The Trend In Attendance

[RJax55]

BYU is actually down 11%, the Jimmer effect.

Surprised that UNC is down, but then again, this data doesn't tell me very much.

Teams that are having great ('Cuse, Kentucky) or bounce back (IU) years are up... Not much of a surprise.

Teams that are struggling (UofI, Maryland, Tenn.) are down. Again, no surprise.

Teams that are playing to preseason expectations, are either slightly up or down a bit.

When it comes to MU, they are playing slightly above expectations. Started the season ranked #21, now 10th.

[Babybluejeans]

Say what you will about Crean's MU career (I for one am grateful for what he did but am equally grateful that his departure made way for Buzzard). But you have to admit he did a great job at getting students in the door. I recall early in his tenure he would personally go to the dorms and talk to students about getting tickets and going to games. When a buddy of mine and I camped out before the '03 Louisville game, he came by at 11 pm and gave us sandwiches and chatted with us (telling us he'd never seen that before and hoped we continued it). His little pre-game talks to the crowd were perhaps mildly self-indulgent but also highlighted his emphasis on having a good home court atmosphere. Buzz doesn't seem to have quite the same concern (partially because it was pretty good when he stepped in). In any event, I agree with THEultimateWARRIOR that the University has to do more  -- be it through Buzz or through the athletic department -- to try to get students to the games and involved. Sure lots of us probably think students shouldn't have to be goaded to see a top 10 team play in a great conference, but not all students begin with the same intensity that a lot of us have. Love the idea of giving away cheap tickets to high schoolers as well. The next couple years should be interesting as new students come in having seen consistently top 25 play the past few years prior to entering MU.

[Warrior1]

The attendance at weekday games against weak opponents is mainly a lesson on group-think with students. The students who truly care about the success of the basketball team go, and that number is about what you saw in the stands Wednesday.

The rest of the students are like my girlfriend for example. She, like many students, enjoyed going to the games, but did not get truly upset if Marquette lost. She went because it was fun, and all of our friends were going, and became somewhat of a fan of the game. So many people forget what it is like to be a "casual" fan of a team. Remember there is not a prerequisite to be a huge Marquette fan to buy student tickets. A large amount of students buy tickets because it is the cool think to do, and for the most part the games are fun and most of their friends will be there. I don't want to use the term "girl" because that would be sexist and many of the most intense fans I met have been women, but I think you know what I am talking about.

The problem is that on weekday games people expect Marquette to win big so they assume it will not be a fun game to watch, and most people know the crowd turnout will not be very high, and most of their friends will not be going, so they don't go.

People don't show up because they are casual fans and everyone else isn't going. It is a chain reaction. Everyone is going Saturday because it is senior night, so some of the casual fans want to go, which makes even the apathetic fans want to go because it will be a party, and as a result everyone goes.

I know this is kind of talking in a big circle, but I think you get the point.

[PaintTouches]

As a senior having seen the Amigos and attendance then, I'll chime in with my two cents.

The biggest difference is...facebook. It's as simple as that. There is no need for the casual fan to buy season tickets any more because they will buy the tickets for the three big games on Facebook anyways. Seriously, I'm not condoning this and definitely don't agree with the logic but that's the way it is. Why pony up 100 something bucks when you'll only go to a few big games anyways. Just pony up 20 bucks a couple times on the Marquette Ticket Exchange and you're golden.

As for the whole Crean worked the crowd better, can't say since I wasn't around for that, but the Athletic department (and Buzz) still hands out pizzas on  certain games as well as coffee and donuts for the early campers. Just look at the All-Access clip of the Wisconsin game from last season.

As many have stated before me, it is a great sign that this is the biggest gripe people have with this season. Consider ourselves lucky that we aren't debating the softness of the bubble ad nauseam as was the case the past two years.

[4everwarriors]

Anybody want to hear my opinion on some of those largest single game attendance (in the state of Wisconsin) figures?

Lay it on me, Brother. Any chance they're linked to Crean's contract attendance clause?

[77ncaachamps]

Just a gut feeling...

Let more "C" students and "Legacies" into MU.

They're the ones most willing to skip class and homework to really be there on Game Days.

/turning off "Animal House" on Comedy Central

[Moe]

Who remembers what year the student section went from 3200 to 4000?

I think a lot of the discussion this year on attendance hasn't been total numbers, but more so student attendance.  I know there must be data out there (tickets are scanned every game at the entrance), but I would be interested in actual student attendance over the years.

[Tugg Speedman]

This is the top 15 from 2011. Instead of just a one year attendance comparison, i went back to 2009.


           2012        2011    2009         Change
Kentucky   23638     23603   22239   6.3%
Syracuse   26946     22312   21044   28.0%
Lousivllle   21400     21832   19397   10.3%
N. Carolina   20066     19144   21035   -4.6%
Tennessee   17954     18952   20483   -12.3%
BYU           14938     18714   13383   11.6%
Wisconsin   17175     17230   17230   -0.3%
Memphis   16620     16768   16933   -1.8%
Kansas   16300     16436   16350   -0.3%
Illinois   14896     15851   15499   -3.9%
Marquette   15200     15586   16200   -6.2%
Indiana   16354     15259   14331   14.1%
Ohio State   16390     15125   15462   6.0%
Maryland   12975     14910   17048   -23.9%
Mich St.   14797     14797   14759   0.3%

The two biggest declines came at Maryland and Tennessee, which are both having bad years.  MU had the 4d biggest decline.

Louisville is up, but they are in a larger facility. 

Again, if we played Wisconsin at home this year, we would have had another 19000 game and our overall attendance would have been unchanged from last year.

[Litehouse]

I read the subject title and thought Lawrence Blackledge showed up in Morgantown tonight.