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waltgreenberg Offline
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Post: #1
Baseball Attendance
At the quarter turn of the season, Reckling home attendance is down significantly (by over 1,100 per game on average) from previous years, and currently rank only 30th in the nation (vs. our usual spot in the #13 - #16 range). We're averaging just 2,076/game through the first 9 home games of the season...

http://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/news/...140310.pdf

No question the early season 4:30pm CST start times has hurt, as did the 10:00am Saturday first game (accounting for 6 of the 9 home games played to date), but such a precipitous drop? And this has included home games against UH, SHSU and Texas State. One has to assume this represents a significant drop in season ticket sales. Very disappointing.

Tomorrow will be a big test-- we're back to the 6:30pm start for weekday games, and we face TCU. If we cannot pull in at least 3,500 for this game, something is amiss.
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2014 01:32 PM by waltgreenberg.)
03-10-2014 01:29 PM
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grol Offline
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Post: #2
RE: Baseball Attendance
The stands have been amazingly empty. One wonders...
03-10-2014 02:11 PM
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Orange County Owl Offline
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Post: #3
RE: Baseball Attendance
I'm pretty sure that our announced attendance figures reflect tickets sold/distributed. As such, I've been assuming that this year's lower figures reflect a significant drop in the season ticket base. There have been games over recent seasons in which butts-in-seats have been down for whatever reason (weather, start time, etc...) - but our announced # still approaches/exceeds 3,000. Not the case this year - those figures are closer to 2,000.

Something appears to be going on. There has obviously also been a drop in interest in MBB, but that one's a little more explainable.

Caveat ... please feel free to correct me if I am incorrect here.
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2014 02:21 PM by Orange County Owl.)
03-10-2014 02:20 PM
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Post: #4
RE: Baseball Attendance
I've yet to go to a game this year, and I think it is a combination of game times and the opening weekend opponent being Purdue and the conference opener being ODU.
03-10-2014 02:20 PM
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talon owl Offline
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Post: #5
RE: Baseball Attendance
Combination of factors, among them (in no order of import):

(1) the lack of offense and the lack of tension previously created by the ever-present threat that a homerun or big inning might at any moment change the game. (likely plaguing CBB in general) (i'll tell ya, baseball can be pretty dull without that tension, pleasant, but dull)

(2) the schedule is just not as interesting any more (so far we've hosted Purdue and ODU for weekend series, I mean, come on)

(3) the weather so far has been marginal

(4) it's been a while since we've gone to Omaha

But it's probably too early to draw any conclusions.
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2014 02:22 PM by talon owl.)
03-10-2014 02:21 PM
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Benchwarmer Owl Offline
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Post: #6
RE: Baseball Attendance
Here is my speculation, continued from another thread:

College baseball has become boring, especially at Rice, because no one is hitting. Rice doesn't score because it has a weak offense. Other teams don't score because Rice has great pitching. Or, neither team scores because the game has changed and changed for the worse. Line drives, extra base hits, and home runs have been replaced by weak ground balls to infielders, popups, and sacrifice bunts. After several years of anemic hitting and low-scoring games, fans are turned off.
03-10-2014 02:34 PM
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waltgreenberg Offline
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Post: #7
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 02:21 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Combination of factors, among them (in no order of import):

(1) the lack of offense and the lack of tension previously created by the ever-present threat that a homerun or big inning might at any moment change the game. (likely plaguing CBB in general) (i'll tell ya, baseball can be pretty dull without that tension, pleasant, but dull)

(2) the schedule is just not as interesting any more (so far we've hosted Purdue and ODU for weekend series, I mean, come on)

(3) the weather so far has been marginal

(4) it's been a while since we've gone to Omaha

But it's probably too early to draw any conclusions.

None of those impact season ticket sales, save for possibly your last point...and if anyone chooses not to attend games because we haven't made it to the Elite 8 the past 5 years...well, I'd be speechless.
03-10-2014 02:39 PM
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waltgreenberg Offline
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Post: #8
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 02:34 PM)Benchwarmer Owl Wrote:  Here is my speculation, continued from another thread:

College baseball has become boring, especially at Rice, because no one is hitting. Rice doesn't score because it has a weak offense. Other teams don't score because Rice has great pitching. Or, neither team scores because the game has changed and changed for the worse. Line drives, extra base hits, and home runs have been replaced by weak ground balls to infielders, popups, and sacrifice bunts. After several years of anemic hitting and low-scoring games, fans are turned off.

