Declining College Football Attendence

[AugustaGator]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary...ege-football-is-so-popular-where-are-the-fans

For the sixth consecutive season attendance at regular season major college football games dropped ... about 7 percent since its peak in 2008, according to an analysis by CBS Sports ....

A slow but steady slippage in live attendance doesn’t mean a precipitous slide is ahead for college football. Lucrative television broadcast contracts are a much more important source of revenue; strong TV ratings, which haven’t seen a similar decline, not ticket sales drive those contracts.

Does attendance lead to future watching on TV? I'd say yes.

 

[gingerlover]

people just don't care as much about bowls anymore. They should expand the playoff and include the bowl games as playoff sites for the final 8 whether they go to 8 teams or 16 or beyond. I'd also like to see a better breakdown of where attendance is down. Poor product in some areas, but are the averages being weighed down by the Wyomings and Minnesotas of the world?

 

[ChiefGator]

If I lived closer I might go to more games. The alternatives are to watch it in the comfort of my own seat, large TV, food, and drink. Not to mention a nice bathroom close at hand. I also have physical limitations as well, so probably no more live football for me.

 

[Gator Fever]

Yep cable cord cutting is a really big issue going forward and its taking off big time with ESPN losing subscribers now. I think they will be forced to offer packages broken down to specific targeted programming soon or they will lose even more. Some people just want a few sports channels and a couple of others and that is it and don't want to be forced to subsidize all that other mess.

 

[rogdochar]

I had to quit attending live games after I lost my third I-phone there.

 

[CU-UF]

The attendance issue is a complex one, multi-factorial. I dont think you can hang your hat on one and say "see! this is why we have declining attendance"

 

[Double Gator Dad]

The attendance issue is a complex one, multi-factorial. I dont think you can hang your hat on one and say "see! this is why we have declining attendance"

I agree completely. The last list I had included more than ten reasons and counting

 

[Bama&GatorFan]

Look what it costs to go to a game nowadays! It is ridiculous if you want to get a decent ticket at a good Alabama game. Even Florida at Vandy was too expensive this year. And the parking/traffic is atrocious at most stadiums (not too bad at Vandy).

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Exhibit W in Gator Chatter members politicizing things that have nothing to do with politics.

Let's break this down.

1. HD TV
2. Flat screens with perfect picture are cheaper than ever
3. Uncomfortable bleachers vs. your own couch
4. Ticket prices
5. Food and drink prices at the stadium vs. home
6. Literally every game is on TV
7. Improved camera angles and coverage during games

That's why attendance is down. Staying at home and watching on TV has become the more convenient and easiest way to watch the game. It used to be only a handful of games were on TV and it was crappy coverage, now it isn't.

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

I remember watching a few minutes of Alabama last year against a patsy and their must of been 7 to 10 thousand empty seats up high, so if it's there its everywhere.
Personally I'm hooked, been going since 10 with my dad. At 15 one of my best friend's called him self a seminole he was the first of us to get a drivers license so I talked him into driving 4 of us to Florida field and we scalped tickets off the street.

We sat in the old swaying bleachers in the south endzone and by the middle of the 3rd quarter he was completely hoarse and is
now the biggest gator fan I know.
I now spend fall Saturdays in the swamp with my boys and I hope that continues for many more years.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

Sweet tea over crushed ice with lemon. Who needs jumbotrons?

 

[URGatorBait]

Yep cable cord cutting is a really big issue going forward and its taking off big time with ESPN losing subscribers now. I think they will be forced to offer packages broken down to specific targeted programming soon or they will lose even more. Some people just want a few sports channels and a couple of others and that is it and don't want to be forced to subsidize all that other mess.

Espn already does offer packages with pretty much all the cable alternatives.
Playstation Vue actually seems like a good option since it also allows access to watchESPN app, not all of them do.

 

[divits]

Beatniks? The 1960's called, they said they'd like their disaffected youth reference back.

 

[divits]

Exhibit W in Gator Chatter members politicizing things that have nothing to do with politics.

Let's break this down.

1. HD TV
2. Flat screens with perfect picture are cheaper than ever
3. Uncomfortable bleachers vs. your own couch
4. Ticket prices
5. Food and drink prices at the stadium vs. home
6. Literally every game is on TV
7. Improved camera angles and coverage during games

That's why attendance is down. Staying at home and watching on TV has become the more convenient and easiest way to watch the game. It used to be only a handful of games we're on TV and it was crappy coverage, now it isn't.

I'll go with all these. The time investment is a big consideration too. I live in Oviedo (Orlando) and I usually leave for G'vlle about 4-5 hours before kickoff for a 3:30 game. That means I leave home at 10:30 AM and get home around 10:30 PM. That's 8 hours more than just watching it on the tube.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

Adding the 12th game to the regular season in 2006 sure didn't help. And I don't care what Sas will say the economy ain't what it use to be.

 

[-THE DUDE-]

Exhibit W in Gator Chatter members politicizing things that have nothing to do with politics.

Let's break this down.

1. HD TV
2. Flat screens with perfect picture are cheaper than ever
3. Uncomfortable bleachers vs. your own couch
4. Ticket prices
5. Food and drink prices at the stadium vs. home
6. Literally every game is on TV
7. Improved camera angles and coverage during games

That's why attendance is down. Staying at home and watching on TV has become the more convenient and easiest way to watch the game. It used to be only a handful of games were on TV and it was crappy coverage, now it isn't.

And outrageous hotel prices with a 2 night minimum for out of state fans

 

[Gator Fever]

Espn already does offer packages with pretty much all the cable alternatives.
Playstation Vue actually seems like a good option since it also allows access to watchESPN app, not all of them do.

Is there any way to get say the ESPN channels and just add in like a couple of other varied channels without having to get a whole expanded package with any of these services?

 

[HauntedGator]

Hey first time poster here, used to post at the "other board" lots though. I attended the Outback Bowl last monday and the price of everything is ridiculous....$9.25 a beer!!!! And its only 16 ounces! Ive been to several Bowl games but this one was the most expensive ever! Maybe cost is hurting attendance?