Final stats on attendance

[tornado]

Bradley has surged back into a huge lead in the MVC!


Team- Home att. avg- Conference games
Bradley ------ 5699 ----------6303
ISU -------------5142 ---------- 5490
Missouri St. ----4518 - ---------4674
UNI -------------4090 - ---------4176
SIU -------------3967 - ---------4456
Evansville ------3782 - ---------3924
InSU -----------3675 - ---------4006
Drake ----------3167 - ---------3463
Valpo -----------2722 - -------- 2781
Loyola ----------2405 - ---------2753

[tornado]

our numbers are by no means final for 2018-19 and we have been hurt by some early losing and terrible weather...

BUT the good news is that Bradley still leads the entire MVC in overall attendance and in conference-only attendance

Overall - 5,317 - next closest is Illinois State at 5,256 then Evansville (surprising) at 5,174...then it drops off to 4,735 (Missouri State)

In MVC Conference games - Bradley averages 5,614 - with Evansville next at 5,545, then ISU at 5,375.
Evansville sold a bunch of new season tickets with the hype that accompanied the new hire of Walter McCarty but a lot of those seats are now empty (but paid for)

[E-Villan]

I don't think the empty seats comment is accurate. I am pretty sure 99% of those season ticket purchase knew that this season would be a total rebuild, and Valley wins would be few and far between. Other than the Bradley game, (below zero windchills), I haven't seen a lot of empty seats in the lower bowl. Looks like the upper level will be open for the UNI game this weekend.

The attendance at both of our schools have suffered through seasons of mediocrity, and frankly, I hope we both can both get back to 10K. It is good for the league.

[tornado]

well, but my point was documented with the photo (and others are available like this - LINK) - https://gopurpleaces.com/galleries/?image=7563
that large swaths of seats right at courtside are empty -- literally entire rows only just 8 steps up from floor level...


Bradley has had a lot of no-shows, too, but nowhere close to entire rows empty in the lower bowl right near midcourt-

[E-Villan]

I wasn't at the Missouri State game on Wednesday (work, not a performance protest). I see what you are referencing, but I also see the end zones, which are the last to seat with quite a bit of bodies, as well as the last photo, which shows a little over 5 mins left, and the center still fairly full. You will get more STH no shows during the week, like I said, guilty as well, but I don't think people are now staying home over performance expectations. We are just about where everyone expected this year.

[Oller]

Impressive numbers. How do think we could get even more people to attend the games btw?

[tornado]

well, Oller the main way is to get a winning tradition back -
Bradley has had a winning tradition most of their 115 years of playing basketball but some horrible moves by administration destroyed that almost overnight and sank Bradley basketball to near-DIII caliber. Surely you know a little about what went on here from 2008 thru 2015 until some fans finally convinced the Board of Trustees to wake up from their coma and fire the whole bunch of clowns and idiots that were running the program into the ground.

We're halfway back to respectability in the 3+ years since that gang was fired - but we still need to keep winning consistently.
To even draw 5,000 fans given the disaster that has been Bradley basketball during those years (2008-2015) shows the strength, loyalty & dedication of the great fans - but to get fully back to where we were - we need 20-win seasons, post-season success and solid home wins and wins over top opponents.
All the gimmicks, bouncy-houses, Quick Change and promotions only go so far - they help but winning more is necessary.

[wily coyote]

I don't think the empty seats comment is accurate. I am pretty sure 99% of those season ticket purchase knew that this season would be a total rebuild, and Valley wins would be few and far between. Other than the Bradley game, (below zero windchills), I haven't seen a lot of empty seats in the lower bowl. Looks like the upper level will be open for the UNI game this weekend.

The attendance at both of our schools have suffered through seasons of mediocrity, and frankly, I hope we both can both get back to 10K. It is good for the league.

E-ville we had some good friends return from the Villages and stopped in E-ville for the game. They sat about 7 or 8 rows behind the BU bench. Lower section looked pretty full but there were plenty of empty seats.