Terrific article on declining football attendance

[MrTitleist]

This one focuses on the waning attendance at Michigan and how they've alienated the fans. Worth the time to read.
http://m.thepostgame.com/blog/road-saturday/201406/college-football-fan-stadium-students-business-tv-ncaa-michigan-tickets" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[McPeachy]

Interesting. I expect it will be repeated, with several other schools, very soon.

Very sad that the culture of college sports is changing like it is.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

It is a good article. It appears talks of split are accelerating with Texas suggesting it now. The split is driven by TV and it will be interesting to see if fan support sustains. I'm no TV exec, but looking long-term, I wonder what the football outlook is?

The youngest generation appears to be much more frugal than their predecessors. Will advertising money have the same impact with them?

The largest majority of kids now grow up playing soccer or baseball. With concussions and such, will that make football participation even less? If most people are active in other sports, will they have the same interest in football that the "older" generations have?

It will be very interesting to see, but, I wouldn't say with 100% certainty that football will sustain its popularity much less increase it.

 

[fromolwyoming]

It is a good article. It appears talks of split are accelerating with Texas suggesting it now. The split is driven by TV and it will be interesting to see if fan support sustains. I'm no TV exec, but looking long-term, I wonder what the football outlook is?

The youngest generation appears to be much more frugal than their predecessors. Will advertising money have the same impact with them?

The largest majority of kids now grow up playing soccer or baseball. With concussions and such, will that make football participation even less? If most people are active in other sports, will they have the same interest in football that the "older" generations have?

It will be very interesting to see, but, I wouldn't say with 100% certainty that football will sustain its popularity much less increase it.

Don't know about the rest of you, but growing up in Laramie, it was rare for a kid NOT to play soccer at some point, at least during elementary school.

 

[MrTitleist]

Soccer is the national sport of Missoula.. because parents here are soft and enjoy ties.

 

[BeaverPoke]

The majority of kids now grow up playing baseball?
The same baseball that is known as Americas Past-time?
The MLB was hugely successful and popular almost a full century before the first Super Bowl.

Don't make it seem like this is a new trend, if anything there was a 20-30 year period where football became successful like baseball.

The thing about advertising is that they go after people with money.

The older generation has the money, mine doesn't.
But soon enough, my generation will. There will be new technology, and newer mediums to get games and stats.

Whatever the consumer demands, will be what is most successful.

Maybe after a decade or so, the trend will be going back to games.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

Hopefully the student backlash (planned or not) will be successful and slow down the money grab. I don't believe we at Wyoming are moving in the direction of Michigan in regards to treatment of students for game tickets (just look at the new student section in the AA!!).

Also, I will admit that I had a bias about Soccer growing up. However, I now believe that Soccer is a fine sport and kids should be introduced to both Soccer and Football and all other sports. Soccer teaches footwork and balance which are critical in all sports (especially wrestling!), not to mention the great conditioning it provides in our increasingly fat population. I play in an adult Soccer league, and although I am not a good Soccer player as I never acquired the necessary ball handling skills growing up, I believe it really really helps me to stay/get in shape and I have a great time playing.

 

[BJC]

Most kids are playing baseball? I thought baseball was on a major decline among youth?

Does football as we know it go the way of boxing? With generations of kids not playing, etc........Or does it turn into more of a 7 on 7 type game? rambling.... :twocents:

 

[fromolwyoming]

Most kids are playing baseball? I thought baseball was on a major decline among youth?

Does football as we know it go the way of boxing? With generations of kids not playing, etc........Or does it turn into more of a 7 on 7 type game? rambling.... :twocents:

Boxing may not be what it used to, but MMA took over that spot.

 

[Asmodeanreborn]

Hopefully the student backlash (planned or not) will be successful and slow down the money grab. I don't believe we at Wyoming are moving in the direction of Michigan in regards to treatment of students for game tickets (just look at the new student section in the AA!!).

Also, I will admit that I had a bias about Soccer growing up. However, I now believe that Soccer is a fine sport and kids should be introduced to both Soccer and Football and all other sports. Soccer teaches footwork and balance which are critical in all sports (especially wrestling!), not to mention the great conditioning it provides in our increasingly fat population. I play in an adult Soccer league, and although I am not a good Soccer player as I never acquired the necessary ball handling skills growing up, I believe it really really helps me to stay/get in shape and I have a great time playing.

I agree. If Wyoming hadn't been encouraging students to go to games, I likely never would've become a football fan in the first place. I know there are a lot of things they could do better, but at least in the past, that was a great thing.