If we were LSU, I'd buy that, but we're not. Rice has been a pitching first team since at least 2002; it's our signature. Hitting comes and goes, but pitching has always been a constant...and Rice fans (perhaps not fans from other teams) have come to appreciate that. BTW, UT is a worse hitting team than us-- and certainly has been for the past 3 - 4 years, but they've been consistently averaging 5,500 in per game attendance.

And to paraphrase Coach Mora...Omaha? O-M-A-H-A? Heck, UT has missed the post-season 3 of the past 5 years! Don't ask me about Omaha!
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2014 02:48 PM by waltgreenberg.)
03-10-2014 02:46 PM
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talon owl Offline
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Post: #9
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 02:39 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  
(03-10-2014 02:21 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Combination of factors, among them (in no order of import):

(1) the lack of offense and the lack of tension previously created by the ever-present threat that a homerun or big inning might at any moment change the game. (likely plaguing CBB in general) (i'll tell ya, baseball can be pretty dull without that tension, pleasant, but dull)

(2) the schedule is just not as interesting any more (so far we've hosted Purdue and ODU for weekend series, I mean, come on)

(3) the weather so far has been marginal

(4) it's been a while since we've gone to Omaha

But it's probably too early to draw any conclusions.

None of those impact season ticket sales, save for possibly your last point...and if anyone chooses not to attend games because we haven't made it to the Elite 8 the past 5 years...well, I'd be speechless.

To my mind the first two could certainly impact season ticket sales.
03-10-2014 02:46 PM
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waltgreenberg Offline
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Post: #10
RE: Baseball Attendance
Again, folks, we're talking about a sudden 33% drop in average home attendance from not only 2013, but the average home attendance for the past decade.
03-10-2014 02:50 PM
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Orange County Owl Offline
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Post: #11
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 02:50 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  Again, folks, we're talking about a sudden 33% drop in average home attendance from not only 2013, but the average home attendance for the past decade.

And to piggyback here, we're not just talking about a drop in the real butts-in-seats numbers (although I'm sure that's an issue as well) ... we're talking about a drop in announced numbers, which reflect tickets distributed (e.g. season tickets).

As such, issues like early season weather and start time are only partially relevant.

On the heels of the catastrophic basketball attendance, there is something structural going on.
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2014 03:20 PM by Orange County Owl.)
03-10-2014 02:54 PM
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Da.Owl Offline
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Post: #12
RE: Baseball Attendance
Tuesday evening, Rice is hosting TCU which should be a great game, albeit a low scoring pitching duel ala Minute Maid.

Meanwhile, the Rockets ... the hottest team in the NBA, are playing the Thunder in OKC. The Rocket's growing bandwagon support is liable to cut into Rice's causal "Hey, let's go see a ballgame tonight" walk-up crowd.

Matter of fact, if the Rockets keep rolling into the NBA play-offs there could be an effect felt in The Reck.
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2014 03:01 PM by Da.Owl.)
03-10-2014 03:00 PM
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13thOwl Offline
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Post: #13
RE: Baseball Attendance
Two guesses, 1) new method for calculating attendance; and/or 2) decreased season ticket sales.
03-10-2014 03:09 PM
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waltgreenberg Offline
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Post: #14
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 03:09 PM)13thOwl Wrote:  Two guesses, 1) new method for calculating attendance; and/or 2) decreased season ticket sales.

It appears all the other programs are holding their usual average attendance numbers. Rice is the only one showing the precipitous year-to-year decline.
03-10-2014 03:12 PM
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OptimisticOwl Offline
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Post: #15
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 02:21 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Combination of factors, among them (in no order of import):

(1) the lack of offense and the lack of tension previously created by the ever-present threat that a homerun or big inning might at any moment change the game. (likely plaguing CBB in general) (i'll tell ya, baseball can be pretty dull without that tension, pleasant, but dull)

(2) the schedule is just not as interesting any more (so far we've hosted Purdue and ODU for weekend series, I mean, come on)

(3) the weather so far has been marginal

(4) it's been a while since we've gone to Omaha

But it's probably too early to draw any conclusions.


i think TO uas hit the nail on the head, four times.
03-10-2014 03:17 PM
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Hambone10 Offline
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Post: #16
RE: Baseball Attendance
While I agree 100% with Talon's post....

