Bozich: Louisville Averaged 49,000 fans for home games in 15

[Crankdatmustard_rivals66299]

[laughing]

7,000 below capacity.

Can't WAIT for that expansion! [laughing]


A year after setting a school record by averaging 52,972 fans per game, Louisville’s average home attendance this season slipped to 49,069, a decline of 7.4 percent.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/30697233/bozich-tale-of-the-football-turnstiles-at-u-of-l-uk-iu-wku

 

[Panther09!]

If I was Juric I would expand the stadium to at least 100,000.

 

[JasonS.]

I understand why they're doing parts of that project (field-level suites are cool, some club seats okay, expanding the team facility and weight room fine), but adding 10,000-plus seats seems ridiculous.

 

[akaukswoosh]

If I was Juric I would expand the stadium to at least 100,000.

[thumb2]

 

[PushupMan]

We won't know this for nearly a year, but it should be illuminating to compare Louisville's revenue for football for 2015 versus 2014. It jumped from $25 million to $36 million with the move to the ACC, even though they dropped a home game (from 7 to 6). With another 6 home games this year, I expect the revenue to drop a little, but maybe not a lot because of the extra money brought in by the appearance in the Chik-Fil-A kickoff game.

What the attendance number doesn't really tell you is whether the season tickets, luxury suites and club seats were all sold. The revenue totals for football will reflect that a lot more accurately than the attendance numbers. What was definitely clear was that, with the 0-3 start and only one program (Clemson) who travelled well and sold out the visitor's allotment (5,500 tickets), there was no additional demand for those 4,000-5,000 remaining visitors seats.

Virginia in particular was very disappointing (smallest visiting crowd of the year, including Samford, Boston College and Syracuse), but that probably had more to do with Virginia fans expressing dissatisfaction with the head coach than with anything else.

 

[JHB4UK]

Someday you people will realize they are expanding not with any serious expectation of ever actually filling them outside of maybe UK, FSU, or Clemson, but to be able to brag about having the largest capacity football stadium in the state of Kentucky

 

[dorkmeister]

Its funny how "lil bro" keeps wanting to act like BIG BRO and we just keep putting them in their place. We have a much better fan base who shows up for games and rock the HOUSE!!!!!

 

[JasonS.]

Someday you people will realize they are expanding not with any serious expectation of ever actually filling them outside of maybe UK, FSU, or Clemson, but to be able to brag about having the largest capacity football stadium in the state of Kentucky

I think there's something to that. They obviously can make the money work. Plus, they have the flexibility we don't to bring the prices way down to get people in and still make bank on beer sales.

 

[RUPPsRevenge1]

I think the idea of expansion would help us as well. Increase the total number of seats and decrease the cost for the cheap seats to almost nothing. Folks that are marginal on purchasing tickets would buy them, thus hopefully creating more loyal fans over the years and one day that marginal fan may have the money or want to increase his or her level of ticket.

 

[PushupMan]

Someday you people will realize they are expanding not with any serious expectation of ever actually filling them outside of maybe UK, FSU, or Clemson, but to be able to brag about having the largest capacity football stadium in the state of Kentucky

The larger stadium hypothesis is valid, but since we play in the ACC it's more about having a stadium that matches or exceeds the size of everybody's stadium except for Clemson and FSU. We also won't match Miami's or Pitt's, but theirs are shared with pro teams. That ours would also be bigger than UKs would just be a happy coincidence (and something that wouldn't have happened unless UK reduced the capacity of Commonwealth).

I am sure we will also fill it when Miami, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame play there as well. The game last year against Miami is actually the record for single game attendance, not FSU, Clemson or Kentucky.

 

[Pervis_Griffith]

I am sure we will also fill it when Miami, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame play there as well. The game last year against Miami is actually the record for single game attendance, not FSU, Clemson or Kentucky.

Notre Dame visiting is one of the driving forces behind the expansion. The suites/loge seating opportunities will pay for the expansion, and it'd be silly to add just the suites without adding regular seating too.

The Notre Dame game will EASILY set the record for home attendance, and that won't be challenged by anyone any time soon.

