Shama: Gophers 16-game average of 10,232 announced attendance, lowest since 1970-1971

[BleedGopher]

per Shama:

University of Minnesota men’s basketball had a 16-game average of 10,232 announced attendance for home games this season. That is the lowest since the program had an average of 8,395 during the 1970-1971 season.

The Gophers, playing their seventh season under head coach Richard Pitino, had one sellout at Williams Arena, with an announced attendance of 14,625 against Iowa.

David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Go Gophers!!

 

[Ope3]

I don't think the extra revenue from beer sales was enough to offset the drop. Summit Slugfest did help me get through the Mich St and Indiana losses though.

I went to 9 games and had 6 beers. 1 was free as part of the Penn St promo. They got another $50 out of me, so that probably means the Gophers made about $10.

 

[skiumah1]

per Shama:

University of Minnesota men’s basketball had a 16-game average of 10,232 announced attendance for home games this season. That is the lowest since the program had an average of 8,395 during the 1970-1971 season.

The Gophers, playing their seventh season under head coach Richard Pitino, had one sellout at Williams Arena, with an announced attendance of 14,625 against Iowa.

David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Go Gophers!!

Brutal performance for our 1 sellout.

 

[WindyCityGopher]

I think this, more than the anemic conference record and inability to establish consistency in the program, is what will ultimately be Pitino's undoing. And if he's around next year, the attendance numbers will be worse, likely significantly.

 

[jblass]

Football and hockey also have attendance issues so this is just not regulated to basketball. Not sure what the answer is. I have a couple of older friends that dropped their basketball season tickets as the requirement for donations went up. There’s a lot of competition for the sports dollar in the Twin Cities.

 

[skiumah1]

I think this, more than the anemic conference record and inability to establish consistency in the program, is what will ultimately be Pitino's undoing. And if he's around next year, the attendance numbers will be worse, likely significantly.

I agree, the dagger.

 

[leib0039]

Football and hockey also have attendance issues so this is just not regulated to basketball. Not sure what the answer is. I have a couple of older friends that dropped their basketball season tickets as the requirement for donations went up. There’s a lot of competition for the sports dollar in the Twin Cities.

I mean the obvious answer is to win more. If you have a consistent winner it is easier to support financially. Just take the last game for example, it's a hard case to make to go watch two under 500 teams that arent going anywhere in March. Now if the Gophers were say 24-5 and a win gets us a double bye in the BTT, sure go watch a good team that is playing for something.

I dont know numbers but just a guess the football team drew better this year than last year or previous losing seasons.

Hockey is a bit of a different answer I think, the move away from the WCHA feels like a money grab, which I get, but don't expect the people who loved facing UND, St Cloud, UMD etc to love playing a Penn St or Mich St that have almost no history. Imagine the basketball team playing Canisius, Vermont and Va Tech in conference as opposed to Iowa/Wisc type thing, it would be a disaster.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Brutal performance for our 1 sellout.

All I know is this: that one sellout--it was pretty cool to see the place packed. I remember thinking, we should do this more often! I remember how that place used to rock, and I miss it.

 

[Lincoln gopher]

Football and hockey also have attendance issues so this is just not regulated to basketball. Not sure what the answer is. I have a couple of older friends that dropped their basketball season tickets as the requirement for donations went up. There’s a lot of competition for the sports dollar in the Twin Cities.

This is a problem everywhere, many college football stadiums are only 60-70% full, even in the SEC

 

[GopherBlood777]

I like empty seats, then I can sit closer without paying for it ?

 

[Spottedmuskie]

10000 is a lot more than 100

 

[GopherVotary]

I blame fear of coronavirus.

 

[builtbadgers]

This is a problem everywhere, many college football stadiums are only 60-70% full, even in the SEC

Not everywhere, some are drawing over 90,000 every game and several dwarf our attendance. Plus some are charging huge bucks for great seats.

 

[builtbadgers]

This is a problem everywhere, many college football stadiums are only 60-70% full, even in the SEC

11 teams from the SEC dwarf us in football attendance.

 

[Lincoln gopher]

11 teams from the SEC dwarf us in football attendance.

I understand that, their stadiums are only 70% full and it is still more than the Gophers attendance. My point was that stadiums are not full all over the country and the problem is getting worse

 

[jovs]

Hockey is a bit of a different answer I think, the move away from the WCHA feels like a money grab, which I get, but don't expect the people who loved facing UND, St Cloud, UMD etc to love playing a Penn St or Mich St that have almost no history. Imagine the basketball team playing Canisius, Vermont and Va Tech in conference as opposed to Iowa/Wisc type thing, it would be a disaster.

The hockey team had to join the Big Ten once there were six teams, the only other option would have been to leave the Big Ten completely.

 

[golfing18now]

I think this, more than the anemic conference record and inability to establish consistency in the program, is what will ultimately be Pitino's undoing. And if he's around next year, the attendance numbers will be worse, likely significantly.

I would agree that apathy is probably the number one reason to change. However, I'm not convinced any of the names being thrown around as head coaching candidates would dramatically change the attendance figures next year. We have a pretty fickle fan base here and many excuses for not attending.

 

[builtbadgers]

I would agree that apathy is probably the number one reason to change. However, I'm not convinced any of the names being thrown around as head coaching candidates would dramatically change the attendance figures next year. We have a pretty fickle fan base here and many excuses for not attending.

Agree. The idea is not to win the press conference. It is worth it if you get a builder to not worry about attendance for two years, win and they come in droves.