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College football heads in wrong direction with largest attendance drop in 34 years
CBS Sports ^ | Feb. 13, 2018 | Dennis Dodd

Posted on 02/15/2018 10:40:52 AM PST by Colonel Kangaroo

Major-college football experienced its largest per-game attendance drop in 34 years and second-largest ever, according to recently released NCAA figures.

Attendance among the 129 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams in 2017 was down an average of 1,409 fans per game from 2016. That marked the largest drop since 1983 when average attendance declined 1,527 fans per game from 1982.

The 2017 FBS average of 42,203 fans per game is the lowest since 1997.

That average attendance drop marked the second-sharpest decline since the NCAA began keeping track of college football attendance in 1948. For the first time in history, average attendance declined nationally for four consecutive seasons.

Even the most rabid league in the country saw a dip. In 2017, the SEC experienced its sharpest per-game decline -- down an average 2,433 fans -- since 1992. That figure led the Power Five in fans lost per game in 2017.

While the SEC led all FBS conferences in average attendance for the 20th consecutive year, its average attendance (75,074) was the lowest since 2005. The SEC has slipped an average of 2,926 fans per game (3.7 percent) since a record 78,630 average in 2015.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: collegefootball; commieball; football; ncaa; trends
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To: Zarro
These numbers might reinforce something I've been saying for several years now:

1. Demographic changes among sports fans are working against the NFL and NCAA football.

2. More and more sports fans are coming to the conclusion that American football is a pretty dull sport, and that watching it is an enormous waste of time.

41 posted on 02/15/2018 11:32:36 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("Go ahead, bite the Big Apple ... don't mind the maggots.")
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

I have seen MAC Conference games on ESPN played on rainy Wednesday and Thursday nights where it appears there were not 5000 people in the stands. Obviously those schools opted to trade attendance for TV dollars.

I don’t attend Pitt Panther home games because frankly the ticket prices are just too damned high. Particularly when they schedule I-AA cupcakes every season.


42 posted on 02/15/2018 11:37:06 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Zarro

The eff Trump guy was from an SEC school.


43 posted on 02/15/2018 11:39:29 AM PST by wrcase
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To: Zarro

Most NFL players are NOT from East Coast Schools.

\.


44 posted on 02/15/2018 11:41:15 AM PST by Mears
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Yep. Younger generation finding v games and social media more entertaining than watching others play a game they do not play. Too long. Viewer vs. team demographics/attitudes a possible issue. Most kids played soccer, for a long time now. Who knows. Movies replaced live theater, too.


45 posted on 02/15/2018 11:42:24 AM PST by polymuser (Its terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged today. - Chesterton)
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To: Alberta's Child

Combine that with parents and students that are accumulating a ton of debt to attend college while dozens of guys who can’t read at an 8th grade level are getting a free ride. It has to irritate them.


46 posted on 02/15/2018 11:45:40 AM PST by wrcase
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Time to send in the robots.
Nat. Robot League.


47 posted on 02/15/2018 11:47:24 AM PST by Leep (The dims better watch it..Trump is CRAZY!!)
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To: Mears

Okay, I won’t argue the point. My comment was tongue-in-cheek, anyway.

So, Kap came from U of Nevada. I guess the answer is that they can come from anwhere. From what I read, he basically was corrupted by a lefty girlfriend that pretty much led to many of his radical views. That being the case, it probably matters less which school you came from than the company you keep. If you rub elbows with ISIS...


48 posted on 02/15/2018 11:50:45 AM PST by Zarro (Dead Cruz, the Slimy Ooze. Hat tip: DoughtyOne and Pray All Day)
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To: jjotto

Its just not worth the expense to attend a college game. I used to attend games in the 90’s and I got married and we had kids and my money and attention went elsewhere. I still watched games on tv.

Currently college football is my go to in the fall especially the SEC. I haven’t watched the NFL in two years and haven’t missed it for a second. Their days are numbered as they seem to think that millennial’s are their future when college numbers show they don’t care about football.


49 posted on 02/15/2018 11:53:35 AM PST by sarge83
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To: jjotto
Not to mention an ever-present Muslim terrorist threat at any large-crowd venue.

But enough about the polo shirt wearing 'security' goons. Some of them even have the brass neck to wear their hijabs.

50 posted on 02/15/2018 11:58:34 AM PST by relictele
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To: gathersnomoss

Kinda nice when you gotta go to the bathroom to just go in the other room.... :-)


51 posted on 02/15/2018 12:05:03 PM PST by ichabod1 (People don't want to believe it be what it is but it do.)
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To: ichabod1

Go to the bathroom at Heinz Field and you can easily miss an entire quarter trying to get back to your seat.


52 posted on 02/15/2018 12:11:43 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: crusher2013

I’ve been wondering whether college numbers were down ?


53 posted on 02/15/2018 12:14:06 PM PST by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them!it)
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To: Cowboy Bob

What playoff? You mean the ESPN beauty contest?


54 posted on 02/15/2018 12:25:04 PM PST by bray (Pray for President Trump)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

How many new bowl games with ridiculous names have been added in the past 34 years?

The lack of interest and attendance in a “Mark’s Mighty Muffler Bowl” is understandable.


55 posted on 02/15/2018 12:30:37 PM PST by Rebelbase ( Hillary, DNC, DOJ and FBI colluded with a British National to influence the 2016 Pres. election)
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To: Colonel Kangaroo
1. Overexposure: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and now considering Friday which would be eating their high school seed corn.
2. Soccer
3. Head injuries
4. Inconsiderate/unpatriotic players
5. Labor/Student strife
6. Nonsensical league realignments
7. More money made on betting than the game itself
8. Fantasy football turning everything into statistics
9. Option no longer an option due to faster defenses
10. No more Keith Jackson
56 posted on 02/15/2018 12:46:06 PM PST by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: Jarhead9297

What percentage of Minor League baseball players ever make it to “The Show”?


57 posted on 02/15/2018 1:00:17 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: Zarro

They’re building them... because it doesn’t cost them anything. The state universities are funded by... well you know. The TV rights have poured billions into the mix and greed finally hit the red line.

So on top of all that, they’re charging more and making the game similar to pro-ball and not about the college students and their maniacal support of the team.


58 posted on 02/15/2018 1:02:20 PM PST by Dick Vomer (2 Timothy 4:7 deo duce ferro comitante)
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To: robroys woman

As I see it..NFL televised games are 15 minutes of action,l 15 minutes of video replays, 30 minutes of commentary and 2 hours of ads. Not completely accurate, but that is what it feels like to me. Ice hockey still has a majority of action, hope it is not similarly ruined.


59 posted on 02/15/2018 1:08:24 PM PST by Voltage
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To: Colonel Kangaroo

Students are taught that it’s toxic masculinity and should be frowned upon.


60 posted on 02/15/2018 1:36:57 PM PST by windcliff
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