CBS: Attendance lags put SEC on offense, looking to enhance fan experience

[BleedGopher]

per CBS:

But here are some new issues this SEC working group has already identified that must be improved in order to get fans back into the stadiums:

• WiFi: Cell phone service and WiFi are spotty at best in most large stadiums. Fixing it is going to cost a lot of money (about $2 million per stadium). "Our next generation of fans is used to staying connected. They should be able to communicate in real time with somebody on the other side of the stadium," said Dave Hart, the athletics director at Tennessee. "It's quite an investment but we have to make it."

• Replay: In the past, the SEC would only show one replay of any particular play in a game. And it had to be in real time, not in slow motion. The objective was to protect the officials from an overexcited fan base. That rule was changed last season. "If a play was under review, we couldn't show it at all," Strickland said. "That had to change. If the people at home are seeing a numerous times in slow motion then we have to do it as well."

• Student attendance: Student attendance overall has dropped or, if the students do come, they show up late and leave early. Georgia has cut back its student allotment for tickets from 18,000 to 16,000 per game. It has taken those 2,000 tickets and sold them to young alumni who can obtain them without a contribution. "We haven't averaged 16,000 in student attendance in a long time," said Greg McGarity, the athletics director at Georgia. "This was a chance to help our young alumni get started as season ticket holders with a relatively small financial commitment."

A study by the Crimson White, the student newspaper at Alabama, said only 69.4 percent of student tickets were used during the 2012 season. And we're talking about a football program that has won three of the last four BCS national championships.

"I'm very concerned about it," Alabama AD Bill Battle told me when we visited in his office this spring.

• Secondary ticket market: The existence of StubHub, Craigslist and other services that allow fans to buy and sell tickets has made it possible for people to pass on season tickets, and the contribution that goes with them, and simply pay a premium for the games they really want. They can pay a high price for a big game or two but still come out ahead financially. Some fans have stopped buying bowl tickets through the schools because they can get better deals on the secondary ticket market. "The secondary ticket market has changed everything," Foley said.

• Quality of games: Fans say they are growing tired of paying premium ticket prices for cupcake opponents. Some fans will put those tickets on the secondary ticket market or just stay at home for what they know will be a blowout and save the money for transportation, hotel and food. Even though the schools have sold the ticket, they miss out on the revenue generated by concessions, memorabilia sales, etc.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...-on-offense-looking-to-enhance-fan-experience

Go Gophers!!

 

[station19]

Well gee, when the demand goes down the price should go down. I think it's called supply and demand.

Any stadium can be filled.

 

[Schnauzer]

Sounds like everyone is battling with the same issues, some more than others.

 

[forever a gopher]

Replay: In the past, the SEC would only show one replay of any particular play in a game. And it had to be in real time, not in slow motion. The objective was to protect the officials from an overexcited fan base. That rule was changed last season. "If a play was under review, we couldn't show it at all," Strickland said. "That had to change. If the people at home are seeing a numerous times in slow motion then we have to do it as well."

This is the one that irks me the most. Now with BTN, ESPN, ABC, etc. airing every game, there are cameras everywhere. Why Joe six-pack can sit on his couch at home, get multiple high-def replays, while I'm paying to be at the stadium and get none blows my mind. And they're amazed that attendance is going down?!? High definition TV and relatively cheap large screen TV's has to be the worst thing to happen to live sports from an attendance perspective.

They're essentially saying that they restrict the viewing of replays to 50k- 100+k fans in attendance to prevent a few officials from being booed? Really? If they make a bad call, they should get booed. It's not like they're not used to it. TCF has a large, fancy video board. I'd like to see it used for more than a Case IH Red Zone graphic and other random advertisements.

 

[SelectionSunday]

A thumbs up to all season-ticket holders who are sick of seeing sh*t nonconference games. Pay mostly premium prices for glorified scrimmages.

 

[Rescooter]

The way certain people talk on this board (walrus I'm looking at you), you would think that student attendance, arriving late, leaving early was exclusively a U of M thing. The important thing is keeping the experience relavent and making it "the" place to be on Saturdays. I think the entire staff finally gets it and I'm looking forward to great things in the future.

