OK regular season over and I'm kind of wondering what people think about attendance and what is keeping some fans away. When ODU started football, we had a packed house with a waitlist for season tickets.
- Covid-19 keeping some away
- Cost of season tickets with fees
- Scheduling teams with little interest
- Winning will bring them back
- Lost of prime tailgate lots
- No cup-holders
- Don't want to walk two flights to use restroom
- Other
In my view, cost was a big factor. We had one in our tailgate was buying 8 tixs, now buys none. We sit on the 25-30 home side and tickets are $50/game w/fees. Hard to pass that price on and hard to justify buying spare tickets for friends. Almost double from before the upgraded stadium.
Winning cures all. For the average local, our product on the field was not worth paying for 2017- October 2021.
Next year we have our hardest non conference schedule ever and hopefully will get an SBC schedule that has us hosting App State and GS. Win and we will turn heads.
(11-28-2021 10:32 AM)DaBigBlue Wrote: [ -> ]OK regular season over and I'm kind of wondering what people think about attendance and what is keeping some fans away. When ODU started football, we had a packed house with a waitlist for season tickets.
- Covid-19 keeping some away
- Cost of season tickets with fees
- Scheduling teams with little interest
- Winning will bring them back
- Lost of prime tailgate lots
- No cup-holders
- Don't want to walk two flights to use restroom
- Other
No cup holders for 5 dollar hot water and no heated seats.
I really think it’s a combination of everything on your list to varying degrees. My hope is covid will go away (mostly) and an improving team will make the crowds better next year.
(11-28-2021 10:50 AM)monarx Wrote: [ -> ]I really think it’s a combination of everything on your list to varying degrees. My hope is covid will go away (mostly) and an improving team will make the crowds better next year.
I know my lady, won't go to FB games this year because of covid.
Lack of restrooms is a major deterrent to buying tix. Lack of concessions is another. Poor on field performance for 2+ years.
Our mid to late season turn around was a little to late to spark lots of interest. Lots of fans will brave heat, but I suspect not as many will brave the cold to see an iffy product.
Time and winning will cure some of this, but covid is still an issue for many. If thgis game was a week earlier, missing Thanksgiving distraction, I think we would have seen quite a few more fans.
Build a dome over the field and hang a 100’ scoreboard….
Just win. People who don’t already come to the games don’t know about the lack of amenities.
Going 1-6 to start the season, while having won one game in the past two years and only four the year previous, probably did a ton to hurt attendence. Attendence is like momentum, it takes a long time to build up, especially for a team at our level. While there may be gripes on season ticket fees, tailgating lots, and the restroom/cupholder situation, the vast majority of folks aren't making decisions based on that. They want to have a fun Saturday and the easiest way to know that is gonna happen is by watching a good team. Although we fans can understand the fight and tremendous success this second half of the year has been for this team, your average Joe schmo sees two below 0.500 teams. Going to a bowl game and this winning streak will pay dividends next year, as those will be the talking points used for the next 9 months as we prepare for a new season.
(11-28-2021 11:57 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote: [ -> ]Going 1-6 to start the season, while having won one game in the past two years and only four the year previous, probably did a ton to hurt attendence. Attendence is like momentum, it takes a long time to build up, especially for a team at our level. While there may be gripes on season ticket fees, tailgating lots, and the restroom/cupholder situation, the vast majority of folks aren't making decisions based on that. They want to have a fun Saturday and the easiest way to know that is gonna happen is by watching a good team. Although we fans can understand the fight and tremendous success this second half of the year has been for this team, your average Joe schmo sees two below 0.500 teams. Going to a bowl game and this winning streak will pay dividends next year, as those will be the talking points used for the next 9 months as we prepare for a new season.
Exactly my thoughts.
