Bowl attendance

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

I always like to see the attendance figures for these games, but it seems to be a well-kept secret. The box score, in any sport, traditionally includes the attendance, but apparently not for college football bowl games.

I checked the network that shall not be named, SI.com, CBSsports.com, and did a general Google search, all to no avail...until I checked USAtoday.com. And finally, there I found the attendance figures for yesterday's bowl games. One was 32,000 or so. Another was 18,000. But the shocker was the Utah-BYU game in the Las Vegas Bowl. According to USA today [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/event/2015/51610/recap/top25/]
the attendance was 89,154...in a stadium with a capacity of 40,000.

I appreciate the good folks at USA Today providing the attendance figures when no one else is, but maybe that Las Vegas attendance was really 39,154...

 

[Packer54]

I read in my local rag that the Las Vegas bowl was an all time high around 46,000. Who knows.
By the way has there been this many people got to Vegas where the vast majority don't drink or gamble? Thought it was a strange place for this game.

 

[NI hawk]

I always like to see the attendance figures for these games, but it seems to be a well-kept secret. The box score, in any sport, traditionally includes the attendance, but apparently not for college football bowl games.

I checked the network that shall not be named, SI.com, CBSsports.com, and did a general Google search, all to no avail...until I checked USAtoday.com. And finally, there I found the attendance figures for yesterday's bowl games. One was 32,000 or so. Another was 18,000. But the shocker was the Utah-BYU game in the Las Vegas Bowl. According to USA today [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/event/2015/51610/recap/top25/]
the attendance was 89,154...in a stadium with a capacity of 40,000.

I appreciate the good folks at USA Today providing the attendance figures when no one else is, but maybe that Las Vegas attendance was really 39,154...

I found the attendance on all 5 games played. Largest was just over 42,000 and lowest just over 18,000. Averaged about 29,000. I am sure the actual numbers are lower.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

I read in my local rag that the Las Vegas bowl was an all time high around 46,000. Who knows.
By the way has there been this many people got to Vegas where the vast majority don't drink or gamble? Thought it was a strange place for this game.

Vegas bowl benefited big time having two long time rivals in byu Utah playing who didn't face each other this year. The holy war as they call it. Yeah also found it ironic that byu and Utah with their fan bases ended up in Vegas, more so byu who is always in top 5 for least party school.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

Yes, excellent points about the irony of Utah-BYU being played in Sin City.

And another thing about "attendance" figures in both football and basketball is that many schools, if not all, have long been reporting the number of tickets sold as "attendance," which, of course, is lying. Tickets sold is one thing. Attendance is another. It would be honest and accurate to report both: for example-- Tickets sold: 40,000; Attendance: 31,914. But I guess that would be expecting too much.

 

[timinatoria]

[QUOTE="aristotleiowa, post: 1574789, member: 48944"And another thing about "attendance" figures in both football and basketball is that many schools, if not all, have long been reporting the number of tickets sold as "attendance," which, of course, is lying. Tickets sold is one thing. Attendance is another. It would be honest and accurate to report both: for example-- Tickets sold: 40,000; Attendance: 31,914. But I guess that would be expecting too much.[/QUOTE]

All of college football reports attendance that way. Iowa does it that way. The NFL does too.

That isn't unique to bowl games.

 

[Menace Sockeyes]

Anybody catch Musberger's quip about BYU fans?

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

Hardly watched that game but heard him say something about BYU fans need drink a beer.

 

[20Hawks14]

At the beginning of the game he said something about Johnny Walker black in his hotel room. May have still been drunk.

 

[ichawk24]

And another thing about "attendance" figures in both football and basketball is that many schools, if not all, have long been reporting the number of tickets sold as "attendance," which, of course, is lying. Tickets sold is one thing. Attendance is another. It would be honest and accurate to report both: for example-- Tickets sold: 40,000; Attendance: 31,914. But I guess that would be expecting too much.

Every sport has been doing this since the 90s. If you don't like it, get out your newspaper, cross out Attendance, and write in "tickets sold".

 

[NI hawk]

21,712 announced for yesterday's WKU-uSF game.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

That ended up being a much better game than I thought. I figured WKU would run away.

Still, outside of the Vegas Bowl I am not noticing anyone at these games.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

I am well aware of how "attendance" has been reported for the last 20 years or so at regular season football and basketball games as well as bowl games, including by the U of Iowa. I'm also aware of the meaning of the words "tickets sold" and "attendance." They are two different things. That's why I don't appreciate academic institutions and professional journalists lying by reporting "attendance" as "tickets sold." But maybe that's just me.