As far as soccer goes - I play quite a bit. My team just advanced to Division V after winning our league this spring, so now we're going to play slightly less pathetic teams. It's an awesome sport for conditioning and learning to work with teammates, but man do I hate what pro soccer is now compared to the 80s. I quit watching after I caught my favorite national players diving, I just couldn't stomach it. Gave this World Cup a try with watching the opener - and then Brazil won the game on a dive, pretty much... and that's the last I watched. At least more casual adult leagues don't really have diving, as both teams alike taunt anybody who embellishes.

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

Once you actually learn the game of soccer, the strategies and rules, it's a pretty exciting sport. It does take a while though, so until you get to that point it's terribly boring.

We say we'd be okay winning with Bohl if it was a 10-3 score. That's similar to a 2-1 soccer score.

 

[theman12]

I always thought that if they take the offsides rule out of soccer it would be easy more exciting. The USA population would definitely like it if there were more scoring.

 

[kansasCowboy]

The only thing in soccer I wish they'd get rid of is ties. Play ot or extra time, but have a winner. Even if it's a sudden death shootout, Goalie vs shooter or something.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

The majority of kids now grow up playing baseball?
The same baseball that is known as Americas Past-time?
The MLB was hugely successful and popular almost a full century before the first Super Bowl.

Don't make it seem like this is a new trend, if anything there was a 20-30 year period where football became successful like baseball.

The only thing constant is change is the point. Advertising only works if you have an audience. Football's popularity isn't certain; either direction.

As football and basketball became more and more competitive, participation rates declined due to competition. Many suspect that is what allowed Extreme sports to make headway because kids grew up participating in those as opposed to football or bball.

Football participation rates among the younger generation could impact its future popularity. Who knows and this concussion deal could turn out to be very important. If you went back to the late 80s early 90s and told people of the decline of NBA popularity and that the dunk contest would be no big deal--a side show nobody cares about--you would have been laughed at. You had to be there to understand.

 

[HiCountryCowboy]

The majority of kids now grow up playing baseball?
The same baseball that is known as Americas Past-time?
The MLB was hugely successful and popular almost a full century before the first Super Bowl.

Don't make it seem like this is a new trend, if anything there was a 20-30 year period where football became successful like baseball.

The only thing constant is change is the point. Advertising only works if you have an audience. Football's popularity isn't certain; either direction.

As football and basketball became more and more competitive, participation rates declined due to competition. Many suspect that is what allowed Extreme sports to make headway because kids grew up participating in those as opposed to football or bball.

Football participation rates among the younger generation could impact its future popularity. Who knows and this concussion deal could turn out to be very important. If you went back to the late 80s early 90s and told people of the decline of NBA popularity and that the dunk contest would be no big deal--a side show nobody cares about--you would have been laughed at. You had to be there to understand.

Even though I grew up playing football, I am not bullish on letting my boys play. Ultimately, it's up to them, but I will force them to wait until they're at least in middle school. My oldest (6) does play lacrosse and that could do in multiple youth leagues. It teaches amazing coordination (baseball/basketball), fitness (soccer), and toughness (football) without leading with the head on every play. Growing like an August wildfire in CO...

http://www.uslacrosse.org/multimedia-center/press-releases-news/postid/583/national-lacrosse-participation-nears-750000.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As for the original topic at hand, I'm not surprised that people have had enough of the college sports manipulation and money grab. Wyoming's reasons for decline are a complete generation of losing without any real success to latch onto as well as incompetence in the leadership. We could get our small portion of fans back at the snap of a finger with sustained success and an AD that knew what he was doing.

 

[Wyovanian]

Interesting. I expect it will be repeated, with several other schools, very soon.

Very sad that the culture of college sports is changing like it is.

Pretty well-written article with, perhaps, a bit of an under-lying "all-profit-is-evil" agenda, but it's a good screen grab of a crucial frame- the inconvenience, lack of customer value, and cost of attending live games. Culture however, by definition, equals change.

Everything this article sites as reasons not to attend the game live translates as feature-benefit of a sports bar/ tavern. The students are either finding greater value in such places or, in the case of under-age students, re-creating the experience in their domicile (to the best of their resources and ability).

If schools started competing against the TV-centric venues, both private and (open to the) public, they'd have a clearer vision and a fighting chance.

For now, the decline will continue. I can see a time when, in certain markets, the line to get into the "right" sports bar (along with the price) will rival the live venue.

BTW, my turn- that's a FANTASTIC avatar!

 

[Hayduke]

Pretty well-written article with, perhaps, a bit of an under-lying "all-profit-is-evil" agenda, but it's a good screen grab of a crucial frame- the inconvenience, lack of customer value, and cost of attending live games. Culture however, by definition, equals change.

Things do change. I agree about the under-lying agenda against making profit in this article. But, the charm of college football and the loyalty of the fanbase was totally undermined by this pizza pushing AD.

You're right about McPeachy's avatar. Best I've seen!