Wayne mentioned to me a more general 'across the board' malaise towards college baseball... which is probably reflective of the 'dead' bats and balls.
03-10-2014 03:28 PM
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At Ease Offline
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Post: #17
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 02:46 PM)talon owl Wrote:  
(03-10-2014 02:39 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  
(03-10-2014 02:21 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Combination of factors, among them (in no order of import):

(1) the lack of offense and the lack of tension previously created by the ever-present threat that a homerun or big inning might at any moment change the game. (likely plaguing CBB in general) (i'll tell ya, baseball can be pretty dull without that tension, pleasant, but dull)

(2) the schedule is just not as interesting any more (so far we've hosted Purdue and ODU for weekend series, I mean, come on)

(3) the weather so far has been marginal

(4) it's been a while since we've gone to Omaha

But it's probably too early to draw any conclusions.

None of those impact season ticket sales, save for possibly your last point...and if anyone chooses not to attend games because we haven't made it to the Elite 8 the past 5 years...well, I'd be speechless.

To my mind the first two could certainly impact season ticket sales.

I think you pretty much nailed it. The game is less interesting, the Owls are less dominant, the competition is far less noteworthy.. these are things that are going to lose some % of the non-diehard fans. Especially as these trends arose after periods in which fans were asked to pay more and more and more to be a part of the program.
03-10-2014 03:38 PM
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waltgreenberg Offline
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Post: #18
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 03:38 PM)At Ease Wrote:  
(03-10-2014 02:46 PM)talon owl Wrote:  
(03-10-2014 02:39 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  
(03-10-2014 02:21 PM)talon owl Wrote:  Combination of factors, among them (in no order of import):

(1) the lack of offense and the lack of tension previously created by the ever-present threat that a homerun or big inning might at any moment change the game. (likely plaguing CBB in general) (i'll tell ya, baseball can be pretty dull without that tension, pleasant, but dull)

(2) the schedule is just not as interesting any more (so far we've hosted Purdue and ODU for weekend series, I mean, come on)

(3) the weather so far has been marginal

(4) it's been a while since we've gone to Omaha

But it's probably too early to draw any conclusions.

None of those impact season ticket sales, save for possibly your last point...and if anyone chooses not to attend games because we haven't made it to the Elite 8 the past 5 years...well, I'd be speechless.

To my mind the first two could certainly impact season ticket sales.

I think you pretty much nailed it. The game is less interesting, the Owls are less dominant, the competition is far less noteworthy.. these are things that are going to lose some % of the non-diehard fans. Especially as these trends arose after periods in which fans were asked to pay more and more and more to be a part of the program.

The Owls are no more or less dominant than they have been the past 5 seasons...and the cost of a season ticket has stayed pretty level (and is dirt cheap compared to other ticket prices). I can understand a drop, but a sudden 33% drop?
03-10-2014 03:44 PM
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Post: #19
RE: Baseball Attendance
(03-10-2014 03:44 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  The Owls are no more or less dominant than they have been the past 5 seasons...and the cost of a season ticket has stayed pretty level (and is dirt cheap compared to other ticket prices). I can understand a drop, but a sudden 33% drop?


I don't disagree with your comments here and you may have this info....

Pulling 3000 and 2000 out of a hat.... Have we generally started the season at 3000 season tickets? Or do we seem to have a fair number who wait until the season gets going to buy them? NOT because it saves them money, but because they weren't interested in the early games anyway and the post-season (not just for us) shapes up more clearly as time passes? I'm talking about (as an example) Baseball fans who are longhorn or aggie supporters (when they are good) who will watch us play 'big' games and certainly the tournament??
(This post was last modified: 03-10-2014 03:49 PM by Hambone10.)
03-10-2014 03:47 PM
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Mademen Offline
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Post: #20
RE: Baseball Attendance
Probably has little effect on baseball attendance, but Rice has had TBA in its staff directory for quite some time on its Marketing staff.
03-10-2014 03:49 PM
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