 

[SanAntonioCat_rivals376502]

As UK fans, we should emphasize our support to Coach Stoops and our diligence to rise as a football program.

The mine is bigger than yours is not a statement of male prowess in football stadiums. Instead, the results on the field regardless of stadium size are the true measure of success.

 

[ville 77]

[laughing]

7,000 below capacity.

Can't WAIT for that expansion! [laughing]


A year after setting a school record by averaging 52,972 fans per game, Louisville’s average home attendance this season slipped to 49,069, a decline of 7.4 percent.

http://www.wdrb.com/story/30697233/bozich-tale-of-the-football-turnstiles-at-u-of-l-uk-iu-wku

While actual attendance was down paid attendance was not off nearly as much. Season tickets were pretty much sold out again. The early games with Houston and Clemson were full and after that it went down. Like always ULs actual attendance is effected by no shows. Weather, opponent and start time are always a big factor. This year UL had 4 home noon kick off which drives the no shows way up plus a pouring rain game vs unattractive BC. Really bad for that game.

As for the expansion current attendance is not s big factor. We had this same topic when UL was not selling out in a 40,000 seat place. What you are missing is UL has demand for more club seats, suites and lower bowl seats which are sold out. They will sell most of the new seats and the upper deck will be hit and miss. Big games will sell out and other games won't. In future years UL will usually have at least 2 big games per year with ND twice and IU added to FSS, UK and Clemson With that said if it was me I would only add about 6000. Build it and they will come.

The revenue from the split gate Auburn game was probably much more than the lost revenue from Lower ticket sales They also raised the lower bowl price so I am getting football revenue will be up.

Also at least UL reports pretty close to actual attendance scanned in . UK uses tickets sold or guesses
The Cats reported 60,000 for the UL game. I was there it is was not close to full. Probably no more than 54,000 and 5000 were UL fans. I won't even guess how far Charlotte was off in bad weather.

Guess all is fun in attendance wars.

 

[The Other Jeffrey Lebowski]

Its funny how "lil bro" keeps wanting to act like BIG BRO and we just keep putting them in their place. We have a much better fan base who shows up for games and rock the HOUSE!!!!!

wat

 

[CatDaddy4daWin]

Notre Dame visiting is one of the driving forces behind the expansion. The suites/loge seating opportunities will pay for the expansion, and it'd be silly to add just the suites without adding regular seating too.

The Notre Dame game will EASILY set the record for home attendance, and that won't be challenged by anyone any time soon.

So you're expanding for one team that you play on your field what once every 4 or so years. Yeah, that's UL logic for ya.

 

[Strongtino]

 

[murpack]

Television is ruining college sports in the sense that lower to middle tier programs in both football and basketball have trouble with attendance. It is easier for the casual fan to watch his or her team at home on ESPN 3 or watch Alabama play Florida on television than to get out and drive an hour or two, sit out in the cold air, and pay hundreds of dollars for a family of four for tix, food, and drinks. I don't know how teams like Tulane and Vandy can keep up competing with state schools AND television.

Having said that, I agree revenue is the key. Clemson built a fan base with its IPTAY program in the seventies. It should still prove a model today for colleges across the country. IPTAY stood for I Pay Ten A Year. Basically, a fan would pay ten dollars a year, and got into a "club" which sent them newsletters about Clemson sports, cheap Tiger paw decals and pins plus the right to buy either season or individual game tickets. It proved very popular with upstate South Carolina football fans that couldn't afford to pay for USCjr tix.

I am thinking Turtleneck is pulling off something similar in Louisville. We shall see.

 

[JasonS.]

I don't know how teams like Tulane and Vandy can keep up competing with state schools AND television.

The $35 million check Vandy gets from Disney every year softens the blow.

They could probably fund their entire athletic program on ESPN money alone, without a single fan in the stands.

 

[JHB4UK]

So you're expanding for one team that you play on your field what once every 4 or so years. Yeah, that's UL logic for ya.

That is generous. The Doamers are only forced to play something like 4 ACC members a year, 2 home/2 road. I doubt ND will visit Louisville more than once every 12 years.

claiming the Notre Dame game in 3 years is a driving force in expansion is both monumentally stupid and completely wrong. Spending $55M for facility improvements due to 1 date? Nope. Doing it so they can brag about having the biggest penis ER stadium in the state? Yeah, that's Tom Jurich and UL logic and mindset perfectly.

