Attendance: 9,244

#1

Voltopia

Score fast, score hard, no mercy.
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#1
That number more than any other is the most concerning one. Forget the final score. Losses happen. But a Top 25 matchup and you can't get 10k in the stands? That's not a good sign at all. I don't want to interpret it too far but I have to think something's off when I see a number like that.
 
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#3
#3
That number more than any other is the most concerning one. Forget the final score. Losses happen. But a Top 25 matchup and you can't get 10k in the stands? That's the worst sign. I want nothing but success for the coahces and the team but that is a terrible and not-at-all-good sign.

This exactly. That means that even some of the most loyal Lady Vol fans have had enough and are starting to show their displeasure. This game in the past would have easily had 15k or more in the stands.
 
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#5
#5
I was in 106 row 9 seats 13 and 14. Both seats in front of me empty as were the 4 to my right. Upper deck was pretty spotty.
 
#6
#6
Was one of them. Section 123. There were plenty of empty seats to stretch out on. Took some friends to their first game in years and they even noted the tepid fan behavior before the game started. We usually fly up from Florida a few times each season, but I think this is it for this year. Maybe if I lived close I would still see a few games, but can't see spending the money to come to Knoxville for this.
 
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#7
#7
This exactly. That means that even some of the most loyal Lady Vol fans have had enough and are starting to show their displeasure. This game in the past would have easily had 15k or more in the stands.

They've died.
 
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#8
#8
Holly should of been fired last yr. Tn seems to let coaches just stay here until they turn the program into a dumpster fire.
 
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#9
#9
Surprised 9000+ can stand watching the Lady Vols as bad as they're playing. We've got to have a better head coach.
 
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#10
#10
Surprised 9000+ can stand watching the Lady Vols as bad as they're playing. We've got to have a better head coach.

My guess for the reason that the crowd was small-ish is because the fans knew that this game was potentially history in the making...of the wrong kind. Holly never fails to disappoint.
 
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#11
#11
That number more than any other is the most concerning one. Forget the final score. Losses happen. But a Top 25 matchup and you can't get 10k in the stands? That's not a good sign at all. I don't want to interpret it too far but I have to think something's off when I see a number like that.

It will get worse and oh by the way losses like this one hasn't happened to the Lady Vols but once ( at home since 1977 ) in its history.LV fans are beginning to vote with their pocket books and after 4 years of Holly its about time .
 
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#14
#14
That number more than any other is the most concerning one. Forget the final score. Losses happen. But a Top 25 matchup and you can't get 10k in the stands? That's not a good sign at all. I don't want to interpret it too far but I have to think something's off when I see a number like that.

It's an uncomfortable subject, but a lot of the season ticket base has died off over the last 15 years. Tennessee has done a good job of replacing that, but it hasn't grown. Sure, the performance of the team hasn't been what it was, but the season ticket numbers have fallen almost every year since 2005. Based on UT's research, almost 70% of the Lady Vol season ticket non-renewals the last six years were due to ticket holders being deceased.

Single game tickets are more expensive now than they were and there are far fewer promotions. In the 1990s-early 2000s, UT controlled its own concessions so even if they basically gave tickets away (which they did in many cases), UT could make the money back. Since UT outsourced concessions (as every school has), the only increase in revenue comes from actual ticket sales. UT gets pretty much the same revenue from concessions now no matter how many Cokes and popcorn are sold.
 
#15
#15
That number more than any other is the most concerning one. Forget the final score. Losses happen. But a Top 25 matchup and you can't get 10k in the stands? That's not a good sign at all. I don't want to interpret it too far but I have to think something's off when I see a number like that.

Problem is that is still more than 95% of the women's programs in the country.
 
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#16
#16
It's an uncomfortable subject, but a lot of the season ticket base has died off over the last 15 years. Tennessee has done a good job of replacing that, but it hasn't grown. Sure, the performance of the team hasn't been what it was, but the season ticket numbers have fallen almost every year since 2005. Based on UT's research, almost 70% of the Lady Vol season ticket non-renewals the last six years were due to ticket holders being deceased.

Single game tickets are more expensive now than they were and there are far fewer promotions. In the 1990s-early 2000s, UT controlled its own concessions so even if they basically gave tickets away (which they did in many cases), UT could make the money back. Since UT outsourced concessions (as every school has), the only increase in revenue comes from actual ticket sales. UT gets pretty much the same revenue from concessions now no matter how many Cokes and popcorn are sold.


This is a fascinating glimpse and I appreciate hearing it. A lot of people will joke about the reasons, but factual analysis is awesome. Thanks for that insight.

I have some family and friends who each held season tickets, some of whom cancelled or didn't re-up this year. None due to illness or death, thank goodness, but all in that other 30% for other reasons; quality of play, concern about direction, other interests, etc. One had said that the ticket donation prices had kept going up each year and they didn't see why the prices had gone up in the face of the program struggling. Do you know if the ticket prices have indeed gone up several times over the past decade for the Lady Vols basketball games, and if so -- is there any concern about that impacting the attendance through increased prices? Or, rather, a better question, is there any point of declining attendance where they'd revisit their pricing strategy?

