Stanford attendance article

[SFJeff]

Since this is my first post, a brief introduction:
I'm a San Franciscan originally from New England, and a long time UConn fan. This year is the first year I've signed up with the Boneyard, subscribed to HoopStreams, and finally bit the bullet and got DirecTV installed - meaning I've been able to watch each and every game and of course follow all the action here on the forum. Previous years meant begging friends to let me come over to watch important UConn games on their systems or have them DVR a game for me, which was a bit of a challenge as I'm the only women's BB fan among us, let alone a UConn fan. So this year has been a feast for me, as will the next several years. On to the reason for my post:

Here's a recent article from the SF Chronicle on Stanford's attendance issues, in some ways similar to UConn's but with less people:

Link

 

[HuskyNan]

Welcome Jeff!

Good to see the lurkers come forth and post.

 

[Icebear]

Greetings, Jeff. Thanks for the info from the NW.

 

[msf22b]

As has been discussed before, the game has changed and its not only that the men play above the rim.
For those who remember the previous incarnation of BB as led by the Aurbach's, the Wooden's and the Holtzman's, the woman's game as played today is, at its best, a vivid reminiscence of a beautiful yet mostly forgotten game from a bygone era. Its no wonder that senior's are most passionate about it. They saw and participated in the original.

 

[huskybill]

There were 9068 in attendance at the Baylor-Tenn game. Whatever else you can say about the summitteers, they do an excellent job supporting their team.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Tennessee has led WCBB in attendance for years with UConn usually second. However, their attendance numbers are also falling off dropping 20% in the last 4 years.

"It appears that at least three-fourths of the typical home crowd is older than 60. Eileen Roche, the assistant athletic director for basketball operations, estimates that 80 percent of the Fast Break Club, the team's booster organization, is in that age bracket."​

​

Maybe it's as simple as old fans dying off.

 

[Wonkster]

... Maybe it's as simple as old fans dying off.

Indeed. Think of all the baseball fans who witnessed Lou Gehrig's Farewell Speech - they're nearly ALL dead!

It's simple, all right - the various Athletic Departments have to find a way to attract replacements for all the corpses.
.

 

[Icebear]

It's simple, all right - the various Athletic Departments have to find a way to attract replacements for all the corpses.
.

And that is the truth.

 

[alexrgct]

Unfortunately, Uconn does not make it easy for someone like me to take my children to many games. They really need to focus on the overall experience from a child's eyes. And they need to figure out how to do a ticket exchange program that undercuts scalpers and StubHub. And they need more weekend afternoon games.

I'm 34, a white collar professional in an upper-middle management role, and a father of two young children. UConn should be falling all over itself to get my business. Suffice it to say it does not. The kindness of a fellow boneyarder with season tix allowed me to take my daughter to the USF game. Had that not happened, the only game I would have gone to with her would have been Fairfield (basically a Christmas present I gave myself). Many other fathers will not extend themselves even as much as I do to get my kids indoctrinated. And I live 25 minutes away from both venues!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Alex nails at least part of it.

The Rutgers crowd is similar demographicaly, although the LEADERS of the fan club have generally been slightly younger.

With the prices, lack of marketing (a serious RU failing for everything except MBB and FB, where they at least try), few in-game activities, etc. the segment represented by Alex and many others just can't commit.

And "aging away" is so true. At the Spokane Regional, we were told about 2 long time RU fans that are "fading away", the wife paralyzed on one side from the stroke and the husband "trying to remember why his shoes are in the refrigerator". Very sad (I think she put it lightly simply because it is so sad) and these were (relatively) younger members of the "senior" age group, maybe mid 70's. RU has folks in the stands that will never see 85 again.