Huge decline in STHs???

[GooooMarquette]

Part of it is the disappointing performance by MU the past few years, but the bigger picture issue is lack of attendance generally at sports and entertainment events post-covid.

In addition to others’ stories about college football tickets being widely available and deeply discounted tickets for Springsteen concerts, state fairs are suffering too. In Wisconsin, attendance was down 26%, and here in Minnesota it is currently down 32% at the midway mark.

It may be a while - if ever - before things get back to something resembling the old normal.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Marquette will be easily be over 10k (including students) in season tickets sold. Even in a down year, most power schools would kill for that.

[Mr. Nielsen]

In addition to others’ stories about college football tickets being widely available and deeply discounted tickets for Springsteen concerts, state fairs are suffering too. In Wisconsin, attendance was down 26%, and here in Minnesota it is currently down 32% at the midway mark.

State Fair in Wisconsin. 2019 was a record year. Hours this year were different. Opening hours much later. All those farmers with the animals for all the judging was not held this year. Costing tons in attendance. Heat and storms the first week another factor.
I believe the goal was 600k. Got well over 840k. Pretty damm good.

Watching Ohio State at Minnesota. Sold out. Looks like the old normal.

[muwarrior69]

I would imagine one of the biggest problems MU has with growing season ticket holders is .. in the past ~7 years of graduates .. very few had exciting, winning seasons to remember. 

As your season ticket holders die off, you need young replacements who are ready to plunk down decent money and go to 21 games a year.   

Even if you graduated a decade ago .. the shine is off the apple. 

Add in the fact that one of the massive draws to having season tickets (at the Bradley Center) was that was (sort of) the only way to get lower bowl tickets.   Now with Wojo, Covid, and the Chaluparena you can sit in the lower bowl no problem.  No need to buy 21 games when you can just buy the 5 you want.

Thank God I'm not a STH.

[GooooMarquette]

State Fair in Wisconsin. 2019 was a record year. Hours this year were different. Opening hours much later. All those farmers with the animals for all the judging was not held this year. Costing tons in attendance. Heat and storms the first week another factor.
I believe the goal was 600k. Got well over 840k. Pretty damm good.

Watching Ohio State at Minnesota. Sold out. Looks like the old normal.

Fair points. But a fair counterpoint is that it has been two years since the last state fair, and people have been desperate to get out. If they were truly that desperate, they would have gotten out even with the reduced hours and the lack of animal judging. They didn’t.

As for the Ohio State and Minnesota game, half of them were Ohio State fans. When your team is elite (like number 4 Ohio State or the NBA champion Bucks mentioned above), people will attend. Let’s see how Minnesota does when they aren’t playing a top 10 opponent.

[Mr. Nielsen]

Fair points. But a fair counterpoint is that it has been two years since the last state fair, and people have been desperate to get out. If they were truly that desperate, they would have gotten out even with the reduced hours and the lack of animal judging. They didn’t.

Well, numbers can be looked at in many ways. I take 840k, as the goal was 600k with major heat & storms the first week. Reduced hours and events that didn't take place which cost attendance. The events that have the judging all in the morning for the first week, counts towards the attendance. So, people were desperate and did come out for the 2021 Wisconsin State Fair!

Also saw the Waukesha Fair had it's highest attendance since 2005.

As this thread is about MU hoops season tickets. So, many factors goes into ones choice. The main thing we have seen in sports attendance is, you need to win.

[GooooMarquette]

Well, numbers can be looked at in many ways. I take 840k, as the goal was 600k with major heat & storms the first week. Reduced hours and events that didn't take place which cost attendance. The events that have the judging all in the morning for the first week, counts towards the attendance. So, people were desperate and did come out for the 2021 Wisconsin State Fair!

Also saw the Waukesha Fair had it's highest attendance since 2005.

As this thread is about MU hoops season tickets. So, many factors goes into ones choice. The main thing we have seen in sports attendance is, you need to win.

Your points about the Wisconsin fair are reasonable but debatable, but there are also other examples like the Minnesota state fair. The weather has been fabulous the last few days, and attendance is significantly down. And not just from a record year; they are using numbers from the previous four fairs combined.

As for Marquette, winning would definitely help, but it is still unclear whether winning would bring numbers back to the pre-Covid level.

[MUfan12]

As for Marquette, winning would definitely help, but it is still unclear whether winning would bring numbers back to the pre-Covid level.

It'll take a couple years to get this thing really going, but once that happens I have no concerns about crowd size.

[Dr. Blackheart]

When is the BE schedule being released? IIRC, it’s usually around Labor Day.

[Warrior of Law]

When is the BE schedule being released? IIRC, it’s usually around Labor Day.

In 2019-20, the last normal season, it was released on September 5th.  I would expect it to come out on 7th or 8th to avoid getting lost in football coverage.

[Shooter Flatch]

Your points about the Wisconsin fair are reasonable but debatable, but there are also other examples like the Minnesota state fair. The weather has been fabulous the last few days, and attendance is significantly down. And not just from a record year; they are using numbers from the previous four fairs combined.