 

[thewop]

I read in my local rag that the Las Vegas bowl was an all time high around 46,000. Who knows.
By the way has there been this many people got to Vegas where the vast majority don't drink or gamble? Thought it was a strange place for this game.

I was thinking the exact same thing! While Iowa fans drank Indy out of beer, those fans may have drunk Vegas out of water.

 

[NI hawk]

That ended up being a much better game than I thought. I figured WKU would run away.

Still, outside of the Vegas Bowl I am not noticing anyone at these games.

There hasn't been.

 

[Michael1969]

Updating the attendance numbers (through Tuesday 12/22 games):

12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Shots of the stands for the miami beach game, which was at least somewhat entertaining, showed a very sparse crowd.

 

[dirt33]

Updating the attendance numbers (through Tuesday 12/22 games):

12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536

Wow, 30,000 people for a New Mexico bowl game, on their home field, versus a state school from a bordering state. Yeah, those two fan bases are hardcore!

 

[HawkeyeDenny]

Looks like GoDaddy Bowl has a few thousand people...I wish they would have 2 sets of numbers, tickets sold and actual people there...I think a lot of corporate tickets are bought and not used....

 

[ottumwan in tx]

folks, the economy is crap right now, and the national championship sham has taken away even more meaning from already meaningless bowl games

 

[Michael1969]

Attendance numbers (through Wednesday 12/23 games):

12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289
12/23 GoDaddy (Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green)--28656
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/23 Poinsettia (Boise State vs Northern Illinois)--21501
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536

 

[NashvilleHawk]

Outside of the Las Vegas Bowl, there has been no bowl game that has caught my attention.
All of the games, so far, have felt like ESPNU game on a weeknight.

 

[Michael1969]

Updated with Thursday 12/24 games
12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289
12/23 GoDaddy (Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green)--28656
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/24 Hawaii (Cincinnati vs San Diego State)--22793
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/23 Poinsettia (Boise State vs Northern Illinois)--21501
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536
12/24 Bahamas (Western Michigan vs Middle Tennessee)--13123


Should start seeing the attendance increase marginally with Saturday's games as the bowl season moves into another phase as some Power-5 schools start playing each other.

 

[2for3]

folks, the economy is crap right now, and the national championship sham has taken away even more meaning from already meaningless bowl games

Guess interest rates just went up in a bad economy?....wtf...economy is pretty good...when rates go up... try getting plane tickets now...prices high and every seat sold...all over the country...airlines breaking records with profits/hotels also...the early bowl games are not interesting to the teams fan bases and never are...these are the schools with smaller fan support and this is not uncommon (low turnout pre...new year bowl games) or your team started out hot(UTAH) then you stumble down the stretch and people do not want to spend the money on a bowl due to disappointment

 

[Run&Blade]

Cord cutters might hurt ESPN enough that they might stop propping up so many games.

The playoff makes most of these unwatchable. They mean nothing.

 

[Michael1969]

Updated with Saturday (12/26 games)
12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219
12/26 Sun (Miami vs Washington State)--41180
12/26 Pinstripe (Indiana vs Duke)--37218
12/26 Foster Farms (UCLA vs Nebraska)--33527
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847
12/26 Independence (Tulsa vs Virginia Tech)--31289
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289
12/23 GoDaddy (Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green)--28656
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/24 Hawaii (Cincinnati vs San Diego State)--22793
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/23 Poinsettia (Boise State vs Northern Illinois)--21501
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/26 Heart Of Dallas (Washington vs Southern Miss)--20229
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536
12/26 St. Petersburg (Connecticut vs Marshall)--14652
12/24 Bahamas (Western Michigan vs Middle Tennessee)--13123

Not counting the new Cure Bowl, these same bowls are down an average of 3,600 from last year. Taking away the 4 bowls (Bahamas, Boca Raton, Camelia & Miami Beach) that didn't exist 2 years ago, these same bowls are down an average of about 6,500 from 2013. The 13 bowls in the books that existed 2 years ago are averaging 28,867 compared to 35,316 2 years ago (about an 18% drop). When the 5 newer bowls are included, attendance is averaging 26,441, down about 9,000 (25%) from this point 2 years ago

Up until last night's Foster Farms bowl, all the bowl games played starting with Tuesday night's Boca Raton bowl (a total of 10 bowl games) had their lowest attendance since at least 2010. Last night's Foster Farms bowl was the lowest attended since 2011.

