Ticket Sales Down

[JCP201]

Football attendance in general is dropping across the board. A lot of people I know cant force their 10-25 year olds to care at all about sports, let alone pay to go to a game. When I was in my teens I ate, slept, and breathed athletics. Now it's YouTube, Twitch, etc.

My family (even very young) love their sports for the most part. Living in Georgia, getting them to love the VOLS best is the problem. With all the losing, it's not much fun, but we have managed to raise some major VOLS fans in our bunch.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

The 60” flat screen with no traffic or crowds experience at home costs you nothing, that’s why imo

Exactly!

Go ahead and renovate the South stands. I have been going to games since the 1940s and the rest rooms are the same as they were then. Plus, they keep raising the price of tickets. Makes it hard on us old people who are on fixed incomes. Also, kickoffs at 1m on hot summer games and 7:00 pm kickoffs on cold Winter nights. However, as climate changer increases, we nmay not have to worry so much about the 7m starts in the Winter.

 

[Jack Burton]

I remember hearing this back when I was a kid... the Tennessee football seasons from 1975-1988 weren't much better than what we have had since 2005. There was one great season in '85... while '83 and '87 were pretty good but didn't end in either a major bowl game or an SEC Championship. Other than that? Those seasons sucked. However, Neyland was never anything but packed from '89 to '04. The fans always come back... and a generation is never completely lost. Just win.

Sure, the bandwagoners will return if we’re winning but in general there are more options for entertainment now than in the 80s and 90s. It’s why a stadium capacity reduction is being considered. One major advantage for UT is the football is the biggest show in town so that’s at least one built in advantage for sales.

I don’t think the Vols need to win championships to fill the stadium either. Just show some heart and be competitive again. People don’t want to spend the money to watch their beloved team get curb stomped week after week. There’s only so much pride in losing.

 

[BruisedOrange]

The cost of living continues to skyrocket while wages continue to be stagnant. This is the elephant in the room no one seems to want to talk about. A lot of people simply can't afford it anymore.

What you say was true for the past 30 years, and I will try to just state some facts without getting political. But there actually has been a recent, drastic change in monetary policy from favoring Wall Street to investing in "Main Street."

You won't hear it in the news, but according to the official Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Private sector wage growth is at +3.2% year-over-year. June saw 224,000 jobs added, and in the May 2019 jobs report 299,000 people moved from Part-Time to Full-Time employment. Unemployment is at 3.7%. In some states, and for some demographics, unemployment is the lowest ever measured, even as numbers who left the labor force 10 years ago are returning.

Private sector growth in wages continues to run above 3% for the 11th straight month. Wage growth is actually more than double inflation.

With inflation remaining low (1.3% in June); and assuming inflation is relatively unchanged in July; the 3.4% non-supervisory wage growth, at current wage rates, will be equivalent to over $900 per year in real wage growth for a blue-collar worker at 40 hours per week.

And maybe that's the point, in how this economic good news does or doesn't effect season ticket sales in Tennessee. The economy is booming most of all for blue collar workers, and I'm wondering if season ticket sales have been dominated by white collar and corporate sales over the past 20 or so years.

But personally, I think today's TV experience, with the quality and number of cameras covering the game, is the prevailing factor. I know it was for me. Or it would be if I still had TV.

 

[stumps]

More and more fans are realizing that TN's era of being an elite program is over. We aren't winning the conference again. we aren't cracking the top 10.

Tennessee has become the Minnesota of the SEC.

The cost of attending a TN game continues to go up, it's a lot of money to invest in a team that sits near the bottom of their division consistently.


(The Golden Gophers won NC's in: 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960.)

 

[Brave Volunteer]

What you say was true for the past 30 years, and I will try to just state some facts without getting political. But there actually has been a recent, drastic change in monetary policy from favoring Wall Street to investing in "Main Street."

You won't hear it in the news, but according to the official Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Private sector wage growth is at +3.2% year-over-year. June saw 224,000 jobs added, and in the May 2019 jobs report 299,000 people moved from Part-Time to Full-Time employment. Unemployment is at 3.7%. In some states, and for some demographics, unemployment is the lowest ever measured, even as numbers who left the job-market 10 years ago are returning.

Private sector growth in wages continues to run above 3% for the 11th straight month. Wage growth is actually more than double inflation.

With inflation remaining low (1.3% in June); and assuming inflation is relatively unchanged in July; the 3.4% non-supervisory wage growth, at current wage rates, will be equivalent to over $900 per year in real wage growth for a blue-collar worker at 40 hours per week.

And maybe that's the point, in how this economic good news does or doesn't effect season ticket sales in Tennessee. The economy is booming most of all for blue collar workers, and I'm wondering if season ticket sales have been dominated by white collar and corporate sales over the past 20 or so years.

But personally, I think today's TV experience, with the quality and number of cameras covering the game, is the prevailing factor. I know it was for me. Or it would be if I still had TV.

Well its either all of this or the fact that we've lost 5 out of 7 to Vanderbilt.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Well its either all of this or the fact that we've lost 5 out of 7 to Vanderbilt.