 

[wait!what?]

its same everywhere...a couple of weeks ago UW stated 25% of tickets go unused. Sold yes but not used. I'm sure attendance was down during WW2 and the sport considers it a golden age. the sport will be fine.

 

[FreakyDeke]

A thumbs up to all season-ticket holders who are sick of seeing sh*t nonconference games. Pay mostly premium prices for glorified scrimmages.

No one is forcing you to go. You don't pay premium prices for those games, they are basically free. You would spend $275 if you went to Iowa, Wisc, and Nebraska this year buying tickets on a per game basis alone, probably.

 

[Firejumper]

This is the one that irks me the most. Now with BTN, ESPN, ABC, etc. airing every game, there are cameras everywhere. Why Joe six-pack can sit on his couch at home, get multiple high-def replays, while I'm paying to be at the stadium and get none blows my mind. And they're amazed that attendance is going down?!? High definition TV and relatively cheap large screen TV's has to be the worst thing to happen to live sports from an attendance perspective.

They're essentially saying that they restrict the viewing of replays to 50k- 100+k fans in attendance to prevent a few officials from being booed? Really? If they make a bad call, they should get booed. It's not like they're not used to it. TCF has a large, fancy video board. I'd like to see it used for more than a Case IH Red Zone graphic and other random advertisements.

Amen brother !

 

[norman dale]

I read this article yesterday and hope it lands in the inbox of Norwood Teague et al... As previously mentioned modern day television has made it more enjoyable to view the game itself from the comforts of ones home. I too would rather watch the game itself in front of my HD plasma with surround sound but the beauty of college football is often not the game itself but what happens before and after the game, i.e. the gameday atmosphere, which is an area that Teague has promised to improve. University sanctioned improvements in that regards arecoming for the student population but nothing yet has been offered to the non-student fan.

Student attendance: Student attendance overall has dropped or, if the students do come, they show up late and leave early. Georgia has cut back its student allotment for tickets from 18,000 to 16,000 per game. It has taken those 2,000 tickets and sold them to young alumni who can obtain them without a contribution. "We haven't averaged 16,000 in student attendance in a long time," said Greg McGarity, the athletics director at Georgia. "This was a chance to help our young alumni get started as season ticket holders with a relatively small financial commitment."

A study by the Crimson White, the student newspaper at Alabama, said only 69.4 percent of student tickets were used during the 2012 season. And we're talking about a football program that has won three of the last four BCS national championships.

"I'm very concerned about it," Alabama AD Bill Battle told me when we visited in his office this spring.

Not surprised by the bolded figure that Alabama estimates. A lot of students would rather party with their friends and keep up with the game via social media. A 19 year college male looking for some poon would rather hang out with the poon bait and check in with the game on his smartphone rather than attend the game. That 19 year old guy is the same whether it be in Tuscaloosa or Minneapolis.

 

[Unregistered User]

I too would rather watch the game itself in front of my HD plasma with surround sound...

I haven't been to a Vikings game live in about 8 years simply because I can't hate the atmosphere inside NFL stadiums. But I would always prefer to watch college games live because I like the atmosphere before, during, and after so much.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

That 19 year old guy is the same whether it be in Tuscaloosa or Minneapolis.

Only if the Alabama guy has a full set of teeth and isn't chasing his cousin...

Somebody had to say it!

I'm still a little surprised that Alabama is having trouble getting kids to come just do to the winning factor. I also noticed a couple games last year that the student section at Wisconsin was noticably not full, even though they were obviously en route to a Rose Bowl bid. I really wonder how much this upcoming generation will ever attend games long term since everything is so instant gratification now...

 

[fryguy22]

I haven't been to a Vikings game live in about 8 years simply because I can't hate the atmosphere inside NFL stadiums. But I would always prefer to watch college games live because I like the atmosphere before, during, and after so much.

Completely agree with this sentiment.

 

[imthewalrus]

The way certain people talk on this board (walrus I'm looking at you), you would think that student attendance, arriving late, leaving early was exclusively a U of M thing. The important thing is keeping the experience relavent and making it "the" place to be on Saturdays. I think the entire staff finally gets it and I'm looking forward to great things in the future.