 

[Gridiron24]

Updated with Saturday (12/26 games)
12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219
12/26 Sun (Miami vs Washington State)--41180
12/26 Pinstripe (Indiana vs Duke)--37218
12/26 Foster Farms (UCLA vs Nebraska)--33527
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847
12/26 Independence (Tulsa vs Virginia Tech)--31289
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289
12/23 GoDaddy (Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green)--28656
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/24 Hawaii (Cincinnati vs San Diego State)--22793
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/23 Poinsettia (Boise State vs Northern Illinois)--21501
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/26 Heart Of Dallas (Washington vs Southern Miss)--20229
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536
12/26 St. Petersburg (Connecticut vs Marshall)--14652
12/24 Bahamas (Western Michigan vs Middle Tennessee)--13123

Not counting the new Cure Bowl, these same bowls are down an average of 3,600 from last year. Taking away the 4 bowls (Bahamas, Boca Raton, Camelia & Miami Beach) that didn't exist 2 years ago, these same bowls are down an average of about 6,500 from 2013. The 13 bowls in the books that existed 2 years ago are averaging 28,867 compared to 35,316 2 years ago (about an 18% drop). When the 5 newer bowls are included, attendance is averaging 26,441, down about 9,000 (25%) from this point 2 years ago

Up until last night's Foster Farms bowl, all the bowl games played starting with Tuesday night's Boca Raton bowl (a total of 10 bowl games) had their lowest attendance since at least 2010. Last night's Foster Farms bowl was the lowest attended since 2011.

The attendance of these games fell in-line with my own interest. I had most interest in Utah/BYU, then the Sun Bowl. When the Sun Bowl was over, I watched the Indiana/Duke game. I saw Nebraska's game start-to-finish. Those are the only games so far that I've had any interest in seeing.

 

[NI hawk]

The attendance of these games fell in-line with my own interest. I had most interest in Utah/BYU, then the Sun Bowl. When the Sun Bowl was over, I watched the Indiana/Duke game. I saw Nebraska's game start-to-finish. Those are the only games so far that I've had any interest in seeing.

Same here.

 

[Parker D]

That's 33527?

 

[StormHawk42]

Attendance numbers are definitely misleading. Didn't seem like there was anywhere near 33k for the Nebraska game, or 13k for the Bahamas bowl. But like someone said, there are probably several thousand corporate tickets that go unused.

 

[scarletred]

Attendance numbers are definitely misleading. Didn't seem like there was anywhere near 33k for the Nebraska game, or 13k for the Bahamas bowl. But like someone said, there are probably several thousand corporate tickets that go unused.

They must go by how many tickets where bought... No way did the Sun Bowl have 41,000+ either.

 

[Packer54]

Call me crazy but looking at some of these pictures I think if I had bad seats after the first quarter I would probably move to better seats,,,,,,or leave,,,,,,or never go in the first place.

 

[Michael1969]

Updated with Monday & Tuesday (12/28 & 12/29 games)
12/29 Texas (LSU vs Texas Tech)--71307
12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219
12/26 Sun (Miami vs Washington State)--41180
12/29 Russell Athletic (North Carolina vs Baylor)--40418
12/29 Armed Forces (California vs Air Force)--38915
12/26 Pinstripe (Indiana vs Duke)--37218
12/28 Military (Pittsburgh vs Navy)--36352
12/28 Quick Lane (Central Michigan vs Minnesota)--34217
12/26 Foster Farms (UCLA vs Nebraska)--33527
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847
12/26 Independence (Tulsa vs Virginia Tech)--31289
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289
12/23 GoDaddy (Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green)--28656
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/24 Hawaii (Cincinnati vs San Diego State)--22793
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/23 Poinsettia (Boise State vs Northern Illinois)--21501
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/29 Arizona (Nevada vs Colorado State)--20425
12/26 Heart Of Dallas (Washington vs Southern Miss)--20229
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536
12/26 St. Petersburg (Connecticut vs Marshall)--14652
12/24 Bahamas (Western Michigan vs Middle Tennessee)--13123

A new leader. After 11 straight bowls from the December 22 Boca Raton through Saturday's Foster Farms were down in attendance from last year, all of Monday & Tuesday's bowl games were up from a year ago. This year's attendance still trails last year at this point of bowl season (29899 in 2015 vs 33110 in 2014).

 

[General Roman Malaise]

Cord cutters might hurt ESPN enough that they might stop propping up so many games.

The playoff makes most of these unwatchable. They mean nothing.

And they meant something in the BCS era...?

The playoff has done nothing to impact the rest of the bowls. If the bowl was a joke before, it's still a joke. If the bowl was prestigious before (i.e. Rose) it's still prestigious.

