Declining attendance at UofU Basketball Games

[U-Ute]

I would agree expectations for 2004 were very high. 2003 occured out of the abyss.

Conference titles? Sure. Undefeated BCS busting? Maybe I just blocked it out of my head for fear of speaking of it would curse it, but I don't remember any of that until halfway through the season.

U-Ute

[U-Ute]

There was one Ute fan in the Puget Sound area that held that belief, give the man credit.

I bet he also buys lotto tickets by the bagful.

[U-Ute]

As you know, this is an illusory stat, given that attendance was low from the onset. I guess what you are saying is that in 2004, the year Utah had its best season of all time, there were fewer empty seats than in previous seasons, although there were still plenty of empty seats. I have no problem with that assessment.

That's basically it. You have to remember that in the late 80's, early 90's, we had, maybe, 10,000 people at the games. I think the stadium sat somewhere between 22k-25k. I have no idea how many of those were setup for season tickets. I distinctly remember around the 2004/2005 seasons, that was the first season in which we sold more season tickets than the old Rice Stadium held. So there was a distinct jump around that time.

Again, you have to remember where we were coming from. I have no idea how many season tickets were sold in 1990, but I'd be surprised if it was over 12k-15k.

Although, did you say that Utah was operating at 100% capacity for the past 2 seasons? If so, how can they be setting season ticket sales records each year? Did they stadium expand its seating? That may be one possible answer, I suppose.

Not completely, but somewhat.

Nearly, if not all of the games for the last two years have been sell outs, but the 2009 season completely sold out of season tickets. They only allot around 35k seats for season tickets (I can't remember if it is 32k or 35k), and this last season was the first season they sold them all out. The stadium officially seats just over 46k. The rest are set aside for MUSS, player families, visitors, comps, and walk up sales. What season seats they didn't sell in previous years were sold as walk-up sales on a per-game basis. In 2008 and 2009, they sold all of those out. Additionally, for several games in '08 and '09 they set up temporary seating and sold SRO tickets extending the tickets sold to just over 48k for those games.

So, yes, our ticket base has swelled immensely over the last 10 years, with significant jumps due to 2004 and 2008.

U-Ute

[LA Ute]

Define "average ticket sales".

The U has set season ticket sales records each year ever since that '03 season.

U-Ute

Don't make the mistake of thinking DDD is actually interested in learning anything from you, U-Ute.

A few things...

1. Why do you and U-Ute keep bringing up BYU?

[Jarid in Cedar]

I There wasn't anyone in America who expected the Utes to take the Tide to the woodshed, however.

I predicted a 2 TD lead in the 1st quarter as we were walking to the game. Boy was I wrong

[Jarid in Cedar]

That is just flat out wrong. I remember fall camp Meyer trying to dial back expectations almost nightly on the news. Coming off the first outright conference championship in how many years? Returning the majority of the key contributors. Expectations were sky high in 2004. Utah met them and probably even exceeded them. Expectations were there.

I would agree expectations for 2004 were very high. 2003 occured out of the abyss.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

There wasn't anyone in America who expected the Utes to take the Tide to the woodshed, however.

There was one Ute fan in the Puget Sound area that held that belief, give the man credit.

[TripletDaddy]

Define "average ticket sales".

The U has set season ticket sales records each year ever since that '03 season.

U-Ute

As you know, this is an illusory stat, given that attendance was low from the onset. I guess what you are saying is that in 2004, the year Utah had its best season of all time, there were fewer empty seats than in previous seasons, although there were still plenty of empty seats. I have no problem with that assessment.

Although, did you say that Utah was operating at 100% capacity for the past 2 seasons? If so, how can they be setting season ticket sales records each year? Did they stadium expand its seating? That may be one possible answer, I suppose.

[U-Ute]

which is why I am puzzled. a team coming off its first outright conference championship in 30 years, most everyone on the team coming back, expectations are sky high........average ticket sales.

Define "average ticket sales".

The U has set season ticket sales records each year ever since that '03 season.

U-Ute

[TripletDaddy]

I actually agree.

which is why I am puzzled. a team coming off its first outright conference championship in 30 years, most everyone on the team coming back, expectations are sky high........average ticket sales.

what gives with that? It is a fair question, I think.

U-Ute does seem to indicate that halfway through the season people started showing up for games. Perhaps the hatred of science in Northern Utah subsided a bit during late October and November.

[UtahDan]

That is just flat out wrong. I remember fall camp Meyer trying to dial back expectations almost nightly on the news. Coming off the first outright conference championship in how many years? Returning the majority of the key contributors. Expectations were sky high in 2004. Utah met them and probably even exceeded them. Expectations were there.

I actually agree. 2008 was the year that was a pleasant surprise. We expected to be good, and maybe a few of us even thought the schedule set up nicely to win all the games (which it did). There wasn't anyone in America who expected the Utes to take the Tide to the woodshed, however.

[CJF]

First of all, I could only comment on what the article said, and it didn't go back to 2004. I hope you didn't sprain your shoulder being so quick to pat yourself on the back.

Second, nobody expected the 2004 season to happen. Season ticket sales jumped tremendously in 2005 after the success in '04, and have continued to grow to the point where they sold out of season tickets this year. But I do remember the last half of the '04 season being extremely crowded from walk up sales.

U-Ute

That is just flat out wrong. I remember fall camp Meyer trying to dial back expectations almost nightly on the news. Coming off the first outright conference championship in how many years? Returning the majority of the key contributors. Expectations were sky high in 2004. Utah met them and probably even exceeded them. Expectations were there.

[TripletDaddy]

I have given me my explanation. What's yours? What is your point here?

The reason we bring up BYU is that BYU and all the oxygen it consumes is the explanation. Between the two schools, it's a zero sum game, which is why rational people always wish ill on the rival unless a rival win will somehow advance the primary team (such as last year in the Las Vegas bowl (note, the Las Vegas Bowl is not of stature worthy of an applation like THE SUG)). I've always suspected Bronco took a dive to prevent us from no. 1 in the AP poll.

You cited a hatred of science and liberal arts for an inability to sell out a 15K arena?

[SeattleUte]

A few things...

1. Why do you and U-Ute keep bringing up BYU?

2. Already stipulated that in lean years, fans will likely not come in the same droves as when the team is doing well. Thus, a 1-26 season would likely not yield great attendance. I wouldn't expect Utah to sell out the basketball arena this season.

Please explain why Ute fans were not attending football games in 2004 or basketball games in the late 90s. Why were these tiny arenas not selling out their $10 tickets? Where were the Ute fans? Why were they not going to the games? This is what I find puzzling. LA Ute suggests that, in part, the Utah Jazz is to blame. In 2004, are people going to Jazz games instead of Ute football games?

I have given me my explanation. What's yours? What is your point here?

The reason we bring up BYU is that BYU and all the oxygen it consumes is the explanation. Between the two schools, it's a zero sum game, which is why rational people always wish ill on the rival unless a rival win will somehow advance the primary team (such as last year in the Las Vegas bowl (note, the Las Vegas Bowl is not of stature worthy of an applation like THE SUG)). I've always suspected Bronco took a dive to prevent us from no. 1 in the AP poll.

[UtahDan]

I never thought I'd see the day when DDD plays the attendance card. From now on, you should be ZDaddy.

We all have bad days. Cut him some slack, it isn't fair to expect him to perform at a high level all the time.