The popularity of college football continues to soar around the country, with lavish stadium upgrades and large TV contracts. The one number that is declining, however, is actual game attendance.
According to CBS Sports, for the seventh time in eight years, numbers dipped across the board. Across 129 FBS schools, the average attendance came down to 41,856, the lowest mark since 1996. Even the mighty SEC have experienced declines, although average attendance in 2018 still came in at over 74,000 per game.
Why It’s happening
There are many theories surrounding the drop in attendance and all likely have validity. The access to HD television within the confines of one’s home and personal comforts certainly ranks up there. The idea of spending upwards of eight-plus hours driving, tailgating and watching a 3.5 hour game when you have kids in sports and other weekend activities going on is absolutely a factor.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald recently blamed the use of cell phones and or societies complete detachment from reality for the decline.
“Listen. Watch. Take it in. Create a memory.” Fitzgerald urged at Big 10 Media Days in Chicago.
SEC Attendance Rankings by School (according to College Football News)
Texas A&M. 101,861 99.15%
Alabama. 101,550 99.73%
LSU. 100,8561 98.57%
Tennessee. 98,013 95.67%
Georgia. 92,746 100.00%
Florida. 86,557 97.75%
Auburn. 86,549 98.97%
South Carolina. 77,867 97.03%
Arkansas. 65,588 91.10%
Ole Miss. 60, 250 94.09%
Miss. State. 59,477 96.97%
Missouri. 57,211 95.09%
Kentucky. 56,819 93.15%
Vanderbilt. 31,404 77.83%
SEC average: 76,909
Vs. the Big 12
By comparison, the Big 12 has averaged just over 57,000 fans per game over the past five years. Unbelievably, the SEC’s 12th-ranked school, Missouri, would rank third in the Big 12, while Vanderbilt, the SEC’s last-ranked school still averaged more fans that the Big 12’s 10-ranked school, Kansas by 5,000 per game.
Vs. the Big 10
Though the Big 10 boasts some of the larger stadiums in America such as the Big House at Michigan, the Horseshoe at Ohio State and Happy Valley at Penn St, the conference averaged just over 57,000 fans over the past five years.
Vs. the ACC
Stadium capacities are, as a whole, much smaller in the ACC and it shows in attendance figures. Throughout the 14-team league, an average of 48, 862 have attended games since 2013.
Vs. the Pac 12
The numbers continue to dip as we head out west. The Pac 12 has averaged just over 46,000 fans per game throughout this 5-year stretch which includes smaller crowds at the Rose Bowl and L.A. Coliseum.
Visit GASNsports.com for coverage of SEC Media Days
I graduated and played at A&M under Gene Stallings and my brother played / graduated at OU under Switzer. Annually I fly home and we go to a game in College Station and one in Norman over a two week period. The tickets for the A&M game average $700 and my brother has season tickets and I have no clue what they cost. I look at it this way….it is a great way to spend time with Bill and catch two great games but the important thing is time with my brother.
Bingo.! It costs too much for average income people.