The driving force in their expansion is OUR de-expansion

 

[Cats78]

Notre Dame visiting is one of the driving forces behind the expansion. The suites/loge seating opportunities will pay for the expansion, and it'd be silly to add just the suites without adding regular seating too.

The Notre Dame game will EASILY set the record for home attendance, and that won't be challenged by anyone any time soon.

LOL

 

[Cats78]

We won't know this for nearly a year, but it should be illuminating to compare Louisville's revenue for football for 2015 versus 2014. It jumped from $25 million to $36 million with the move to the ACC, even though they dropped a home game (from 7 to 6). With another 6 home games this year, I expect the revenue to drop a little, but maybe not a lot because of the extra money brought in by the appearance in the Chik-Fil-A kickoff game.

What the attendance number doesn't really tell you is whether the season tickets, luxury suites and club seats were all sold. The revenue totals for football will reflect that a lot more accurately than the attendance numbers. What was definitely clear was that, with the 0-3 start and only one program (Clemson) who travelled well and sold out the visitor's allotment (5,500 tickets), there was no additional demand for those 4,000-5,000 remaining visitors seats.

Virginia in particular was very disappointing (smallest visiting crowd of the year, including Samford, Boston College and Syracuse), but that probably had more to do with Virginia fans expressing dissatisfaction with the head coach than with anything else.

Yeah, I bet most years that powerhouse UVA would just bring loads of fans. Meh, they're just having a bad few years.

 

[JasonS.]

Doing it so they can brag about having the biggest penis ER stadium in the state?

 

[BigBlueCatNation]

Just remember, you can spin numbers to make them sound however you'd like, good or bad

 

[tmuck]

LMAO at the most subtle, sarcastic little UL troll of them all, dorkmeister. He definitely knows how to play the game in order to keep the mods off his scent. He doesn't fool the ones who can actually sniff out the trolls, though. He and Ruppsrevenge have been doing it for years, so I guess we'll have to put up with it forever. Wearing out the Report button on them never does any good.

 

[rockycard]

Louisville's attendance is counted by tickets scanned at the gate, not tickets sold. Do you really believe that Kentucky had 62,000 the last game like was announced?

 

[PushupMan]

That is generous. The Doamers are only forced to play something like 4 ACC members a year, 2 home/2 road. I doubt ND will visit Louisville more than once every 12 years.

claiming the Notre Dame game in 3 years is a driving force in expansion is both monumentally stupid and completely wrong. Spending $55M for facility improvements due to 1 date? Nope. Doing it so they can brag about having the biggest penis ER stadium in the state? Yeah, that's Tom Jurich and UL logic and mindset perfectly.

The driving force in their expansion is OUR de-expansion

The agreement with the ACC is for Notre Dame to play 5 games versus ACC teams every year, so we will be playing them on average (a little less than) once every three years.

We played them in 2014 at their place, and then Notre Dame agreed to postpone the return game at Louisville until September 2019, so that Louisville could finish the stadium expansion. UofL will then play at Notre Dame again in 2020, and Notre Dame will visit Louisville again in 2023.

 

[Cats78]

The agreement with the ACC is for Notre Dame to play 5 games versus ACC teams every year, so we will be playing them on average (a little less than) once every three years.

We played them in 2014 at their place, and then Notre Dame agreed to postpone the return game at Louisville until September 2019, so that Louisville could finish the stadium expansion. UofL will then play at Notre Dame again in 2020, and Notre Dame will visit Louisville again in 2023.

So you're going to expand the stadium to satisfy a team that is coming twice in 8 years? All of that for two games out of what...50ish plus home games? LOL. Good lord. Sounds exactly like something UofL would do.

Side note...Do you guys ever question anything at all that happens at that place? Anything? Hiring a scandal ridden coach, again. Keeping Pitino after a scandal...again. Hookers in dorms. NCAA probation on the way. Corrupt YUM deal. Corrupt administrators. FBI investigations. Embezzlement. Theft. Clint Hurtt. A corrupt President, etc. The list goes on.

