ADVERTISEMENT

Will fans ever support this year's UCF Hoop Team? Attendance is DOWN this year

K

Knight_Light

GOL's Inner Circle
Gold Member
May 29, 2001
166,310
102,069
113
Even last year's non-conf attendance average was 4,228 fans per game while this year, UCF averaged 3,806 per non-conf game.

Yesterday, with UCF offering up hundreds and hundreds of free tix to all of those that bought UCF Bowl Tix thru UCF, the conf game vs Temple game drew an "announced" crowd of 3,906.

Tuesday night at 7 pm will be the last game of UCF's $5 Holiday Tix Special Deal as UCF hosts 1-1 ECU (beat USF, lost to SMU).

What will it take for fans to finally support UCF Hoops?

Build a nice arena? Check

Play in a competitive basketball conf? Check

Hire a famous coach? Check

Sign one of the most unique/special players in the country in Tacko Fall? Check

Offer up special tix deals? ($5 tix specials to $99 season tix)? Check

Winning team? Check

Not having fans in the stands for most games makes future recruiting harder for any coach, even Dawkins, as HS players/coaches can usually be found at any game...and a crowd or lack of could impact one's first, second of third impression of what UCF Basketball is all about (or not).
 
  • Like
Reactions: UCFhonors
Knight_Light said:
Even last year's non-conf attendance average was 4,228 fans per game while this year, UCF averaged 3,806 per non-conf game.

Yesterday, with UCF offering up hundreds and hundreds of free tix to all of those that bought UCF Bowl Tix thru UCF, the conf game vs Temple game drew an "announced" crowd of 3,906.

Tuesday night at 7 pm will be the last game of UCF's $5 Holiday Tix Special Deal as UCF hosts 1-1 ECU (beat USF, lost to SMU).

What will it take for fans to finally support UCF Hoops?

Build a nice arena? Check

Play in a competitive basketball conf? Check

Hire a famous coach? Check

Sign one of the most unique/special players in the country in Tacko Fall? Check

Offer up special tix deals? ($5 tix specials to $99 season tix)? Check

Winning team? Check

Not having fans in the stands for most games makes future recruiting harder for any coach, even Dawkins, as HS players/coaches can usually be found at any game...and a crowd or lack of could impact one's first, second of third impression of what UCF Basketball is all about (or not).
Click to expand...
Keep winning and play quality opponents and they will come. It's just going to happen.

Casual fans want to see a perennial NCAA tournament team, one time tournament team, or one that's going to have a chance. Fans relate to March madness. Lots of fans are on the bubble. Tacko is an intriguing draw
as well. That's just the way it is.

I've never attended a game, but I probably will very soon and bring a guest or more.
 
When they first opened the new arena it was always packed, even the top level seats. This was when we still did the ground pound (which I till this day miss) with Mike O, JT, etc. It will take time to build it back up, but we will.
 
Apologies.

I chose to watch some amazing specimens that use Deer Antler Spray dismantle some soft team from the West Coast.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mikesi
Does anybody know that we are 11-3? It's going to take a run in the tournament for people to get behind UCF basketball.

Attendance will increase if we get ranked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mikesi
I don't understand the local students' attendance. At the Miami O game there were 27 students in the student section (not counting the band). That's an actual count. That's how few there were.
 
Nyght Shadow said:
I don't understand the local students' attendance. At the Miami O game there were 27 students in the student section (not counting the band). That's an actual count. That's how few there were.
Click to expand...
Times have changed. Students that I know in this area have become so disinterested because of a wide variety of reasons.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Poolside Knight
muckdawg24 said:
We live in Florida, nobody cares enough about basketball.
Click to expand...
Has nothing to do with football vs. basketball. Check the attendance out! We packed CFE when we packed Bright House.
Both places were deafening. People attend for the shared experience, just like music bands. It's an identity thing.
 
UCF_SystemsEng said:
The students are all at Starbucks on their tablets watching other Millenials playing League of Legends on Twitch.

No asterisk
Click to expand...
If we had a Battlefield or League of Legends team they'd come out in droves. And by come out, I mean watch from their dorm rooms.

Maybe fpv drone racing would get some physical attendance.
 
Flem3000 said:
The students go home for Christmas break. Unless you are Duke this happens everywhere.
Click to expand...
There were over 18,000 at yesterday's Creighton - 'Nova game! Was watching before I left for the game. UVa was packed for the FSU game. So was Virginia Tech. So was Indiana. And those were Dec 31st afternoon games.

UCF students are mostly hear (two-third live in commuting distance). The promotions are really helping, as well as creating a buzz for when the term starts.
C1CUj67WQAEqCzb.jpg
 
Last edited:
UCFProf said:
Was watching before I left for the game. UVa was packed for the FSU game. So was Virginia Tech. So was Indiana. And those were Dec 31st afternoon games.

