UConn Football Season-Ticket Sales Down Sharply From Last Season

[uconnphil2016]

Besides losing regional and historic rivals, sometimes over time in Connecticut, the newness factor wears off. I've seen the Bridgeport Bluefish, New Haven Ravens, multiple minor league hockey teams all open with huge followings, only to lose attendance year after year until they fold. Winning would change a lot of this. I hope

Yup. When Memphis sucked they averaged 20K. They once had a home game vs ECU with an announced attendance of 4K.

They'll average over 40K this year. Winning and being competitive in our losses with get us to 30K+.

Right, but Memphis didn't go from playing big time programs that they had established regional rivilaries with to playing lesser programs. So winning means a significant bump. We can't count on that because their are other variables outside of winning. Of course, it'll help, but we're never gonna average 35-40k again

 

[UConn76]

Memphis game last year did me in finally after fifteen years. Will scalp for five bucks in the parking lot

UCF is going to drop at least 50 on our young defense... Watching Memphis put up 70 was certainly demoralizing...

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Is the old stadium next to Gampel still around? Perhaps they can take the few thousand showing up and put them there.

There was novelty back in the Big East to showing up to games against big rivals like Cuse and Pitt. The tailgating scene was always a blast. Now i feel like you have to tailgate to numb the game experience.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Is the old stadium next to Gampel still around? Perhaps they can take the few thousand showing up and put them there.

There was novelty back in the Big East to showing up to games against big rivals like Cuse and Pitt. The tailgating scene was always a blast. Now i feel like you have to tailgate to numb the game experience.

That’s long gone

 

[31GuardTrap]

I received some tickets in the mail today that I ordered over the weekend. Not even a simple yet polite Thank You.
Apparently, my lowly $ 180 for these was just not enough to warrant politeness even though these were extra tickets I was purchasing.
They were stuffed into a plain envelope.
Strike 2.

To compare, I spent $60 on another event recently, and I was thanked in an email and via thank you note included with the tickets.
SMH. Clueless up in Storrs.

 

[Husky68]

UCF is going to drop at least 50 on our young defense... Watching Memphis put up 70 was certainly demoralizing...

So the undefeated national champions of 2017 could not put 50 on UConn with their star coach and UConn with zero talent, a 1st year coach and a scared DC; and yet this year UCF with a new coach in their 1st game of the season will drop at least 50 on us.
Boy that is a real indictment of HCRE2.0 and his DC's coaching ability and HCRE2.0's game management ability.
If UCF gets over 50 points it had better be a shoot out or HCRE2.0 has "some 'splainin' to do".

 

[DarthGrumpy]

We live in a state where there are 10 + pro and college sports teams within a couple of hours. CT people are not going to stick through hard times for very long before putting their time and attention to something else.
Sucks but it is what it is. Lots of pressure on Edsall to turn this around in the next couple of years.

Not to mention lives. I finally had to give-up my season tickets this year because I have 2 kids playing fall travel baseball through October, then winter travel basketball starting in November on top of fall rec soccer from September through November. Add my job, yard work, etc. Its not possible right now in my life. After the kids are older, maybe.

Oh, and the never ending construction on I-84 is not helping...

 

[AfgHusky15]

Yup. When Memphis sucked they averaged 20K. They once had a home game vs ECU with an announced attendance of 4K.

They'll average over 40K this year. Winning and being competitive in our losses with get us to 30K+.

Exactly, thats why JMick argument doesn't make much sense, its devoid of facts.

 

[businesslawyer]

I just don't see how we keep a football program if this continues. I'm not even sure winning is going to get us back to 30k+ in the stadium

How about we win first and find out?

Did we really have to go through the last 7 years to know sucking over the long term would kill attendance?

 

[Skiblets]

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more expensive to scalp this year than the last few. So few tickets sold that the only people buying them use them.

I'm willing to pay $10

 

[blue93]

The athletic department is getting what they deserved. There hasn't been an incentive to buy season tickets for a long time now, other than knowing you're supporting the school.

There isn't a single season ticket holder that buys season tickets because of the value. That's the problem. It was only a matter of time until the core of the fan base got tired of being taken advantage of.

Winning might cure some of it, but the season ticket structure needs to be completely overhauled if there's any chance of filling the stadium again.