 

[Michael1969]

Updated with Wednesday (12/30 games)
12/29 Texas (LSU vs Texas Tech)--71307 (most for bowl)
12/30 Birmingham (Auburn vs Memphis)--59430 (most for bowl)
12/30 Music City (Texas A&M vs Louisville)--50478 (lowest since 2005)
12/30 Holiday (USC vs Wisconsin)--48329 (lowest since 1992)
12/30 Belk (North Carolina State vs Mississippi State)--46423
12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219 (most since 2006)
12/26 Sun (Miami vs Washington State)--41180 (lowest since 1982)
12/29 Russell Athletic (North Carolina vs Baylor)--40418
12/29 Armed Forces (California vs Air Force)--38915
12/26 Pinstripe (Indiana vs Duke)--37218 (lowest for bowl)
12/28 Military (Pittsburgh vs Navy)--36352 (most since 2010)
12/28 Quick Lane (Central Michigan vs Minnesota)--34217
12/26 Foster Farms (UCLA vs Nebraska)--33527
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847 (lowest since 2010)
12/26 Independence (Tulsa vs Virginia Tech)--31289 (lowest since 1994)
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289 (most since 2010)
12/23 GoDaddy (Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green)--28656 (lowest for bowl)
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/24 Hawaii (Cincinnati vs San Diego State)--22793 (lowest for bowl)
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/23 Poinsettia (Boise State vs Northern Illinois)--21501 (lowest for bowl)
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/29 Arizona (Nevada vs Colorado State)--20425
12/26 Heart Of Dallas (Washington vs Southern Miss)--20229 (lowest for bowl)
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536
12/26 St. Petersburg (Connecticut vs Marshall)--14652 (lowest for bowl)
12/24 Bahamas (Western Michigan vs Middle Tennessee)--13123

Compared to this point a year ago, attendance is down about 2,500. (32937 in 2015 vs 35400 in 2014). 2 of Wednesday's bowls were up from a year ago, while 2 were down.

 

[Michael1969]

Updated through today minus the Sugar Bowl

1/1 Rose (Stanford vs Iowa)--94268
12/31 Cotton (Michigan State vs Alabama)--82812
12/29 Texas (LSU vs Texas Tech)--71307 (most for bowl)
1/1 Fiesta (Notre Dame vs Ohio State)--71123 (most since 2009)
12/31 Peach (Houston vs Florida State)--71007
12/31 Orange (Oklahoma vs Clemson)--67615
1/1 Citrus (Michigan vs Florida)--63113 (most since 2007)
12/30 Birmingham (Auburn vs Memphis)--59430 (most for bowl)
1/1 Outback (Northwestern vs Tennessee)--53202
12/30 Music City (Texas A&M vs Louisville)--50478 (lowest since 2005)
12/30 Holiday (USC vs Wisconsin)--48329 (lowest since 1992)
12/30 Belk (North Carolina State vs Mississippi State)--46423
12/19 Las Vegas (BYU vs Utah)--42219 (most since 2006)
12/26 Sun (Miami vs Washington State)--41180 (lowest since 1982)
12/29 Russell Athletic (North Carolina vs Baylor)--40418
12/29 Armed Forces (California vs Air Force)--38915
12/26 Pinstripe (Indiana vs Duke)--37218 (lowest for bowl)
12/28 Military (Pittsburgh vs Navy)--36352 (most since 2010)
12/28 Quick Lane (Central Michigan vs Minnesota)--34217
12/26 Foster Farms (UCLA vs Nebraska)--33527
12/19 New Orleans (Arkansas State vs Louisiana Tech)--32847 (lowest since 2010)
12/26 Independence (Tulsa vs Virginia Tech)--31289 (lowest since 1994)
12/19 New Mexico (Arizona vs New Mexico)--30289 (most since 2010)
12/23 GoDaddy (Georgia Southern vs Bowling Green)--28656 (lowest for bowl)
12/22 Boca Raton (Temple vs Toledo)--25908
12/24 Hawaii (Cincinnati vs San Diego State)--22793 (lowest for bowl)
12/21 Miami Beach (Western Kentucky vs USF)--21712
12/23 Poinsettia (Boise State vs Northern Illinois)--21501 (lowest for bowl)
12/19 Camelia (Ohio vs Appalachian State)--21395
12/29 Arizona (Nevada vs Colorado State)--20425
12/26 Heart Of Dallas (Washington vs Southern Miss)--20229 (lowest for bowl)
12/22 Potato (Akron vs Utah State)--18876
12/19 Cure (San Jose State vs Georgia State)--18536
12/26 St. Petersburg (Connecticut vs Marshall)--14652 (lowest for bowl)
12/24 Bahamas (Western Michigan vs Middle Tennessee)--13123

14 of the 16 bowls since Monday are up from a year ago allowing for this year's average attendance to draw to within 1,000 of last year's average at this point of bowl season (40,725 in 2015-16 vs 41,422 in 2014-15)