NCAA releases 2007 attendance figures

[Braves4Life]

These stats would be a lot more meaningful if they showed the average attendance as a percentage of capacity as well. Doesn't seem like it'd be that much more work, I'm not going to go through and do it. It does make it look like Duke has poor attendance even though they sell out every game.

Just wondering what a study of that data is gonna prove.

Would the conclusion suggest some schools should have an arena small enough to sell out every game?

Would it mean more if Duke played in an arena that sat 25,000 but they only averaged 18,000 (72% capacity)?

Would it mean more if a team filled their 10,000 seat arena every game (100% capacity)?

Just curious - that's all.

Once interesting conclusion a study like this might show is that college games were meant to be played ON CAMPUS! I hate when schools move their games off campus for more revenue. IMO, the worst thing BU ever did was move their games from The Fieldhouse (typed with reverence) to The Civic Center. The whole atmosphere of "the game" changed.

Oh well, I guess I'm nothing more than a dinosaur traditionalist

[Da Coach]

I can't agree. By moving to the Civic Center, Bradley has been abole to draw much better teams into Peoria, and the added revenues from ticket sales has boosted Bradley tremendously. Does anyone think Bradley would be able to charge the kind of ticket prices, and maintenance fees they have now if they still played in the Fieldhouse? It also would have cost Bradley enormous sums of money to keep the facility up to the standard of a Div I arena, and would still be facing the same dilemma that they are now-- it's outdated, antiquated, and dilapidated. And the ability to recruit top players and coaches would have been severly limited.

There would be very little difference between Bradley and Drake over the last 25 years if they had stayed at the Fieldhouse.

[Chico]

I guess some fans would still rather have patsies on the schedule instead of seeing real competition.

[amckillip]

I can't agree. By moving to the Civic Center, Bradley has been abole to draw much better teams into Peoria, and the added revenues from ticket sales has boosted Bradley tremendously. Does anyone think Bradley would be able to charge the kind of ticket prices, and maintenance fees they have now if they still played in the Fieldhouse? It also would have cost Bradley enormous sums of money to keep the facility up to the standard of a Div I arena, and would still be facing the same dilemma that they are now-- it's outdated, antiquated, and dilapidated. And the ability to recruit top players and coaches would have been severly limited.

There would be very little difference between Bradley and Drake over the last 25 years if they had stayed at the Fieldhouse.

I agree with DC, this is a problem facing all small private schools. Stay on campus with bad facilities or move to better facilities they can't afford to have on campus. While I wish BU played games on campus, there's just no way we could. To have an arena like Carver on campus would be impossible due to maintenance, it would never be booked (competing with Peoria CC), and sheer space requirements - theres no room for an 10,000+ seat stadium, let alone parking for it!

[tornado]

Here's a story on attendance

http://www.huliq.com/22917/ncaa-basketball-attendance-enjoys-records-for-both-genders

the average NCAA D-I attendance was 5,548.
Tops was Kentucky at 23,421.
Top D-II school was Central Missouri at 3,640 per game.
In all the total attendance at D-I games was 27,705,912.

[MacabreMob]

Tops was Kentucky at 23,421.

I am not surprised - seeing a Kentucky game at Rupp Arena is awesome.

[Braves4Life]

I can't agree. By moving to the Civic Center, Bradley has been abole to draw much better teams into Peoria, and the added revenues from ticket sales has boosted Bradley tremendously. Does anyone think Bradley would be able to charge the kind of ticket prices, and maintenance fees they have now if they still played in the Fieldhouse? It also would have cost Bradley enormous sums of money to keep the facility up to the standard of a Div I arena, and would still be facing the same dilemma that they are now-- it's outdated, antiquated, and dilapidated. And the ability to recruit top players and coaches would have been severly limited.

There would be very little difference between Bradley and Drake over the last 25 years if they had stayed at the Fieldhouse.

DC, I agree with much of what you have said. However, I just think that BU's planning here was short-sighted. I truly believe that it was a mistake to move BU basketball off campus. I went to games at PCC immediately after it opened and was at games prior at The Fieldhouse, and I can tell you that school spirit amongst the students dropped dramatically.

As a student in the mid-80's I can tell you that I was constantly having to talk friends in to jumping a bus to go to a game at PCC. And the "buzz" that previously existed at The Fieldhouse was rare (though it was no better when JL drove to the hoop against ISU sending the game to OT ) The Fieldhouse just seemed "electric" to me. Maybe I'm just blinded by nostalgia

I also think BU should have considered an on-campus facility this time around, as well. I understand economics played a huge role in both decisions, and that the Admin. simply did what they had to do to keep the team and facility competitive, I just don't like it.

I do think good teams would have come to The Fieldhouse (or similar "cozy" on-campus facility today. I think it's more a function of conference and team success/reputation as well as a good AD's ability to schedule. Just look at Cameron (Duke) and Butler, to name two. I remember plenty of good teams coming to The Fieldhouse in the 70's (I know, times have changed).

I also don't think the PCC has much to do with recruiting top players since the team doesn't practice or workout there. I think recruiting is more a function of tradition, coaching, and conference spotlight.

Let me conclude, I agree The Fieldhouse would have needed a lot of improvement (and BU probably didn't have the money to do it at the time). However, I think the Admin is dropping the ball on it this time by only building a training facility/arena for women's games. We may be second guessing this decision in the future

[amckillip]

Just look at Cameron (Duke) and Butler, to name two. I remember plenty of good teams coming to The Fieldhouse in the 70's (I know, times have changed).

To be honest I'm from indiana and have many friends who go to Butler, the big games they schedule at conseco or another venue in Indy, because they can't get those teams to play them at home, but then they can count the game as a neutral site...