DECLINING FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE: INSIDE THE NUMBERS IN THE ACC

GTFLETCH

GTFLETCH

Dodd-Like
Joined
Jun 30, 2014
Messages
2,919
Across the entire ACC, there was an average of 48,110 live spectators per home game in 2017. In 2016, the average was 50,022 fans per game. This marks a decline of approximately 3.9 percent year-over-year. Most of the reductions around the league were minor. In the cases of Clemson, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Virginia, the difference was less than a thousand fans per game. The top five ACC schools in terms of average home attendance – Clemson (No. 1), Florida State (No. 2), Virginia Tech (No. 3), Miami (No. 4), and NC State (No. 5) – all remain the same year-over-year.

GEORGIA TECH
2017 - 46,885
2016 - 47,503


ACC 2017 home attendance

1. Clemson - 80,773

2. Florida State - 70,943

3. Virginia Tech - 63,214

4. Miami - 57,775

5. NC State - 50,250

6. UNC - 50,071

7. Georgia Tech - 46,885

8. Louisville - 46,160

9. Virginia - 39,398

10. Pittsburgh - 36,295

11. Boston College - 35,924

12. Syracuse - 33,929

13. Wake Forest - 28,436

14. Duke - 26,887


ACC 2016 home attendance

1. Clemson - 80,970

2. Florida State - 76,800

3. Virginia Tech - 63,043

4. Miami - 58,572

5. NC State - 57,497

6. Louisville - 54,079

7. UNC - 50,250

8. Georgia Tech - 47,503

9. Pittsburgh - 46,076

10. Virginia - 39,929

11. Syracuse - 37,089

12. Boston College - 32,115

13. Duke - 29,894

14. Wake Forest - 26,456




Link
https://accsports.com/acc-news/football/declining-football-attendance-inside-the-numbers-in-the-acc/
 
Last edited:
I think declining attendance is mostly a product of HDTV and larger screens. Many of the seats in football stadiums don't provide a good view of the action, and the weather is often a factor: Too hot, too cold, or raining. I enjoy the total experience of going to the game, and I have great seats, but I can understand how many people would choose to watch on the couch in a climate-controlled environment, up close with replays, and beer and snacks a few feet away. Also cheaper and no traffic or parking hassles.
 
jacket67 said:
I think declining attendance is mostly a product of HDTV and larger screens. Many of the seats in football stadiums don't provide a good view of the action, and the weather is often a factor: Too hot, too cold, or raining. I enjoy the total experience of going to the game, and I have great seats, but I can understand how many people would choose to watch on the couch in a climate-controlled environment, up close with replays, and beer and snacks a few feet away. Also cheaper and no traffic or parking hassles.
Click to expand...
Nothing like being in the stands for the kick six play when we beat FSU
 
Some of these are suspicious. Even Miami fans snicker when attendance numbers are released showing far fewer fans than announced.
 
Georgia Tech Avg Home Attendance (since BDS renovated to 55K seats in 2003)

Paul Johnson Era
avg home attendance
48,113

2017 - 46,885
2016 - 47,503
2015 - 50,707
2014 - 49,288
2013 - 49,077
2012 - 43,955
2011 - 48,232
2010 - 46,449
2009 - 51,584
2008 - 47,488

Chan Gailey Era
avg home attendance
50,436

2007 - 50,280
2006 - 50,617
2005- 51,607
2004- 46,817
2003 - 52,862
 
GTFLETCH said:
Georgia Tech Avg Home Attendance (since BDS renovated to 55K seats in 2003)

Paul Johnson Era
avg home attendance
48,113

2017 - 46,885
2016 - 47,503
2015 - 50,707
2014 - 49,288
2013 - 49,077
2012 - 43,955
2011 - 48,232
2010 - 46,449
2009 - 51,584
2008 - 47,488

Chan Gailey Era
avg home attendance
50,436

2007 - 50,280
2006 - 50,617
2005- 51,607
2004- 46,817
2003 - 52,862
Click to expand...
Looks like Clemson pulls our attendance up more than UGAg
 
BDS Top Ten highest avg. attendance years

2003 - 52,862 (Renovation completed, fans came out)

2005- 51,607 (Upset #16 Auburn on road, beat #3 Miami at Home)

2009 - 51,584 (ACC Championship Season, ranked 13 end of season)

2015 - 50,707 (3-9 Season, tix sales up after winning Orange Bowl)

2006 - 50,617 (Lost ACC title game, ranked 22 end of season)

2007 - 50,280 (Upset ND on Road, Beat #13 Clemson)

2014 - 49,288 (Won Orange Bowl, Lost ACC title, ranked 8 end of Season)

2013 - 49,077 (played two FCS teams, lost to UGA in 2OT)

2011 - 48,232 (Upset #6 Clemson, Lost Sun Bowl in OT)

2016 - 47,503 (Upset #18 VT & UGA on the Road, Beat Kentucky in Gator Bowl)
 