(11-28-2021 12:02 PM)Chillie Willie Wrote: [ -> ] (11-28-2021 11:57 AM)Blue_Trombone Wrote: [ -> ]Going 1-6 to start the season, while having won one game in the past two years and only four the year previous, probably did a ton to hurt attendence. Attendence is like momentum, it takes a long time to build up, especially for a team at our level. While there may be gripes on season ticket fees, tailgating lots, and the restroom/cupholder situation, the vast majority of folks aren't making decisions based on that. They want to have a fun Saturday and the easiest way to know that is gonna happen is by watching a good team. Although we fans can understand the fight and tremendous success this second half of the year has been for this team, your average Joe schmo sees two below 0.500 teams. Going to a bowl game and this winning streak will pay dividends next year, as those will be the talking points used for the next 9 months as we prepare for a new season.
Exactly my thoughts.
Yes.
Looking at home attendance this season
18,363 Hampton
18,197 Buffalo
16,418 WKU
13,309 LT
13,634 FAU
15,874 Clt
As we started winning, attendance started to creep back up. It probably would have been even better had the weather been less cold vs Clt.
2022 looks golden.
I predict that, based on this season's performance alone, we will see a substantial increase in season tickets next year.
Add to that the home VT game and we may even sell out. (hehe remember a number of VT fans bought season tickets the last time we hosted)
IF we make the jump to the SBC next season, then I would definitely expect a sell out of season tickets and near full attendance at every home game.
2021 Home Results with Attendance
09/11/2021 Hampton W 47-7 Attendance 18363
09/25/2021 Buffalo L 34-35 Attendance 18197
* 10/16/2021 Western Ky. L 20-43 Attendance 16418
* 10/30/2021 Louisiana Tech W 23-20 Attendance 13309
* 11/13/2021 Fla. Atlantic W 30-16 Attendance 13634
* 11/27/2021 Charlotte W 56-34 Attendance 15874
*Conference Games
I'm confused how you can re-design a stadium and only have restrooms one 1 level, when one side of stadium has 3 levels and the other has 2. Just weird.
How was the stadium still loud as I don't know what when it's like 60 to 70% full?
I was there yesterday and it was effing loud!!!
The way its designed was to be loud. If its ever full, its going to be really loud
Not directly tied to attendance, but if you stayed in parking lot to have another crappy beer as opposed to celebrating the seniors yesterday...
Well on the home side there are restrooms on the 2nd floor but only in the Priority Automotive Club.
(11-28-2021 06:49 PM)djnva Wrote: [ -> ]I'm confused how you can re-design a stadium and only have restrooms one 1 level, when one side of stadium has 3 levels and the other has 2. Just weird.
When you spend all your money on overtime instead of fan amenities.
(11-28-2021 12:31 PM)TedHead Wrote: [ -> ]2021 Home Results with Attendance
09/11/2021 Hampton W 47-7 Attendance 18363
09/25/2021 Buffalo L 34-35 Attendance 18197
* 10/16/2021 Western Ky. L 20-43 Attendance 16418
* 10/30/2021 Louisiana Tech W 23-20 Attendance 13309
* 11/13/2021 Fla. Atlantic W 30-16 Attendance 13634
* 11/27/2021 Charlotte W 56-34 Attendance 15874
*Conference Games
And those numbers are probably tickets sold. There couldn’t have been more than 9000 at FAU.
(11-28-2021 07:23 PM)monarx Wrote: [ -> ] (11-28-2021 12:31 PM)TedHead Wrote: [ -> ]2021 Home Results with Attendance
09/11/2021 Hampton W 47-7 Attendance 18363
09/25/2021 Buffalo L 34-35 Attendance 18197
* 10/16/2021 Western Ky. L 20-43 Attendance 16418
* 10/30/2021 Louisiana Tech W 23-20 Attendance 13309
* 11/13/2021 Fla. Atlantic W 30-16 Attendance 13634
* 11/27/2021 Charlotte W 56-34 Attendance 15874
*Conference Games
And those numbers are probably tickets sold. There couldn’t have been more than 9000 at FAU.
Correct. There is no way there 15,000+ yesterday.