Serious question...does any of this bother you guys or do you just not care? Seems like you guys act like pro sports fans and nothing else matters. Which is ironic since you clowns act like UK is evil and you guys are doing things the right way. Nothing about the way UofL operates says "student-athlete" or "the right way". Never seen a group of folks in such denial.

 

[Strongtino]

I personally don't think the Notre Dame game has anything to do with the stadium expansion. They are obviously expanding for a reason - to generate more revenue. If they're studies and reports weren't showing they could make money by expanding then they wouldn't be doing it.

 

[Strongtino]

Come on. Both teams have issues with attendance. UK has the much, much larger fan base and most games averages less than 10,000 more fans than UL. Plus, like its been pointed out...there's no set standard for attendance claims so comparing some stats that each school have released are essentially meaningless.

Neither program has a leg to stand on when it comes to thumping their chest about attendance. Both have pretty good attendance numbers but also have flaky fanbases that miss games for a laundry list of reasons. I go to as many UK games each year as I do UL games because I can get a free ticket just about any time I want.

This season was served up to UK on silver platter with so many home games, hardly any Noon games and a slate that included a prime time Thursday night game vs Auburn, and non-Noon kick offs for UF, Missouri, and UT and a UL home game. On the flip side this schedule couldn't have shaped up worse for Louisville with Clemson being the only decent home game and nearly every game getting a Noon kickoff. I mean most of the time UL is averaging in the low 50s per game and UK is averaging in the high 50's...both are more than respectable numbers and yet neither are worthy of chest thumping.

 

[PushupMan]

So you're going to expand the stadium to satisfy a team that is coming twice in 8 years? All of that for two games out of what...50ish plus home games? LOL. Good lord. Sounds exactly like something UofL would do.

Side note...Do you guys ever question anything at all that happens at that place? Anything? Hiring a scandal ridden coach, again. Keeping Pitino after a scandal...again. Hookers in dorms. NCAA probation on the way. Corrupt YUM deal. Corrupt administrators. FBI investigations. Embezzlement. Theft. Clint Hurtt. A corrupt President, etc. The list goes on.

Serious question...does any of this bother you guys or do you just not care? Seems like you guys act like pro sports fans and nothing else matters. Which is ironic since you clowns act like UK is evil and you guys are doing things the right way. Nothing about the way UofL operates says "student-athlete" or "the right way". Never seen a group of folks in such denial.

As has already been said, we are in the ACC, so we will have regular games against Kentucky, FSU, and Clemson, and occasional games against Miami, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Notre Dame ... so it's not just one home game against Notre Dame every six years.

Yes, we question stuff that happens at UofL all the time.

"Hiring a scandal ridden coach, again." Yes.
"Keeping Pitino after a scandal...again." Yes.
"Hookers in dorms." Yes.
"NCAA probation on the way." Yes.
"Corrupt YUM deal." Yes. (You do know that zipp is on our board, right? He's been railing about the Corrupt Yum deal for years.)
"Corrupt administrators." Yes.
"FBI investigations." No. (Into corrupt administrators? Then yes.)
"Embezzlement." Yes. (See "corrupt administrators")
"Theft." Yes. (See "corrupt administrators")
"Clint Hurtt." Yes. But certainly not in any negative light, based on what he accomplished while at UofL.
"A corrupt President, etc." Yes, but didn't we already cover this under "corrupt administrators"?

As a rule, the one place I don't question what's happening at UofL is here. You guys do a great job of questioning what is happening at UofL without any help from me!

 

[Strongtino]

So you're going to expand the stadium to satisfy a team that is coming twice in 8 years? All of that for two games out of what...50ish plus home games? LOL. Good lord. Sounds exactly like something UofL would do.

Side note...Do you guys ever question anything at all that happens at that place? Anything? Hiring a scandal ridden coach, again. Keeping Pitino after a scandal...again. Hookers in dorms. NCAA probation on the way. Corrupt YUM deal. Corrupt administrators. FBI investigations. Embezzlement. Theft. Clint Hurtt. A corrupt President, etc. The list goes on.

