I just read an interesting article from the WSJ about tickets scanned at college football games versus actual attendance. Our friends at Arkansas State are in the bottom tier of FBS teams.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/college-fo ... 1535634001

ULM AVERAGED 2,600 PEOPLE PER GAME IN ACTUAL SCANNED TICKETS.

http://footballscoop.com/news/college-f ... rse-think/

The SEC leads in the percentage attendance drop.

We are very fortunate although I suspect this season our average will be considerably lower.

Also, our media guide now shows Kidd Brewer as a 30,000 seat stadium.

So according to this article in 2017 we sold 154,722 tickets but only 94,172 (61%) were actually scanned. Judging from the games I went to I'd say that's probably close.

League wide average attendance numbers were...

School - average tickets scanned (number of home games)
South Alabama - 16,576 (6)
App State - 15,695 (6)
Georgia Southern - 13,849 (4)
Georgia State - 11,839 (5)
Arkansas State - 9,126 (5)
Texas State - 8,996 (6)
Louisiana - 8,724 (6)
ULM - 2,660 (5)
Coastal Carolina - 2,541 (6)

Troy (no data)

The article also states that every school gets to set their own standard of who they count as attendees. IE do they count band members, media, and stadium staff.

The goal is to maximize revenue but at some point may a cut in ticket prices will get more people in seats and they can then buy concessions and other items. I am not sure if $5 is going to make a difference but maybe it brings more in to the stadium to offset lower tickets. Maybe $10 cheaper tickets will do it. Maybe the coaches take a pay cut to help out with reduced ticket revenue. We can't really ask the athletes to take a pay cut.

I like the experience of the live event and the crowd, and I am glad App has a great experience. I would hate to have an atmosphere like some schools were the drive, the expense and everything is just not worth it over a large TV screen.

we have 2 threads going on this same topic. The other one being "Hardly anyone attends MAC...". Can mods merge them?

APPdiesel wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 30, 2018 4:33 pm

So according to this article in 2017 we sold 154,722 tickets but only 94,172 (61%) were actually scanned. Judging from the games I went to I'd say that's probably close.

League wide average attendance numbers were...

School - average tickets scanned (number of home games)
South Alabama - 16,576 (6)
App State - 15,695 (6)
Georgia Southern - 13,849 (4)
Georgia State - 11,839 (5)
Arkansas State - 9,126 (5)
Texas State - 8,996 (6)
Louisiana - 8,724 (6)
ULM - 2,660 (5)
Coastal Carolina - 2,541 (6)

Troy (no data)

The article also states that every school gets to set their own standard of who they count as attendees. IE do they count band members, media, and stadium staff.

So, do those numbers include students? Do they have something scanned now to get in or do they just show their student ID like we did in the old days?

I read on the sunbelt board that Coastal doesn't scan students. ULM either. They just flash their ID and walk in.

This probably won't happen for another 5-10 years, but I wonder if attendance will go sky high once we start selling alcoholic beverages at Kidd Brewer Stadium? Especially if we sell local beers (i.e. Red Oak, Appalachian Brewery, etc) at reasonable prices ($4-5?).

MountaineerChemist10 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:12 pm

This probably won't happen for another 5-10 years, but I wonder if attendance will go sky high once we start selling alcoholic beverages at Kidd Brewer Stadium? Especially if we sell local beers (i.e. Red Oak, Appalachian Brewery, etc) at reasonable prices ($4-5?).

I think it may get people into the stadium sooner and it will help revenue but I doubt it will help overall attendance much or any.

The only way this might help attendance is to offer a really good bear that only sells in the stadium and it is so good you want to go to the game to get the beer.

I am not a beer drinker though I had a glass of the App State made beer a few years ago at a meeting hosted by App State. It was good bear, and again, I don't drink beer, but it is made is small quantities and I doubt could provide the demand. The other brands can be found all over.

I am not arguing against beer sales but I don't think it will boost attendance all that much.

McLeansvilleAppFan wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:36 pm

MountaineerChemist10 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:12 pm

This probably won't happen for another 5-10 years, but I wonder if attendance will go sky high once we start selling alcoholic beverages at Kidd Brewer Stadium? Especially if we sell local beers (i.e. Red Oak, Appalachian Brewery, etc) at reasonable prices ($4-5?).

I think it may get people into the stadium sooner and it will help revenue but I doubt it will help overall attendance much or any.

The only way this might help attendance is to offer a really good bear that only sells in the stadium and it is so good you want to go to the game to get the beer.

I am not a beer drinker though I had a glass of the App State made beer a few years ago at a meeting hosted by App State. It was good bear, and again, I don't drink beer, but it is made is small quantities and I doubt could provide the demand. The other brands can be found all over.

I am not arguing against beer sales but I don't think it will boost attendance all that much.

I'd imagine the thing that would boost attendance the most is less television options to watch.

I can only speak for myself, but for me personally, attendance would increase if the kids would stop playing soccer.

NattyBumppo'sRevenge wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 13, 2018 2:36 pm

McLeansvilleAppFan wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:36 pm

MountaineerChemist10 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:12 pm

This probably won't happen for another 5-10 years, but I wonder if attendance will go sky high once we start selling alcoholic beverages at Kidd Brewer Stadium? Especially if we sell local beers (i.e. Red Oak, Appalachian Brewery, etc) at reasonable prices ($4-5?).

I think it may get people into the stadium sooner and it will help revenue but I doubt it will help overall attendance much or any.

The only way this might help attendance is to offer a really good bear that only sells in the stadium and it is so good you want to go to the game to get the beer.

I am not a beer drinker though I had a glass of the App State made beer a few years ago at a meeting hosted by App State. It was good bear, and again, I don't drink beer, but it is made is small quantities and I doubt could provide the demand. The other brands can be found all over.

I am not arguing against beer sales but I don't think it will boost attendance all that much.

I'd imagine the thing that would boost attendance the most is less television options to watch.

I love the experience of the live game rooting for App but at some point tickets may prevent me from going to the games I go to. And it is hard to argue against a nice HD feed on a large screen in a bug free climate controlled room and with people chatting on this board some of the camaraderie of the live event is also there. Not as good as being there but for some it certainly is good enough-and cheaper.

Attendance at MAC football games is disappointing to those of us who attend most of the home games and even travel to some that are away. It has been a problem for as long as I can remember and I'm getting pretty far up there in years now. My school is Central Michigan. We have a stadium with 30,200 permanent seats and if we get a crowd of 18-20,000 we are doing well. When the weather turns cold in late October and into November we are often lucky to draw 15,000 fans. The fans we do pull in are really not in the stadium until midway through the first quarter and many leave after halftime. It is a problem that plagues the entire conference and no one seems to have an answer.

Long ago I adopted App State as my favorite FCS team and continued to stay with the program when it moved to FBS and the SunBelt. I have been attending one game a year in Boone for 10 years or more, I have forgotten how long it has been. I have absolutely loved the excitement in the stadium, enthusiasm of the fans and the overall atmosphere of game day. It's just light years from what I experience in the MAC. This year was going to be my last trip to Boone. It's just getting too hard to make these trips. I picked the Southern Mississippi game and can't tell you how disappointed I was when the game was cancelled. However, I have to admit the correct decision was made to cancel the game. I don't know if I will make it for the rescheduled game. In any event I will continue watching App State on TV or on my computer (ESPN+ or whatever). I just hope you can keep the good times rolling. It's difficult to stay on top for long periods of time and when the wins stop coming the fans may stop coming as well. Perhaps then you will really understand what MAC football fans are feeling.