College Football Bowl Attendance Down Again: Lowest Average since 1979

After a December report noted how sharply down college football attendance was this year, it should surprise nobody that the troubling trend extended to bowl games. The stadiums were veritable ghost towns, according to AL.com:

Reported attendance at this season’s 35 bowls averaged 49,222, down 2 percent from a year ago, according to an analysis by AL.com of reported figures. This was again the lowest average since 1978-79, when 15 bowls averaged 48,404 fans.
Bowl attendance decreased for the third straight season and is down 7 percent since an average of 52,961 in 2009-10, the last season with 33 bowls.

Ok, ok, ghost towns was fun with hyperbole, but come on, you know the solution, right? A 16-game playoff format. Stadiums packed for each round, ratings soaring … four games is nice, and eight would be better, but let’s just go with 16, and have compelling drama throughout December and early January.

aroundtheweb

21 Responses to “College Football Bowl Attendance Down Again: Lowest Average since 1979”

VladimirCrouton Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:46 PM

Pay the players.

johndewar Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:50 PM

Pretty sure some schools that typically bring large contingents of Alums and students to whatever Bowl game they go to were left out of Bowl season this year.

/Penn State
//Ohio State
///I’m sure I’m missing another school or two.

HuskerDawg Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:52 PM

Yet viewership was up. I believe this is the same exact issue the NFL is facing, and it has little to do with crappy match ups. Why spend the money that it costs to go to games (any games) when you can see them in beautiful HD from your own sofa?

HuskerDawg Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:53 PM

A 16-game playoff format. Stadiums packed for each round

Totally. NIU-Free Shoe in the round of 16 would have been packed.

/said no one

José Pippen Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:54 PM

That’s what happens when there are 124 teams and like 45 Bowls. Why a 6-7 team should ever play in a bowl game is beyond me.

arkbadger Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:55 PM

///I’m sure I’m missing another school or two.

Arkansas

/flips off Bobby Petrino
//steals John L. Smiths Metamucil

ms621 Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:56 PM

That’s what happens when there are 124 teams and like 45 Bowls. Why a 6-7 team should ever play in a bowl game is beyond me.

This pretty much covers it. Over-expansion is not good in the long term for a sport. See the NHL for further evidence of that.

HuskerDawg Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:57 PM

Why a 6-7 team should ever play in a bowl game is beyond me.

If a sponsor wants to have a bowl game and put up the money and a school wants to accept the bid what’s the problem?

TNCOWBOY7 Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:59 PM

1) UT season ticket holder for 25 years. Doubt I will ever go back for a live game regardless of the quality of the team. Not worth the hassle.

2) If this playoff nonsense continues to expand the scholly limit of 85 has to be expanded.

3) How do you change your avatar on this site?

HuskerDawg Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 4:59 PM

3) How do you change your avatar on this site?

Gravatar.com

A.P. Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:01 PM

Hot damn, wendi nix has it going on.

José Pippen Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:01 PM

If a sponsor wants to have a bowl game and put up the money and a school wants to accept the bid what’s the problem?

The televised product, usually.

Nada Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:02 PM

College Football Bowl Attendance Down Again: Lowest Average since 1979

SHUT IT DOWN.

johndewar Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:03 PM

UT season ticket holder for 25 years. Doubt I will ever go back for a live game regardless of the quality of the team. Not worth the hassle.

I still have PSU season tickets and if I drop them, it won’t be because of any sanctions.

It would be because the entire experience starting with the 4+ hour drive one way (plus tolls) to the (minimum) 2 night hotel stay at $250+ per night is becoming cost prohibitive.

Nada Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:03 PM

If a sponsor wants to have a bowl game and put up the money and a school wants to accept the bid what’s the problem?

La. Tech hedging its bets on bids, there’s yer problem.

Nada Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:05 PM

Ahem … New Orleans Bowl set all-time attendance record in 2012.

Ooh-La-La rawks!!

ghost towns was fun with hyperbole

Everything’s funner with hyperbole

/ LOng live Hyperbole And A Half

oskie Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:09 PM

Yet viewership was up. I believe this is the same exact issue the NFL is facing, and it has little to do with crappy match ups. Why spend the money that it costs to go to games (any games) when you can see them in beautiful HD from your own sofa?

I love going to games, but $$$ is why people don’t go. it’s too friggin expensive. all sports. i was given yankees tickets one night, for free, and the night still cost me 40 bucks.

GloriousMullet Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:18 PM

I love going to games, but $$$ is why people don’t go. it’s too friggin expensive. all sports. i was given yankees tickets one night, for free, and the night still cost me 40 bucks.

This. Also, giant affordable flat screen TV’s.

Babar 2.0 Says:
January 11th, 2013 at 5:26 PM