Serious question...does any of this bother you guys or do you just not care? Seems like you guys act like pro sports fans and nothing else matters. Which is ironic since you clowns act like UK is evil and you guys are doing things the right way. Nothing about the way UofL operates says "student-athlete" or "the right way". Never seen a group of folks in such denial.

I honestly don't care about any of that stuff. I mean I care about it in that I care how it affects how much UL can win. I care about the Pitino scandal in that I care how it affects recruiting.

 

[notlifeordeath]

As has already been said, we are in the ACC, so we will have regular games against Kentucky, FSU, and Clemson, and occasional games against Miami, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Notre Dame ... so it's not just one home game against Notre Dame every six years.

Yes, we question stuff that happens at UofL all the time.

"Hiring a scandal ridden coach, again." Yes.
"Keeping Pitino after a scandal...again." Yes.
"Hookers in dorms." Yes.
"NCAA probation on the way." Yes.
"Corrupt YUM deal." Yes. (You do know that zipp is on our board, right? He's been railing about the Corrupt Yum deal for years.)
"Corrupt administrators." Yes.
"FBI investigations." No. (Into corrupt administrators? Then yes.)
"Embezzlement." Yes. (See "corrupt administrators")
"Theft." Yes. (See "corrupt administrators")
"Clint Hurtt." Yes. But certainly not in any negative light, based on what he accomplished while at UofL.
"A corrupt President, etc." Yes, but didn't we already cover this under "corrupt administrators"?

As a rule, the one place I don't question what's happening at UofL is here. You guys do a great job of questioning what is happening at UofL without any help from me!

Don't forget dead cheerleaders OD'd on heroin in football player apartments. Stay classy, Louisville.

 

[PushupMan]

Don't forget dead cheerleaders OD'd on heroin in football player apartments. Stay classy, Louisville.

Yes, that too.

 

[UK till Death]

Louisville is trash.

Just win, baby.

 

[dnabbott25]

we should probably leave them alone until we step up and play.....who am I kidding, lol

 

[TopCatCal]

And they are going to expand their stadium? Nothing like wasting tax dollars to build empty seats. Tommy "Hog Jaws" Jurich at his best.

 

[TopCatCal]

Notre Dame visiting is one of the driving forces behind the expansion. The suites/loge seating opportunities will pay for the expansion, and it'd be silly to add just the suites without adding regular seating too.

The Notre Dame game will EASILY set the record for home attendance, and that won't be challenged by anyone any time soon.

To expand a stadium because of 1 game? Where else but UofL would you expect such stupidity.

 

[CardChipper]

I think adding additional lowers and loge/suite seats is where this is all centered. I know there is demand for that. Similar to the Yum seating configuration. Demand for lowers is very strong, uppers not so much. A winner will fill the stands. The uppers won't be filled or sold unless there is a big game. We have a very commercial experience at both the Yum and Papa Johns, businesses pay for that. I get sick of the ads, Kevin Harned, the blaring speakers. But we have the nicest stadium in the ACC, and one of the nicest in the country. Everywhere I have been, I always say, "man, we have it good in Louisville." Ads and product placement pay for that. I like Commonwealth, it isn't nearly as commercial. But you don't have chairbacks, and you don't have all the ads. Its older, but you have a great gameday experience. Jurich has always wanted to fill the north end zone and complete the stadium. Simple as that.

 

[JHB4UK]

I think adding additional lowers and loge/suite seats is where this is all centered. I know there is demand for that. Similar to the Yum seating configuration. Demand for lowers is very strong, uppers not so much.

Then you could do an expansion just adding luxury suites/loge seats for cheaper than doing that + 10,000 bleachers y'know.

But that wouldnt accomplish the goal, to pass UK in stadium capacity. Keep pretending that isnt the purpose of your expansion.

 

[CardChipper]

Then you could do an expansion just adding luxury suites/loge seats for cheaper than doing that + 10,000 bleachers y'know.

But that wouldnt accomplish the goal, to pass UK in stadium capacity. Keep pretending that isnt the purpose of your expansion.

I am sure that is an additional benefit, but probably not the driving force behind this. Additional chairbacks is really a minor expense compared to the revenue the suites will bring.