Just some thoughts on our Season Home avg at Georgia Tech....
1. Fans showed up for Gailey... He avg 50K in seats (was scheduling or excitement around the program from beating Auburn & ND or a little of both)
2. Fans will show up for Johnson..... However the losses in the Peach and the OB in 08/09 really had fans shy away until the 2014 OB win..
-- It is interesting that with Tenn & the Chick-fil-a Kick off game packaged w/season tix GT avg less season tix than after a 3-9 season. whats up with that??
-- It will be interesting to see how many people show up this year (Could this be another 2012 only 43K fans show up)
 
In order of the biggest year to year decline to the biggest gain (2016 to 2017):

Pitt............(9871)
Louisville....(7919)
Florida St....(5857)
Syracuse.....(3160)
Duke..........(3097)
NC State..... (647)
Ga Tech.......(618)
Virginia........(631)
UNC............(179)
Clemson........(17)
Miami...........110
Va Tech.........171
Wake...........1980
BC...............3809

Total............(25,736) 3.7%
 
For many households, this is what football on TV looked like when Chan Gailey was our coach.

6a00d83452989a69e2013487455fd3970c-800wi
 
Ranking State of Georgia D1 football Programs 2017 avg home attendance
UGA - 92, 746
GT - 46,855
GASt - 16,250
GASO - 15,258
Mercer - 9,999
Ken St - 6,689
Sav St - 4,261
 
jacket67 said:
I think declining attendance is mostly a product of HDTV and larger screens. Many of the seats in football stadiums don't provide a good view of the action, and the weather is often a factor: Too hot, too cold, or raining. I enjoy the total experience of going to the game, and I have great seats, but I can understand how many people would choose to watch on the couch in a climate-controlled environment, up close with replays, and beer and snacks a few feet away. Also cheaper and no traffic or parking hassles.
Click to expand...
All that does influence the decision to go or to watch on TV. Going to the game ensures being there for great moments. TV provides comforts of home, bar, etc.. I think attendance is declining because the game is managed for the enjoyment of the TV audience to the detriment of the fans in the stands. Fans paying to attend the game see no replays and wait while the game is stopped for TV commercials. Technology can fix both these issues. If you want to watch live game on TV pay extra for no commercials, don't want to pay you get a slightly delayed broadcast with commercials. Fans in the stands watch the game without interruption from fans not present at the game.
 
GTFLETCH said:
Just some thoughts on our Season Home avg at Georgia Tech....
1. Fans showed up for Gailey... He avg 50K in seats (was scheduling or excitement around the program from beating Auburn & ND or a little of both)
2. Fans will show up for Johnson..... However the losses in the Peach and the OB in 08/09 really had fans shy away until the 2014 OB win..
-- It is interesting that with Tenn & the Chick-fil-a Kick off game packaged w/season tix GT avg less season tix than after a 3-9 season. whats up with that??
-- It will be interesting to see how many people show up this year (Could this be another 2012 only 43K fans show up)
Click to expand...
I deny we ever played in the Peach Bowl. I also deny being there.
 
GTFLETCH said:
BDS Top Ten highest avg. attendance years

2003 - 52,862 (Renovation completed, fans came out)

2005- 51,607 (Upset #16 Auburn on road, beat #3 Miami at Home)

2009 - 51,584 (ACC Championship Season, ranked 13 end of season)

2015 - 50,707 (3-9 Season, tix sales up after winning Orange Bowl)

2006 - 50,617 (Lost ACC title game, ranked 22 end of season)

2007 - 50,280 (Upset ND on Road, Beat #13 Clemson)

2014 - 49,288 (Won Orange Bowl, Lost ACC title, ranked 8 end of Season)

2013 - 49,077 (played two FCS teams, lost to UGA in 2OT)

2011 - 48,232 (Upset #6 Clemson, Lost Sun Bowl in OT)

2016 - 47,503 (Upset #18 VT & UGA on the Road, Beat Kentucky in Gator Bowl)
Click to expand...

2003 - 53K - Auburn, Clemson, UGA
2005 - 52K - Clemson, UGA
2009 - 52K - Clemson, UGA
2015 - 51K - FSU, UGA
2006 - 51K - Notre Dame
2007 - 50K - Clemson, UGA
2014 - 49K - Clemson, Georgia Southern
2013 - 49K - UGA
2011 - 48K - Clemson, UGA
2016 - 48K - Clemson, Georgia Southern
2008 - 47K - FSU
2017 - 47K - UGA
2004 - 47K - none
2010 - 46K - none
2012 - 44K - none

We are pretty consistent 47-49K without help from another big game besides UGA. Winning seemingly has no effect on attendance.

2006 should have been a down year but 4 of our home games were 3:30 or later. We have attendance spikes for later kickoffs and the numbers really bear that out.

2011 should have been an up year but 4 of our home games that weren't Clemson or UGA were 12 or 12:30 kickoffs.

A couple other items I noticed - VPI typically doesn't give us much of an attendance boost. Miami actually consistently brings greater numbers than VPI which was kind of surprising to me.

I included Georgia Southern because they brought a few for the 2014 game. Attendance for 2016 was way down (like their program).
 
Last edited:
Wow, talk about a blast from the past, I forgot how bad our home 2006 schedule really was, it was a pisser!

ND and all the rest? Yeah the Vagina jerseys and the Maryland game was wild but that was a snuff of a season at home.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top