LOL! Yeah, regardless of Wall Street or Main Street... trending inflation of opponent's points in ratio to our loss of defensive savings does tend to make Cumberland Avenue investors bear-ish.

 

[SmokyRiverDog]

I bet I'm not.

Nailed it!

 

[gunner]

Should have made a bowl? A 4-8 team, with a first year coach, playing one of the most brutal schedules in college football history? Nah.

Tennessee was favored in 3 games last year. Tennessee should have gone 3-9.

Much like Kentucky, UT should NOT lose to Vanderbilt or South Carolina.

 

[KnoxRealtorVOL]

More and more fans are realizing that TN's era of being an elite program is over. We aren't winning the conference again. we aren't cracking the top 10.

Tennessee has become the Minnesota of the SEC.

The cost of attending a TN game continues to go up, it's a lot of money to invest in a team that sits near the bottom of their division consistently.


(The Golden Gophers won NC's in: 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960.)

We were literally #9 less than 3 years ago

 

[CampBlount]

Many already have switched. Have y’all seen all the Bama fans around?

Yeah, but they're all either bandwagon rednecks who couldn't get into UT and who think it's cool to ride around in their pickups with big ugly red As because they think they're sticking it to The Man (us) or bammer refugees who can't find work in that hellhole they call home and are up here because of our booming economy. They don't matter and should be ignored. And any UT fan who sells their tickets to them every other October should be drawn and quartered.

 

[photovol]

I don’t blame anyone for losing interest. The past 2 seasons have been the worst performance in the history of the program.

At least last season they had something to cheer about with two SEC wins, but the wheels feel off the last two games.

Vols should have made a bowl last season and didn’t.

Indeed, therin lies the pain of losing so convincingly to Vandy and Missouri when we could/should have made a bowl game.
The Charlotte game gave credence to the fact that the Vols were a very poor football team and perhaps the worst of all time.

 

[photovol]

Yeah, but they're all either bandwagon rednecks who couldn't get into UT and who think it's cool to ride around in their pickups with big ugly red As because they think they're sticking it to The Man (us) or bammer refugees who can't find work in that hellhole they call home and are up here because of our booming economy. They don't matter and should be ignored. And any UT fan who sells their tickets to them every other October should be drawn and quartered.

WoW, don't stop now, your on a roll

 

[SalVolinus]

My family (even very young) love their sports for the most part. Living in Georgia, getting them to love the VOLS best is the problem. With all the losing, it's not much fun, but we have managed to raise some major VOLS fans in our bunch.

I'm 30 so I've seen the best and worst of times. Personally the records have never effected my fanhood growing up. My personal life isn't impacted any way when the Vols win or lose. I just enjoy getting rowdy and taking in the Knoxville scene.
I also have friends and friends with kids who have been raised as fans of Pitt, WVU, Maryland, Vandy. I haven't really seen a correlation of on field success to level of fandom. Obviously all of those programs have been mostly bad - and it just seems like kids are just either fans or not. One friend can't get his son to go to a Pittsburgh Steelers game with him and they've got like 3 superbowls in his lifetime.

All anecdotal of course, but I'm sure someone has compiled some numbers that show the Vols attendance isn't hurting significantly more than anyone else around the country, despite our last 2 seasons. My parents were at the 2016 Florida game and said it was probably the best sports environment they've ever witnessed. Oklahoma the previous season was pretty special for awhile. We're not far off from that atmosphere again, in my honest opinion.

 

[08Vol]

There are a ton of benefits to watching the UT game at home. Some of those can and should be addressed by the university and would encourage me and many more to come to the games again. One of my main issues to going to the games (an all day thing) means I’m not getting to watch any of the big games that day.

UT needs an in door on campus viewing area with TVs showing all the games with the sound on. Not a cafeteria, but a designated area with seats where the only thing going on is game watching. When I was living in Hess there was a big screen in the lobby. Every game day tons of non residents would stop in to watch whatever big game was on. Not everyone has a tailgate to go to while waiting for the UT game to start.

UT needs to have TVs showing current games in the Neyland concourses during their games. When UT is up on Eastern Connecticut by 27 in the 3rd and I hear Arkansas is beating UF by 10 with 6 minutes to go I’m heading out to find somewhere to watch the end of that game. If that game is on a TV in the concourse then I’m heading there to see how it’s going. Once that game is over I’m heading back to my seat to finish the UT game.

 

[PineyBluff Vol]

What you say was true for the past 30 years, and I will try to just state some facts without getting political. But there actually has been a recent, drastic change in monetary policy from favoring Wall Street to investing in "Main Street."

You won't hear it in the news, but according to the official Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Private sector wage growth is at +3.2% year-over-year. June saw 224,000 jobs added, and in the May 2019 jobs report 299,000 people moved from Part-Time to Full-Time employment. Unemployment is at 3.7%. In some states, and for some demographics, unemployment is the lowest ever measured, even as numbers who left the labor force 10 years ago are returning.

