD. I suspect their attendance issues will rebound next year.

 

[upstater]

Interesting read

>>Temple officials, who declined to be interviewed for this article, have contended a stadium would make it easier to market the school. They also believe the 12,000 students on and around campus would be more willing to attend games they could walk to. "That's what you hear. But there's not much evidence to suggest that works," Maxcy said. "In most cases, there's no particular increase in revenue. And today's students aren't coming to games. That's a problem all over college football. Even at Minnesota, student attendance didn't increase from when they played at the Metrodome."

The stay-away student has become a popular topic at athletic-director gatherings, Akron's Wistrcill said. With more entertainment options, constant technological advances, and the near-ubiquity of television coverage, students aren't as enthralled by live football as they once were. "In some ways, we in college sports have become our own worst enemies," Wistrcill said. "We've worked so hard, mostly with ESPN, to build our product that it's reached a point where it's really enticing and exciting to watch on TV."

This fall, Houston, another member of Temple's American Athletic Conference, debuted $158 million TDECU Stadium. Though the Cougars went 8-5 and earned an Armed Forces Bowl bid, crowds were smaller than anticipated. On some Saturdays, the 40,000-seat facility was less than half-full.

"You usually have to accompany a new stadium with a winning football team," Schemmel said. "Akron has gotten better, but they're not over the top yet. And I think Houston experienced the same thing. They had a mediocre season, and they didn't fill up their stadium the way they thought they would."<<

Do these people read the student newspapers?

Today's students, more than any ever before, are hyper aware of the high amounts they pay for school, and the way the school spends money. There are constant articles about administration and sports in student newspapers.

Outside the south, this is actually an issue nationwide. Students and parents are a university's #1 priority, the #1 customer. I think the national trend is a lot more complex than simply better TV options. Do these athletic people really imagine that students are staying in dorms and watching the games on TV? Really? That argument makes sense for the casual fan outside of the university, but I highly doubt this is the dynamic for students.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I get yelled at for these comments.

by whom? It's true. When there is a big stage, important sporting event - UCONN fans invariably have demonstrated they will buy tickets, at premium top dollar, and will show up to the games and in high numbers.

When it doesn't matter much, it's the season ticket holders only, and for the football program, the past four seasons have been hard on us. The basketball programs, the core season ticket holders, haven't had to go through what football has gone through, even with the conference change.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

By the way, where on Earth will Temple get the land to build a football stadium of their own? It's an urban campus owned by the state. All of their campus is currently occupied by various building and acquiring enough land around campus would be brutally expensive in a city. While the campus has subway and train access, it's a good 3 miles through some tough sections of Philly to get a to a highway (I-95). Big turn-off for families. They have some land at their suburban campus in Ambler where most of their 'field' teams play; but, that raises a different set of challenges, including the campus is not a walkable distance away from the nearest commuter rail station.