I suppose I had always thought there was some amount of strategy behind prices that would keep the attendance solid and encourage folks to attend ... but based off just what you've said, I would be inclined to think maybe they just are resigned to losing attendance numbers and don't see a way or a need to make changes to bring in new people? Or is it just an existing product and they're riding it out as is?
 
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#18
#18
This is a fascinating glimpse and I appreciate hearing it. A lot of people will joke about the reasons, but factual analysis is awesome. Thanks for that insight.

I have some family and friends who each held season tickets, some of whom cancelled or didn't re-up this year. None due to illness or death, thank goodness, but all in that other 30% for other reasons; quality of play, concern about direction, other interests, etc. One had said that the ticket donation prices had kept going up each year and they didn't see why the prices had gone up in the face of the program struggling. Do you know if the ticket prices have indeed gone up several times over the past decade for the Lady Vols basketball games, and if so -- is there any concern about that impacting the attendance through increased prices? Or, rather, a better question, is there any point of declining attendance where they'd revisit their pricing strategy?

I suppose I had always thought there was some amount of strategy behind prices that would keep the attendance solid and encourage folks to attend ... but based off just what you've said, I would be inclined to think maybe they just are resigned to losing attendance numbers and don't see a way or a need to make changes to bring in new people? Or is it just an existing product and they're riding it out as is?

The ticket and required donation prices have gone up in recent years under the leadership of a Sr. Associate AD who just left to go to another school. He felt that discounted tickets and general admission, etc "devalued" the product. Meanwhile, the same person cut the marketing budget meaning fewer promotions, fewer t-shirts thrown into the crowd, less halftime entertainment, things like that. He's an idiot.

I think a new administration will look at the ticket strategies and the things that were being done when the team was drawing better.
 
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#19
#19
The ticket and required donation prices have gone up in recent years under the leadership of a Sr. Associate AD who just left to go to another school. He felt that discounted tickets and general admission, etc "devalued" the product. Meanwhile, the same person cut the marketing budget meaning fewer promotions, fewer t-shirts thrown into the crowd, less halftime entertainment, things like that. He's an idiot.

I think a new administration will look at the ticket strategies and the things that were being done when the team was drawing better.

I'm astounded by the first part, and I hope you're right about the second. And, I hope they can knuckle down and do some work creating a better atmosphere for the gamedays, including getting butts in seats -- or else the decline will just keep on declining. Anyway. Here's hoping.
 
#20
#20
Simple observation: Every year since Holly's been coach Tennessee's had the easiest bracket to the final four. They've always avoided playing UCONN, ND, Baylor, and Duke. The biggest competition would get knocked out in the Sweet Sixeteen and we still couldn't capitalize on it.
 
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#21
#21
The ticket and required donation prices have gone up in recent years under the leadership of a Sr. Associate AD who just left to go to another school. He felt that discounted tickets and general admission, etc "devalued" the product. Meanwhile, the same person cut the marketing budget meaning fewer promotions, fewer t-shirts thrown into the crowd, less halftime entertainment, things like that. He's an idiot.

I think a new administration will look at the ticket strategies and the things that were being done when the team was drawing better.
Thank you for that post. I already 'knew' it, but it's good to have it verified. Pat worked had to promote attendance and build a supportive fanbase. We knew things were being done to undercut the program; more things go into team chemistry, recruiting, fan attendance, etc. than just the games. Affect those areas, and you do impact the game. Not being a Holly apologist; she definitely has problems, probably insurmountable ones. And as to devalueing the product, the idiot didn't know what to do with an international brand when it was handed to him. And calling him an idiot is being generous imo.
 
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#22
#22
Attendance is dropping and after what we saw the other day and for the last couple seasons I suspect it will continue. I don't expect we'll average ten thousand this season.
 
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#23
#23
I don't think I can even watch live on tv anymore. Had to dvr Baylor game, and it was a Godsend to be able to fast-forward the "non"-action. Whew!
 
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#24
#24
Was one of them. Section 123. There were plenty of empty seats to stretch out on. Took some friends to their first game in years and they even noted the tepid fan behavior before the game started. We usually fly up from Florida a few times each season, but I think this is it for this year. Maybe if I lived close I would still see a few games, but can't see spending the money to come to Knoxville for this.

thats what a piss poor product on the court does to fans...

When it stops being lucrative, Holly will be gone. Sad tho, because by that point it might be too late.
 
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#25
#25
The ticket and required donation prices have gone up in recent years under the leadership of a Sr. Associate AD who just left to go to another school. He felt that discounted tickets and general admission, etc "devalued" the product. Meanwhile, the same person cut the marketing budget meaning fewer promotions, fewer t-shirts thrown into the crowd, less halftime entertainment, things like that. He's an idiot.

I think a new administration will look at the ticket strategies and the things that were being done when the team was drawing better.

Thanks DP! I had heard he was a problem but never knew the nuts and bolts of what that meant.
 

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