(01-08-2024 10:12 AM)NDSUguy Wrote: (01-06-2024 04:14 PM)Garden_KC Wrote: NDSU's attendance is 14.1k?
The mighty have fallen.
Not sure how they arrived at this number but NDSU's average attendance for 2023 was 15,120. This is lower than usual but was heavily influenced by playing at SDSU, UND and UNI (our three biggest draws historically).
If we replaced one of those games with a home game the average number would have been much closer to 16-17k.
They included the playoff game with Drake which only had 7798. Because they didn't have a seed, they only had one week to sell tickets against a non-scholarship team. Note that if they had included the game in Minneapolis the average would be back up over 15K (it drew 22K).
But in 2022, they had a high seed and were guaranteed a home game as long as they won. They only drew around 12,000 for all three playoff games.
It will be interesting to see whether there is a similar effect next year when the first round of the CFP is at campus stadiums. To consistently fill a stadium you have to have most of it be season tickets. Otherwise you risk lesser crowds when playing a weak opponent, or bad weather, or a down season.
If you want to see the top teams you need to buy a season ticket. Game day tickets will go fast. If you have paid for the tickets you are likely to use them, or at least give them to a friend, neighbor, son-in-law, co-worker, etc. if you can't make a certain game.
And if you only have six or seven home games, you can arrange to travel to the game. Bismarck, Sioux Falls, and Minneapolis are within drive-able range from Fargo without need for a hotel. Add in Omaha and Des Moines if you can add a hotel, RV, or the house of a friend or relative.
You of course have to do a bit of planning. You have to leave in time to be at the game, earlier if you want to allow time for meals, tailgating, or meetings with friends. But you have months if not weeks to do that.
You have bought the tickets so you will go to the game against Murray State or Western Illinois, two games that will have weak game day sales.
But when the playoffs arrive you have to buy the tickets in a short time frame, and arrange to drive to Fargo. Sure you can do it online, and they make it easy for season ticket holders. But not everyone has round tuits, or even the few $100 it will cost for tickets and travel. It was a stretch to pay $1000 for the season tickets, and you could put them on a credit card and pay for them over several months.
In 2022, the playoffs and NDSU drew about 80% of the regular season attendance. Perhaps for the playoffs, tickets bought and tickets used are the same. If you buy a ticket for a game a few days later, you will use it unless you are in the hospital in between - and even then someone will be given the ticket. But if you bought the season ticket months ago, you might not make it to every game, especially if they are against Western Illinois or Murray State, and not SDSU, UND, or USD.
NDSU bumped up the ticket price when the team was doing well and they were selling 2000 standing room tickets. Maybe the fire marshal told them to hold back some. COVID could really have hurt them. There are vulnerable people who simply don't want to be around crowds, particularly inside.
Some people may have got out of the habit of going to games. Once attendance is not at capacity, you may decide to selectively choose individual games. NDSU makes it easy to transfer electronic tickets. The two parties don't even have to be in the same city. This might make it easier to share a season ticket.
/
[Haas] FBS average attendance and FCS top 10
![[Image: iogoW3jJnZQJr58aOCrpT4J3A7uFZoTKKeulhxSZ-1200x675.jpg]](https://smudailycampus.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/iogoW3jJnZQJr58aOCrpT4J3A7uFZoTKKeulhxSZ-1200x675.jpg)