UCF students are mostly hear (two-third live in commuting distance). The promotions are really helping, as well as creating a buzz for when the term starts.
Click to expand...
not sure if I believe the number is that high and commuters are usually less involved socially & attend less athletic events compared to the students that are from somewhere else and live on/near campus. All the students from South Florida, Tampa, etc are still home
 
  • Like
Reactions: 22knights_era
Nyght Shadow said:
27 - actual nose count. 65,000.
Click to expand...
so 41% but how many of those students that are registered being from Orlando live On Campus or on their own in apartment on the Perimeter of Campus? Bc I don't consider them Commuters. A lot of FSU/UF people try to make that outdated claim about UCF but there is nothing about the atmosphere that is commuter about it, it's a residential campus. USF is still very much commuter from everything I've heard from recent and current students, their students prefer to drive over to UCF to party over their own.

Part of the problem with attendance in basketball and football is both sports hitting rock bottom at the same time & apathy set in.
 
Poolside Knight said:
not sure if I believe the number is that high and commuters are usually less involved socially & attend less athletic events compared to the students that are from somewhere else and live on/near campus. All the students from South Florida, Tampa, etc are still home
Click to expand...
You're right, it didn't used to be. We got it up to 40% (24% from southern Florida and 16% from primarily the west coast). But the state finally ordered us to cap frosh admission 5 years ago -- I guess we were embarrassing the other directional schools by draining out potential students, especially after UF and FSU capped their admits several years earlier. Actually, UF reduced their freshman class substantially so they could focus on more grad and professional school programs. Now, with Direct Connect, we vacuum up local area community college (state colleges) AA grads faster than ever.
 
Flem3000 said:
Nyght Shadow said:
I don't understand the local students' attendance. At the Miami O game there were 27 students in the student section (not counting the band). That's an actual count. That's how few there were.
Click to expand...
The students go home for Christmas break. Unless you are Duke this happens everywhere.
Click to expand...

Well, approx 40,000 UCF students are from the Central FL area so they are "already home" for the holidays.

Next excuse please.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sultan__of__Swine and UCFProf
Knight_Light said:
Well, approx 40,000 UCF students are from the Central FL area so they are "already home" for the holidays.

Next excuse please.
Click to expand...

People don't care.

Try your hand at a letter to the editor... maybe presenting of your facts in the local rag will provide the uptick which you seek
 
ucflee said:
People don't care.

Try your hand at a letter to the editor... maybe presenting of your facts in the local rag will provide the uptick which you seek
Click to expand...

That might be true if not for all the complaints when UCF loses or their desire to hire new coaches.

One would think that when the results are what they want (winning team, new HC), the arena would be PACKED.
 
So great that we are discussing this. One thing we all can do is play it up on social media. Post pics and videos. Generate excitement by talking about how exciting it was for you and your family. There are 7 more home games in January and February remaining. including Houston, SMU, Memphis, and Cincy, Weekend games are a great, inexpensive cool weather entertainment choice, and no traffic problems!
 
Knight_Light said:
That might be true if not for all the complaints when UCF loses or their desire to hire new coaches.

One would think that when the results are what they want (winning team, new HC), the arena would be PACKED.
Click to expand...

Where are enough people complaining that when changes occur would significantly increase attendance? Outside of the message boards, I have never seen it.
 
G-Knight said:
Keep winning and they shall come.
Click to expand...
Three fallacies with that thesis that everyone mindlessly parrot as if it's true, profound, and useful advice.
First, it demands that a team prove it doesn't need fan support to win ... before fans will support them. So who needs em. Second, it proves they are at best fair-weather supporters, i.e., not true fans at all.
Third, it assumes that attending a game is passive entertainment, like viewing a video, ignoring any reverse causation. Large, boisterous crowds can make a decent team invincible at home! The difference between playing in March or not.
So any way we can prime the pump this week will hasten re-establishing UCF to a must-see event status.
Example: only 7 chances left to see perhaps the greatest UCF team ever! (most are seniors and Tacko could be drafted)
 
KL has been in a grumpy mood on this board ever since GOL left.

I've never seen big expectations on Coaches,etc for the Basketball Program from fans here
 
  • Like
Reactions: firm_bizzle
4,000 fans is a struggle and you wonder why no P5 conference wants schools like C. Florida. The ACC lover college basketball, no way would they dilute their product.

Also you can't have it both ways....touting the size of your student body and then say the students don't show up because they are commuters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Knight_Light and UCFProf
When I was a student and went to games there would be maybe 50 people there. Not really helping with the discussion, but it is what it is...Go Knights!
 