Private sector growth in wages continues to run above 3% for the 11th straight month. Wage growth is actually more than double inflation.

With inflation remaining low (1.3% in June); and assuming inflation is relatively unchanged in July; the 3.4% non-supervisory wage growth, at current wage rates, will be equivalent to over $900 per year in real wage growth for a blue-collar worker at 40 hours per week.

And maybe that's the point, in how this economic good news does or doesn't effect season ticket sales in Tennessee. The economy is booming most of all for blue collar workers, and I'm wondering if season ticket sales have been dominated by white collar and corporate sales over the past 20 or so years.

But personally, I think today's TV experience, with the quality and number of cameras covering the game, is the prevailing factor. I know it was for me. Or it would be if I still had TV.

Not what I am seeing...Unemployment is low only because 'involuntary' part-time work is high

 

[secking]

Last I heard we have about 63k season ticket holders. That’s impressive for all the nonsense the AD has put us through the last 15 years. I hope it pays off this time but the comments in this thread reinforce the theory that UT needs to start winning or a generation of fans will move on to more fulfilling areas.

My buddy now has 16 season tickets, he started with four. He’s had those 4 for 20 years since graduating UT. UT has called him the last 5 years offering him tickets around his normal set of four at cost of tickets bc others gave up their season tickets. No donation needed for those additional seats, not sitting at 12 additional. Anyone looking at long term season tickets, this is certainly the year to start.

When UT wins again, recouping your money should be doable. UGA bud just sold 2 sets of 4 tickets for the ND game for $4800 each set. (1200 per ticket), just for that one game. UT needs to bring in big names again to Neyland, not teams like Pitt.

 

[JacketVol]

There are a ton of benefits to watching the UT game at home. Some of those can and should be addressed by the university and would encourage me and many more to come to the games again. One of my main issues to going to the games (an all day thing) means I’m not getting to watch any of the big games that day.

UT needs an in door on campus viewing area with TVs showing all the games with the sound on. Not a cafeteria, but a designated area with seats where the only thing going on is game watching. When I was living in Hess there was a big screen in the lobby. Every game day tons of non residents would stop in to watch whatever big game was on. Not everyone has a tailgate to go to while waiting for the UT game to start.

UT needs to have TVs showing current games in the Neyland concourses during their games. When UT is up on Eastern Connecticut by 27 in the 3rd and I hear Arkansas is beating UF by 10 with 6 minutes to go I’m heading out to find somewhere to watch the end of that game. If that game is on a TV in the concourse then I’m heading there to see how it’s going. Once that game is over I’m heading back to my seat to finish the UT game.

Years ago, they set up TV’s showing games at Thompson. Don’t do that anymore.

 

[VolAllen]

Less than three short years ago, Tennessee and Neyland produced one of the best home field crowds v Florida that I have seen in 40+ years of watching football, a crowd that truly affected the outcome of the game.

That proves when motivated, Tennessee is one of the toughest places to play. Right now the program needs momentum and a reason to believe.

And had it not been so miserably hot, it would have been even better. Unbelievable that 2 years prior, I had to buy a fleece because of how cold it was.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

Last I checked, bama, Ohio state, Clemson, Georgie, and others also have all their games on TV while still selling out the stadium. If you think a 60" TV is the difference between UT and those programs, I would encourage you to reconsider.

You must not watch many games on TV. All the schools you mentioned had a bunch of empty seats during last season. Look when they do the wide screen shots of the stadiums during the game and there are quite a few empty seats in the upper deck seats in the corners.

 

[ftsandersvol]

Given the current ticket prices and the fact I have to travel, I either need to sell advertising space on my Tennessee gear like golfers, find me a sponsor, or start a Go Fund Me page to take my family of four to a game.

 

[TNnative]

When you soften the OOC home schedule, a portion of the fan base will find something else to do. Always has, always will. Back in the 70s, I remember a fake future schedule floating around that included games against Tennessee School for the Blind, The Girl Scout All-Stars, and other perceived weaklings. I saw it because somebody he worked with gave my Dad a copy. It got started because they were going against weaker programs in D1.

It may mean more money to play home games against teams that will never be in a D1 conference, but it will hurt ticket sales. Playing Army or somebody else your grandparents remember once being a powerhouse might be a better choice. Better to play a has been than a never was.

 

[TNnative]

Given the current ticket prices and the fact I have to travel, I either need to sell advertising space on my Tennessee gear like golfers, find me a sponsor, or start a Go Fund Me page to take my family of four to a game.

Go ahead. I might pledge 15 cents.

 

[TNnative]

Last I checked, bama, Ohio state, Clemson, Georgie, and others also have all their games on TV while still selling out the stadium. If you think a 60" TV is the difference between UT and those programs, I would encourage you to reconsider.

Compare those teams records to Tennessee's. Winning is the difference between buying tickets and being there vs a 60" TV. Also, play those teams, and people will show up for at least the first half.

 

[ftsandersvol]

Go ahead. I might pledge 15 cents.

Pennies add up to dimes.
Dimes add up to dollars.
Dollars add up to....