Now rescooter, old buddy, you once again seem to want to jump the guy by complaining about me. This is what I said on the 9th page of the thread that I started asking people to name the person who should be accountable at the U of M for improving Game Day Saturday and the student section problem at the U of M. I NEVER implied it was ONLY a U of M problem....in fact I focused upon the MSU "twitter" problem. So, you can feel free to apologize rescooter. Just read what I wrote in the very RECENT past. I questioned whether the entire college football thing was as important to today's college students as it once was... ; 0 )


"...Michigan State has been fairly successful in football lately...but...they have trouble getting their students into games when the weather is bad and they can't use their electronic devices to twitter to their hearts content during rainy...cold football games. Maybe it's not entirely about winning. Winning alone isn't enough for todays' breed of student sections, the MSU plight might suggest...

Maybe football is an outdated game and only the "old timers and blue hairs...are the only ones who really care about "being there" and still have excitement and passion for B1G Game Day Football.

I say put the pressure on the athletic department administrators to figure out what it will take to get the students into the student section. Or if this norwood fails to do that in 2013, maybe the students really just plain don't care and don't want the awesome responsibility of having to waste all that time standing in the student section for about seven Saturdays in the fall. That's legit if that's the way it is. Maybe today's students really don't think it is worth their time that they could better spend doing other things. Watch the Michigan State situation. Perhaps twittering at will really does top the college football experience for college students in 2013. If that's the way it is...that's the way it is...They are still great people and interesting, productive citizens. Maybe student participation in the ancient ritual of Game Day Saturday Football is diminishing...especially in the mid-section of the country where the weather gets cold, rainey and sometimes does NOT support good random and at will "twittering" conditions in the student sections. Call it the "East Lansing Student Section Shrinkage Factor..." (The "...ELSSSF..." may be a sign of things to come to campus settings any where the weather gets cold and it rains/snows/sleets in the mid-west... twittering area..."

; 0 ) Last edited by imthewalrus


Now "scoot along" rescooter. Here's looking at you, rescooter...you must have been a bit confused with what you implied about me. Remember my reference to the East Lansing Student Section Shrinkage Factor... (from this thread...) Student Section Attendence: who is ultimately responsible for this problem?
Started by imthewalrus, 04-08-2013 09:34 AM

; 0 )

 

[Killjoy]

Now rescooter, old buddy, you once again seem to want to jump the guy by complaining about me. This is what I said on the 9th page of the thread that I started asking people to name the person who should be accountable at the U of M for improving Game Day Saturday and the student section problem at the U of M. I NEVER implied it was ONLY a U of M problem....in fact I focused upon the MSU "twitter" problem. So, you can feel free to apologize rescooter. Just read what I wrote in the very RECENT past. I questioned whether the entire college football thing was as important to today's college students as it once was... ; 0 )


"...Michigan State has been fairly successful in football lately...but...they have trouble getting their students into games when the weather is bad and they can't use their electronic devices to twitter to their hearts content during rainy...cold football games. Maybe it's not entirely about winning. Winning alone isn't enough for todays' breed of student sections, the MSU plight might suggest...

Maybe football is an outdated game and only the "old timers and blue hairs...are the only ones who really care about "being there" and still have excitement and passion for B1G Game Day Football.

I say put the pressure on the athletic department administrators to figure out what it will take to get the students into the student section. Or if this norwood fails to do that in 2013, maybe the students really just plain don't care and don't want the awesome responsibility of having to waste all that time standing in the student section for about seven Saturdays in the fall. That's legit if that's the way it is. Maybe today's students really don't think it is worth their time that they could better spend doing other things. Watch the Michigan State situation. Perhaps twittering at will really does top the college football experience for college students in 2013. If that's the way it is...that's the way it is...They are still great people and interesting, productive citizens. Maybe student participation in the ancient ritual of Game Day Saturday Football is diminishing...especially in the mid-section of the country where the weather gets cold, rainey and sometimes does NOT support good random and at will "twittering" conditions in the student sections. Call it the "East Lansing Student Section Shrinkage Factor..." (The "...ELSSSF..." may be a sign of things to come to campus settings any where the weather gets cold and it rains/snows/sleets in the mid-west... twittering area..."

; 0 ) Last edited by imthewalrus

There used to be somebody here who would decipher wren's ramblings into a relatively short paragraph that could be read in less than 30 seconds. What happened to that person?