Spring Game attendence down this year?

knapplc said:
If Spring Game ticket sales are any barometer of fan interest, 2012 could be trending downward. I called the ticket office this morning to find out how many tickets had been sold for the Spring Game. Their best estimate was the low 40,000s. To put that in perspective, we sold 40k tickets in the first day of sales in 2010, and 55k as of April 11th last year.

Our final attendance numbers in 2009 were 77,670, in 2010 we had 77,936, while we ended up with 66,784 in 2011. We won our bowl games in 2008 and 2009, but lost badly in 2010 and last year.

With fewer than ten days left before the 2012 Spring Game, will we see yet another drop in attendance? And if so, why? Are fans losing enthusiasm? After two straight seasons with disappointing conclusions, including two ugly bowl game losses, it seems possible the momentum is ebbing from the Cornhuskers. Or it could be that the announcement that the BTN will be televising the game for the first time ever could be a factor.
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I think that as the Spring Game draws closer more people will buy tickets. It wouldn't surprise me to see 60+ K there on "game day" as fans decide to go at the last minute.

 
Some will not go because they aren't so excited. Some won't go because it is on tv. Some will watch it on tv if weather is bad but go if the weather is good.

 
carlfense said:
My guess is that people are growing weary of the "we're so close" narrative. Nebraska needs to win something soon. Conference, BCS game, etc. It's been too long and I think that it's wearing on some people.

2008 - New coach, bright future.

2009 - Much improved team last year so we're on track!

2010 - We won the Big 12 last year but had the game taken from us! Huge momentum from Arizona bowl stomping. This is the year.

2011 - New conference. We're so much faster than the slow Big Ten teams.

2012 - . . . . . . who knows? I'm to the point where I expect more of the same from Pelini's team. I don't mean that as a bad thing necessarily. We'll probably win 8-10 games. I just don't expect to go further than that. That's hard for a Husker fan to take.
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My guess is fuel prices. big bucks to drive for a spring game.

 
Polarhusker said:
carlfense said:
My guess is that people are growing weary of the "we're so close" narrative. Nebraska needs to win something soon. Conference, BCS game, etc. It's been too long and I think that it's wearing on some people.

2008 - New coach, bright future.

2009 - Much improved team last year so we're on track!

2010 - We won the Big 12 last year but had the game taken from us! Huge momentum from Arizona bowl stomping. This is the year.

2011 - New conference. We're so much faster than the slow Big Ten teams.

2012 - . . . . . . who knows? I'm to the point where I expect more of the same from Pelini's team. I don't mean that as a bad thing necessarily. We'll probably win 8-10 games. I just don't expect to go further than that. That's hard for a Husker fan to take.
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My guess is fuel prices. big bucks to drive for a spring game.
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naw, if people are excited, they will go......no doubt the hype, with lack of results over the past 2 seasons is beginning to take it's toll. i am concerned that fans are losing a little interest here, this season could be pivotable in a lot of ways, scary.

 
Polarhusker said:
carlfense said:
My guess is that people are growing weary of the "we're so close" narrative. Nebraska needs to win something soon. Conference, BCS game, etc. It's been too long and I think that it's wearing on some people.

2008 - New coach, bright future.

2009 - Much improved team last year so we're on track!

2010 - We won the Big 12 last year but had the game taken from us! Huge momentum from Arizona bowl stomping. This is the year.

2011 - New conference. We're so much faster than the slow Big Ten teams.

2012 - . . . . . . who knows? I'm to the point where I expect more of the same from Pelini's team. I don't mean that as a bad thing necessarily. We'll probably win 8-10 games. I just don't expect to go further than that. That's hard for a Husker fan to take.
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My guess is fuel prices. big bucks to drive for a spring game.
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I don't buy it. If gas were $2.77 a gallon ($1 dollar cheaper) a person who drives a pickup at 15 mpg would only save $20 buy driving 300 miles, $40 round trip. These would be the people coming in from well out of town and most likely making a "mini-vacation" out of the game.

If people really want to go, but don't want to pay the above:

1. Find a buddy with a Camry (30mpg would cost extra $20 round trip) and buy his ticket.

2. Don't take the family out to Applebee's one night.

3. Pack a cooler for a tailgate so you don't have to buy drinks at the bars.

4. Grill burgers/hotdogs instead of steak/shrimp

If people don't want to go, I don't see gas prices as the reason. If it is for some and an extra $40 is life or death in a monthly budget, then those people should not be spending $10 on a ticket to watch football practice.

 
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I think it is a combination of things.

Last year, new OC so folks were interested.

Economic factors.

Fans have had enough of the "passive" and not so veiled comments about the fans.

Nothing new to see.

Personally, I have learned the spring game is a sham. No matter who excites, it is pretty much guaranteed they won't unseat a starter.

Being on tv doesn't help. You can stay at home, save money and watch the delayed game on the B1G Network.

It is still 8 days away.

I really don't think it a lack of support, just a lot of factors (real or speculated) that are adding up to lower ticket sales.

 
saving $10.00 is very important to bandwagon fan.

They probably won't watch it on TV either, because as you know electricity isn't free and you have to spend extra money to get the BTN package

 
FWIW, I went to huskers.com to check best available ticket and it was sect 36b row 61 in the north stadium. Assumming both east and west stadiums are full and north and south approx. 2/3 full, I would believe that that is more than 40k people. A minimum of 60k already.

 
carlfense said:
My guess is that people are growing weary of the "we're so close" narrative. Nebraska needs to win something soon. Conference, BCS game, etc. It's been too long and I think that it's wearing on some people.

2008 - New coach, bright future.

2009 - Much improved team last year so we're on track!

2010 - We won the Big 12 last year but had the game taken from us! Huge momentum from Arizona bowl stomping. This is the year.

2011 - New conference. We're so much faster than the slow Big Ten teams.

2012 - . . . . . . who knows? I'm to the point where I expect more of the same from Pelini's team. I don't mean that as a bad thing necessarily. We'll probably win 8-10 games. I just don't expect to go further than that. That's hard for a Husker fan to take.
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+1. I think it's all about expectations and unknowns coming into the spring game. I think this year people's expectations are tempered.

 
knapplc said:
Nebraska has no shortage of cash right now. That's pretty easy to say.
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And if the rumored ESPN and Fox contracts shake out as indicated...Nebraska will be far and away better off than had we stayed in our old conference. Looking like the new Big XII-II contract is going to put them at about fourth or fifth in the BCS conference pecking order, behind the SEC, Big 10, Pac-12, and ACC (in that order).

This, if anything else, will help ensure our viability in the 21st century, and I can see it being a factor that would draw kids out of the lower-performing schools in Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa back to the Nebraska fold, just like in the 80s and 90s.

 
I would attend if someone would supply the airline tix I'll gladly buy game tix :D no really generosity is my middle name

GBR

 
lo country said:
I think it is a combination of things.

Last year, new OC so folks were interested.

Economic factors.

Fans have had enough of the "passive" and not so veiled comments about the fans.

Nothing new to see.

Personally, I have learned the spring game is a sham. No matter who excites, it is pretty much guaranteed they won't unseat a starter.

Being on tv doesn't help. You can stay at home, save money and watch the delayed game on the B1G Network.

It is still 8 days away.

I really don't think it a lack of support, just a lot of factors (real or speculated) that are adding up to lower ticket sales.
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Well according to most on this board "Economic factors" has nothing to do with it. your just a "bandwagon fan" if you don't pony up and spend the money.

:confucius

 
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