Gator Country

VTGator · 12-19-2012, 11:04 AM

Billy D not focused on attendance

He says all the right things about not focusing on attendance, not a big deal etc. But this is just pitiful:

Quote:

Attendance has trended downward in both college football and college basketball in recent years due to factors such as more games being available on television, high-definition television and later start times due to national TV. Still, of the eight teams that reached the Elite Eight last season, Florida’s average paid attendance was the second-lowest, ahead of just Baylor.

malscott · 12-19-2012, 11:15 AM

current national reality...blame the university president for making our school more academic. Plus, one or more can drink heavily in the comfort of your apt, dorm, home, and watch a decent flat screen. Heck if you drink you can have an old TV it don't matter none! Basketball all you need to do is watch the last 3 minutes anyway. FlavsAz is a good example. A confluence of factors go into sporting event consideration these days.

**ThePlayer** · 12-19-2012, 11:54 AM

Not good.
This would never happen at Kentucky.

**luciaboy** · 12-19-2012, 12:05 PM

we are a long way from the tradition and success of uk. we will always be football dominated. this is not just a uf problem

Gatorrick22 · 12-19-2012, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePlayer

Not good.
This would never happen at Kentucky.

And their (Kentucky's) football stadium never looks as full as our does. It's the holiday season and kids are leaving town in droves. Attendance will all pick up again after New Years.

**fubar1** · 12-19-2012, 12:27 PM

Been a long time since I've been to a Gator basketball game since I don't live in FL anymore.

If I wanted an above average seat, what would it cost me every year for a season ticket?

dailydoublecat · 12-19-2012, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatorrick22

And their (Kentucky's) football stadium never looks as full as our does. It's the holiday season and kids are leaving town in droves. Attendance will all pick up again after New Years.

There is a difference Kentucky mostly has a piss poor product in football while your basketball team is pretty damn good most years!!
Jeff

iam4uf · 12-19-2012, 01:18 PM

Regardless of school, I've seen more & more partially-filled football/basketball stadiums/arenas over the last 3-4 years, but some of the games lately have been really bad.

BengermanV · 12-19-2012, 01:21 PM

Yeah, it is certainly disappointing. I'd hope that it will pick up after football season is over and the attention is turned to the basketball team.

swampgas44 · 12-19-2012, 02:14 PM

Another of Brockway's articles with an overall negative theme. Three recent articles. 1) Billy bends the rules better than anyone. 2) Billy still interested in the NBA. 3) Bad attendance.
Brockway needs to go back on the antidepressants. How about an article about how fortunate we are to have a coach like Billy Donovan.

iam4uf · 12-19-2012, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampgas44

Another of Brockway's articles with an overall negative theme. Three recent articles. 1) Billy bends the rules better than anyone. 2) Billy still interested in the NBA. 3) Bad attendance.
Brockway needs to go back on the antidepressants. How about an article about how fortunate we are to have a coach like Billy Donovan.

Yeah I've noticed this as well. I'm not expecting a homer, but at least some balance.

REM08 · 12-19-2012, 03:54 PM

This seems like a non-story to me. Look at the teams that made the elite eight last year

UK, Baylor, UNC, Kansas, Louisville, Syracuse, Ohio State. How many of them should Florida have better attendance than? Baylor and Ohio State? Thats really all I can come up with and its no disrespect to Florida. The other schools usually have some of the nations best attendance figures. Its a tough crowd.

Attendance is down in most sports for a variety of reasons, many of which have been discussed on here before. No school is entirely immune to it IMO. However, I am still surprised the gators don't draw better for basketball considering the product on the floor and the coach on the sidelines. Not the end of the world though.

kygator · 12-19-2012, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dailydoublecat

There is a difference Kentucky mostly has a piss poor product in football while your basketball team is pretty damn good most years!!
Jeff

Lexington's population is also more than double that of Gainesville. Plus football games are on Saturdays. Lexington would be packed with people from eastern Ky on a Saturday even if there wasn't a football or basketball game because it is the "big city" to them. Florida's first home Saturday basketball game won't be until Jan 19th. I'm not sure why Foley couldn't figure out a way to have a single decent OOC basketball game on a Saturday.

Gatorgal04 · 12-19-2012, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampgas44

Brockway needs to go back on the antidepressants.

Thanks for the laugh!

PIMking · 12-19-2012, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThePlayer

Not good.
This would never happen at Kentucky.

Kentucky doesn't have 25% on football weekends

Sent from my iPhone using GatorCountry

REM08 · 12-19-2012, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

Kentucky doesn't have 25% on football weekends

Sent from my iPhone using GatorCountry

Yeah, I don't get these comparisons. UK football won two games this year. Florida basketball doing similarly well?

Jonas · 12-19-2012, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Still, of the eight teams that reached the Elite Eight last season, Florida’s average paid attendance was the second-lowest, ahead of just Baylor

Is this just because UF students get tickets for free, and most schools charge for student tickets (I think)? I've heard that we've actually have a lot of sell outs or near sell outs. The issue is that alumni have to biy season tickets and they don't show up for a lot of the games due to travel issues.

REM08 · 12-19-2012, 06:57 PM

Brockway harping/tweeting about attendance right now:

Quote:

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops

Sparse crowd tonight at O'Dome. To be expected, given students are on break, quality of opponent. pic.twitter.com/5SXNLohH

Jonas · 12-19-2012, 07:01 PM

He should take a picture of the rowdy reptile side

themistocles · 12-19-2012, 07:10 PM

Have any of you been to a women's tennis game or even a men's soccer or baseball game any time in history?

The only reason there has ever been much in the way of attendance at high school or college sporting events other than traditional rivalries in sports is due to the relatively recent growth in media coverage and the birth of professional athletics from the 1950s onwards.

Must of you are probably under 60 years of age, and are thinking almost strictly about College football and basketball, which never really had much in the way of attendance, other than arch rivalries, until TV and rapid transportation and heavy duty media coverage of sports like basketball and football since the advent of TV.

About the only college or high school sports to ever have much attendance were three types of sporting events:

1 - Arch rivalries in relatively popular sports,

2 - Games of teams that are league or national contenders in a few of the more popular sports (i mean think of water polo attendance), and

3 - Football and Basketball attendance at league or national contending schools.

Other than that, neither high schools nor colleges have ever seen much attendance other than from a few sports fanatics and the parents or friends/girl/boy friends of the athletes who are competing. I mean, how many people go to Track meets other than Conference Championships at most schools?

How can there be a downward trend when there never has been much attendance other than at a few high profile schools anyway?