 

[Nostical]

I get the concern, and I have it too, but there's just too much pessimism being expressed.
First, UCF isn't dropping 50 on us!!
Also, I believe talented management with innovative ideas can turn a seemingly hopeless enterprise around. There was Bill Veeck and Charlie Finley in baseball. I just read where Hardee's was considered dead and buried in the fast food arena. New guy comes in, renovates, improves the menu, ramps up advertising and now its thriving. He and his group just bought Buffalo Wild Wings and will turn them into sports books when the new gambling laws go into full effect.
Incentivize the folks marketing the stadium, keep improving the product on the field and this can be fixed. Innovative leaders who can find a way to buck the trend and stem the attendance decline will be heroes in their industry.

 

[CTMike]

Turn the Rent in to a sports book and maybe we are on to something.

 

[JMick]

Exactly, thats why JMick argument doesn't make much sense, its devoid of facts.

I'm not sure why my opinion is so upsetting to you. I just don't see butts getting back into the seats unless we play P5 football. We got demoted and people lost interest. I don't think we're going to get them back by going 8-4 in the AAC.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[jimva]

It's the conference. Most people in Connecticut don't know anything about college football. I get asked all the time "why are we in a minor league instead of playing real schools?" Perception is often reality

Sorry, its not the conference. Winning solves everything. Until we are able to do this, the should cut prices in half and be more active running themes/group events to fill the stands. If they are going to get $X for the seats they sold fill the stands and get food/merchandise.

 

[JMick]

Sorry, its not the conference. Winning solves everything. Until we are able to do this, the should cut prices in half and be more active running themes/group events to fill the stands. If they are going to get $X for the seats they sold fill the stands and get food/merchandise.

What do you consider to be winning? Is winning a winning record or winning the league and competing for a NY6 bowl?

 

[Hogoff]

What do you consider to be winning? Is winning a winning record or winning the league and competing for a NY6 bowl?

Perhaps competing for conference championships.

 

[ASweet3781]

Sorry, its not the conference. Winning solves everything. Until we are able to do this, the should cut prices in half and be more active running themes/group events to fill the stands. If they are going to get $X for the seats they sold fill the stands and get food/merchandise.

Its everything. Why does it always have to be one or the other?

It's the conference. It's the product. It's the losses. It's the ticket prices. It's the insane guy we had coaching us for 2 years. It's the failure to get us into a P5 and the hapless pushback against false media narratives that kept us out. It's the fact you can watch any game now on ur computer or TV for either free or a small price. You don't have to leave your house anymore. It's the fact UMass usually puts a better offensive product on the field in this entire time span. It's the fact we never put together a schedule than can get us out of this rut and back to winning games.

It's everything. You don't go from 30,000 season tickets to 9,000 in this span without a tidal wave of fail on every level.

 

[RSTuthill]

Losing team in a minor league is the perception, valid or not. (The first part is valid at least.) Not gonna change until the start of the 2020 season after UConn goes bowling in 2019. The season ticket sales at the start of next year will be even uglier.

 

[Palatine]

Right, but Memphis didn't go from playing big time programs that they had established regional rivilaries with to playing lesser programs. So winning means a significant bump. We can't count on that because their are other variables outside of winning. Of course, it'll help, but we're never gonna average 35-40k again

Never?

 

[Skiblets]

Its everything. Why does it always have to be one or the other?

It's the conference. It's the product. It's the losses. It's the ticket prices. It's the insane guy we had coaching us for 2 years. It's the failure to get us into a P5 and the hapless pushback against false media narratives that kept us out. It's the fact you can watch any game now on ur computer or TV for either free or a small price. You don't have to leave your house anymore. It's the fact UMass usually puts a better offensive product on the field in this entire time span. It's the fact we never put together a schedule than can get us out of this rut and back to winning games.

It's everything. You don't go from 30,000 season tickets to 9,000 in this span without a tidal wave of fail on every level.

Man if I could give this post 1000 likes and a mic drop I would. Perfect summation

 

[TheDoggPound]

All the more reason why they could've done the ticket booklet for ALL season ticket holders..

 

[whaler11]

I get the concern, and I have it too, but there's just too much pessimism being expressed.
First, UCF isn't dropping 50 on us!!
Also, I believe talented management with innovative ideas can turn a seemingly hopeless enterprise around. There was Bill Veeck and Charlie Finley in baseball. I just read where Hardee's was considered dead and buried in the fast food arena. New guy comes in, renovates, improves the menu, ramps up advertising and now its thriving. He and his group just bought Buffalo Wild Wings and will turn them into sports books when the new gambling laws go into full effect.
Incentivize the folks marketing the stadium, keep improving the product on the field and this can be fixed. Innovative leaders who can find a way to buck the trend and stem the attendance decline will be heroes in their industry.

All we have to do is find management with innovative ideas.

 

[whaler11]

Anthony nailed everything.