I think a lot of other factors are at play in Minnesota. That fair takes place in the Twin Cities. In light of events in that area since the last several fairs took place, you likely have people from other parts of the state with much less desire to drive into Minneapolis for the day.

[cheebs09]

The whole Deer District mania was people looking for something to do with no Summerfest (what's going on now is ridiculous).  It was college and high school kids having a blast.

MU bball has nothing going for it now.  No superstar on the roster to interest the fans, a rather disappointing group of players brought in by Shaka, and years of growing apathy all combining to make MU basketball an afterthought in the area.

And the comment earlier about cheap tix on the secondary market for many events is spot on. A friend was just in NYC and bought tickets for Springsteen on Broadway on Stubhub for half price.

I would disagree a little bit. I’m sure some of it was due to Covid. But I think ever since the Raptors showed Jurassic Park in the ECF, teams would try to recreate that. I feel if Covid never happened, the crowds would have been fairly similar.

I also don’t think MU will ever be able to recreate that just because the fan base is so much smaller.

[wadesworld]

Not to mention, the Deer District was hopping for Playoff games.  There would more likely be crowds for Wisconsin NCAA Tournament games in the Deer District than there would for Marquette NCAA Tournament games.  And all NCAA Tournament games are on a neutral court, so you aren't getting people who are hoping to take in the atmosphere of a home Playoff game.  Plus you're talking winter weather (for regular season Marquette games at Fiserv) vs. June (and this year July since the Playoffs were later) weather for Bucks Playoff home games.

I don't think it matters how much Shaka gets MU rolling.  I don't think you'll get Deer District to be a factor in MUBB.  Maybe the bars surrounding the Deer District, but that's about it.

[Dr. Blackheart]

How's SummerFest's attendance with all the protocols?

[Uncle Rico]

Not to mention, the Deer District was hopping for Playoff games.  There would more likely be crowds for Wisconsin NCAA Tournament games in the Deer District than there would for Marquette NCAA Tournament games.  And all NCAA Tournament games are on a neutral court, so you aren't getting people who are hoping to take in the atmosphere of a home Playoff game.  Plus you're talking winter weather (for regular season Marquette games at Fiserv) vs. June (and this year July since the Playoffs were later) weather for Bucks Playoff home games.

I don't think it matters how much Shaka gets MU rolling.  I don't think you'll get Deer District to be a factor in MUBB.  Maybe the bars surrounding the Deer District, but that's about it.

It would never match the Bucks, but people like to party and drink in this state.  My hunch is, a final 4 run would be reason enough to fill up the Deer District

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

It would never match the Bucks, but people like to party and drink in this state.  My hunch is, a final 4 run would be reason enough to fill up the Deer District

I do t agree. It would be cold. That’s one of the reasons it filled up this summer.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

How's SummerFest's attendance with all the protocols?

Don’t know but I don’t think the protocols would be the main reason it would be down. I just don’t think September is a great time for this in any year.

[We R Final Four]

More people in the DD in June/July than the n February?
Shocking!

[Uncle Rico]

I do t agree. It would be cold. That’s one of the reasons it filled up this summer.

I’m talking March moreso than the actual regular season.  I know the weather of Milwaukee doesn’t always cooperate in March, either.  I think a regional final and Final 4 would be pretty well attended

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I’m talking March moreso than the actual regular season.  I know the weather of Milwaukee doesn’t always cooperate in March, either.  I think a regional final and Final 4 would be pretty well attended

I think if it were anywhere it would be on campus.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Don’t know but I don’t think the protocols would be the main reason it would be down. I just don’t think September is a great time for this in any year.

Well, it severely limits your audience who can attend (way less than half of your target audience of under 40 being fully vaccinated..and few who would want to test that often if not jabbed).

[MU82]

How 'bout we get to the Final Four first ... and then let's see what happens in the Eagle Enclave!

[MUDPT]

State Fair in Wisconsin. 2019 was a record year. Hours this year were different. Opening hours much later. All those farmers with the animals for all the judging was not held this year. Costing tons in attendance. Heat and storms the first week another factor.
I believe the goal was 600k. Got well over 840k. Pretty damm good.

Watching Ohio State at Minnesota. Sold out. Looks like the old normal.

I bought Badger FB season tickets this year. Didn’t really want to go this weekend, tried to sell my tickets, but the get in price on stubhub is 1/3 of the ticket price from UW. 2nd biggest game (supposedly) within the B10 this year.

[94Warrior]

I bought Badger FB season tickets this year. Didn’t really want to go this weekend,

Why? 

A summary of UW football at Camp Randall:

Let's get drunk and show up late, entire fanbase complains about officiating following each play, yawn, Jump around, yawn, let's leave early and get drunk.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Why? 

A summary of UW football at Camp Randall:

Let's get drunk and show up late, entire fanbase complains about officiating following each play, yawn, Jump around, yawn, let's leave early and get drunk.

See a quarter and a half of the game, is all you need.