2013-2014 NCAA Football Bowl-A-Rama: The End of the BCS

Also found this interesting:

https://twitter.com/AustinKarp/status/420557130098151425

(Karp writes for Sports Business Daily).

 

For the bowls, attendance is irrelevant. It's all about TV programming -- filling broadcast slots on ESPN's channels.

A week or so ago I covered a bowl held in a 45,000-seat stadium. They announced the attendance as 39,000. About 20,000 of them apparently came dressed as empty seats. The place wasn't even half full.

 

Schools have to eat a goodly portion of those unsold tickets.

 

Probably a topic for a new thread, but a precursor of trends to come perhaps?

It used to be (going a good ways back), you had to be present at a sporting event to witness it, at least for most regular season type games.

Now, virtually every game in all the majors is on TV. And the viewing experience--hi-def, big screen, dvr, replays, would be considered better by many than being at the event. And throw in the offerings like Red Zone for the NFL and the impact of fantasy and tracking all the action for all the games...

Down the road, to draw people to the games, the overlords are either going to have to significantly enhance the in game experience to match what joe blow can get at home--in seat personal devices and the like. Or you may see ticket prices go down instead of up in the future. Could be not completely unlike filming television shows in Hollywood--the studio audience gets in for free--there to enhance the end product for the television viewing audience that is the bell cow.

 

I have no idea what they're charging for bowl tickets these days, but I'm pretty sure many of the games could let spectators in for free right now and it would not affect anyone's bottom line very much.

 

I often have access to great free seats for the Jets and Giants because my employer has so many tickets. Unless I have a friend from out of town who wants to see the visiting team or my daughter wants to go, I have no desire to be at the stadium. Between the traffic, the drunks and the crazy cost of concessions, I'd rather watch on my couch and watch my nice TV, while checking on my fantasy roster and being able to do stuff with both my kids in the 4 hours than a 40 mile round trip commute would take.

I think that there is going to be a massive problem in the next decade in terms of unsold seats for the big professional sports.

 

Of the sports Cap'n Kirk mentioned, I'd say college football is different, because there's so much going on AROUND the game. Tailgating, checking out the campus (or bowl site), cool college town bars/restaurants after the game.

The main benefit is interacting with fellow fans ... both those you know and new people you meet. Usually that's one of the best things about attending a college football game.

Of course, there is always the chance that "interaction" could be a drunken Alabama mom jumping your group from behind ...

 

It's not just about money, but perception. If there are a bunch of empty seats on national television, the bowl and the teams playing in it look bush-league.

 

Beef o Brady bowl, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Gildan New Mexico Bowl, etc are bush league regardless of the attendance.

 

What about the Orange Bowl?

Unless FSU or Florida is involved, it never draws dick.

 

That says more about Miami than it does about the Orange Bowl. Miami folks don't turn out for anything - Marlins, Dolphins, Panthers, the U, etc. - except the Heat.

 

As long as the ticket guarantees don't cause other bloodletting in the athletic department, I don't see any bowls going anywhere. Coaches love the extra practice time.