UCFProf said:
Three fallacies with that thesis that everyone mindlessly parrot as if it's true, profound, and useful advice.
First, it demands that a team prove it doesn't need fan support to win ... before fans will support them. So who needs em. Second, it proves they are at best fair-weather supporters, i.e., not true fans at all.
Third, it assumes that attending a game is passive entertainment, like viewing a video, ignoring any reverse causation. Large, boisterous crowds can make a decent team invincible at home! The difference between playing in March or not.
So any way we can prime the pump this week will hasten re-establishing UCF to a must-see event status.
Example: only 7 chances left to see perhaps the greatest UCF team ever! (most are seniors and Tacko could be drafted)
Click to expand...

When UCF has a little number by their name people will go to the games.
 
firm_bizzle said:
When UCF has a little number by their name people will go to the games.
Click to expand...
What? Ask the folks at Miami football about that. So we got two opposite hypotheses espoused here.
1. People only attend sports at schools/regions where they like attending. Hence Duke football empty even when they win
2. People want to see winners, regardless of who they are I guess. But then why do the Redskins sell out every game?
Both theses fatally flawed because they assume attendance is based on only one factor.
And neither explain why college attendance is plummeting, why UCF filled the house in football and basketball 7 years ago, why attendance varies from game to game depending on the opponent, day of week, weather, who they play, what else is going on that day, and other factors.
 
UCFProf said:
What? Ask the folks at Miami football about that. So we got two opposite hypotheses espoused here.
1. People only attend sports at schools/regions where they like attending. Hence Duke football empty even when they win
2. People want to see winners, regardless of who they are I guess. But then why do the Redskins sell out every game?
Both theses fatally flawed because they assume attendance is based on only one factor.
And neither explain why college attendance is plummeting, why UCF filled the house in football and basketball 7 years ago, why attendance varies from game to game depending on the opponent, day of week, weather, who they play, what else is going on that day, and other factors.
Click to expand...

People want to be relevant and attach themselves to relevance. The student population is available for UCF (unlike Miami). When UCF is regularly in national discussion, those students will want to attach themselves to the program. It's the same reason applications dramatically increase to schools that win the national championship. Basketball will be much easier to do that in than football. Hopefully everyone comes back next year (except Matt) and Dawkins is able to plug the talented new guys in, we'll be ranked during the season. The next step is to do some damage in the post-season, sweet sixteen, elite 8. If you can achieve that 2 years in a row, that is the definition of your program (sweet sixteen level school). Then we'll get invites to some major preseason tournaments, where we'll have an opportunity to beat ranked teams. Beat those ranked teams, we'll move up in the rankings, we'll attract better talent. Eventually we'll get to the point where we'll win 80% of our conference games, it will be assumed that we will be playing in the the tournament, with the only question being 'how deep will we go?'

Hang in there, it's the holiday break. Students come back next week. When they find out that this team is 12-3, they'll show up.
 
UCFProf said:
What? Ask the folks at Miami football about that. So we got two opposite hypotheses espoused here.
1. People only attend sports at schools/regions where they like attending. Hence Duke football empty even when they win
2. People want to see winners, regardless of who they are I guess. But then why do the Redskins sell out every game?
Both theses fatally flawed because they assume attendance is based on only one factor.
And neither explain why college attendance is plummeting, why UCF filled the house in football and basketball 7 years ago, why attendance varies from game to game depending on the opponent, day of week, weather, who they play, what else is going on that day, and other factors.
Click to expand...
Comparing UCF to an NFL team doesn't make sense. Plus the Redskins were in playoff hunt until they lost the last game of year. I think a comparison to Jaguars would be more appropriate considering they haven't been winners in years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K

UCF Big 12 Hoop Conf Game Home Attendance Average: 9,112 after 5 home games

Replies
5
Views
523
UCF Fan Forum
Knight_Light
K
K

Final UCF Big 12 Conf Game Home Attendance Average: 9,075

Replies
86
Views
3K
The Dungeon - Knights Only
Knight_Light
K
K

Dungeon Members help flip usf grad family into UCF Fans

Replies
16
Views
480
The Dungeon - Knights Only
UCFGrad05
UCFGrad05
K

UCF Block Party tomorrow 5 pm - 7 pm before game vs #18 Baylor

Replies
0
Views
76
The Dungeon - Knights Only
Knight_Light
K
Brandon

War on I-4 in the NIT: Johnny Dawkins, Darius Johnson & Jaylin Sellers preview matchup 🏀

Replies
1
Views
422
The Dungeon - Knights Only
ucfstank88
U
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
Top Bottom
Back