(07-02-2015 01:33 AM)uakronkid Wrote: After looking through Akron's attendance, we see 36% fewer fans on weeknight games compared to Saturday games. I'm betting the numbers are similar across the conference.
true. sorta kinda. below is from Zips Nation, all of the home games for the last 6 years ranked by attendance-
9/12/2009 Morgan State 27,881
11/7/2009 Can't 20,802
10/2/2013 Can't 20,239
11/12/2011 Can't 19,889
10/5/2013 Ohio 19,775
9/7/2013 JMU 19,653
9/21/2013 Louisiana 18,809
9/19/2009 Indiana 18,340
10/10/2009 Ohio 16,381
10/26/2013 Ball State 16,119
10/8/2011 FIU 16,016
9/4/2010 Syracuse 15,969
9/10/2011 Temple 15,156
10/22/2011 Ohio 14,760
9/24/2011 VMI 14,257
10/29/2011 Central 14,327
9/20/2014 Marshall 13,357
8/30/2012 UCF 12,616 Thursday
11/29/2013 Toledo 12,506 Friday
10/2/2010 Northern 12,133
11/13/2009 Temple 10,927 Friday
11/4/2014 BG 10,348 Thursday
10/6/2012 BG 10,102
10/23/2010 Western 10,073
9/11/2010 GWU 10,046
9/15/2012 Morgan 9,933
11/27/2009 Eastern 9,962 Friday
8/28/2014 Howard 9,104 Thursday
10/4/2014 Eastern 8,416
10/11/2014 Miami 8,223
9/29/2012 Miami 8,211
11/10/2012 UMass 7,716
11/17/2010 Miami 7,671 Wednesday
10/20/2012 Northern 7,074
11/18/2014 UMass 5,571 Tuesday
11/26/2010 Buffalo 5,216 Friday
Here's the list again, this time sorted by attendance and broken down by month-
9/12/2009 Morgan State 27,881
9/7/2013 JMU 19,653
9/19/2009 Indiana 18,340
9/21/2013 Louisiana 18,809
9/4/2010 Syracuse 15,969
9/10/2011 Temple 15,156
9/24/2011 VMI 14,257
9/20/2014 Marshall 13,357
8/30/2012 UCF 12,616 Thursday
9/11/2010 GWU 10,046
9/15/2012 Morgan 9,933
8/28/2014 Howard 9,104 Thursday
9/29/2012 Miami 8,211
10/2/2013 Can't 20,239
10/5/2013 Ohio 19,775
10/10/2009 Ohio 16,381
10/26/2013 Ball State 16,119
10/8/2011 FIU 16,016
10/22/2011 Ohio 14,760
10/29/2011 Central 14,327
10/2/2010 Northern 12,133
10/6/2012 BG 10,102
10/23/2010 Western 10,073
10/4/2014 Eastern 8,416
10/11/2014 Miami 8,223
10/20/2012 Northern 7,074
11/7/2009 Can't 20,802
11/12/2011 Can't 19,889
11/29/2013 Toledo 12,506 Friday
11/13/2009 Temple 10,927 Friday
11/4/2014 BG 10,348 Thursday
11/27/2009 Eastern 9,962 Friday
11/10/2012 UMass 7,716
11/17/2010 Miami 7,671 Wednesday
11/18/2014 UMass 5,571 Tuesday
11/26/2010 Buffalo 5,216 Friday
To correctly evaluate the impact of non-Saturday games you have to put them in the proper context-
3 Thursday games- 2 of the 3 games on Thursdays were season openers.
4 Friday games- 3 of the 4 Friday games were on Black Friday, the day after a holiday, and the last game of the season.
2 Tues/Wed games- 2 true weeknight, Nov. MACtion games.
I don't see playing the first or last game of the season on a non-Saturday as being an unfair burden to the team or it fans, or as something that is unique to being in the MAC. Look at opening weekend for 2015, there are 18 FBS games scheduled for Thursday and 9 scheduled for Friday. All of the P5 conferences have games scheduled for those days. I don't consider playing the season opener on a non-Saturday to be a reasonable excuse for poor attendance.
I also do not think its reasonable to suggest that playing the last game of the season on the Friday after Thanksgiving has any significant impact on attendance compared to playing that game on the following day.
So that leaves a couple of midweek November games over the past 6yrs, hardly an unreasonable burden for a fanbase. I believe the month a game is played in has a bigger impact on attendance than the day.