How Fulmer aims to solve falling football attendance

#176
#176
Chartervol said:
Everybody wants a top shelf program but no one wants to pay top shelf prices for it.
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Sorry, but in the big scheme of things, if we go 15-0 or 0-12 it doesn’t really affect my life that much. This is what the last 10 years have taught me.

I have also said many times they are pricing the average fan out of the game. I imagine it’s a nice feeling not to have to worry about money.
 
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#177
#177
The cost of everything is the biggest issue. Ticket prices, food/drink prices. Taking a family requires a day of overtime to pay for all of that. Lower the ticket prices and food prices and I bet you would sell out every game.
 
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#178
#178
the world is moving past the romance around attending these games. Not just college football but NFL too.

Throw in that people do basic cost-benefit analysis that results in them spending somewhere between 500 and 1000 dollars to attend a game that has a high likelihood of resulting in a loss for their team (in the case of UT specifically) and they quickly realize its not worth it.

People are much more money conscious and productive than they used to be also. Its just way easier and obviously way cheaper to watch at home and get stuff done. That way when your team loses you dont feel like you wasted a day of your life.

These big schools have to realize eventually that you cant demand an arm and a leg anymore for the right to attend. You have to make it "worth it" to the general populous.

There will always be plenty of people with enough disposable income to throw it away on games and season tickets every year (more power to them), but that number is shrinking and it doesnt just have to do with losing a lot.
 
#179
#179
This is basically just ignorance on my part, but it seems like most people are naming ticket cost as a major culprit.

I've never once been able to buy a ticket from the school. I always have to go to StubHub or whatever and scalp tickets at ridiculous prices unless it's a cupcake game.

Does this mean tickets are "selling out" but the resellers are having trouble moving their tickets (leading to empty seats)? If not, why do I have to buy from a third party? But if so, what incentive does UT have to fix the problem if they're selling out on their end?
 
#180
#180
Ticket lottery for the oldest and youngest alumni. Watch for the listing of your graduating year, then register to receive two tickets to the game for $1 a piece. Announce the allotments of tickets and have the drawings well ahead of the games, so that the diaspora may make plans to attend should their names be drawn out of the hat. Hold the tickets at will call and distribute them accordingly. Old farts like me and young alumni with less disposable income will make the trip to K-town more often if not having to shell out $100+ for each ticket. We'd elect to attend games against LSOP opponents instead of holding out for a chance to see games against leading SEC rivals.
 
#181
#181
The first step would be starting to try REALLY REALLY hard to beat teams like Vandy,... and trying REALLY REALLY hard not to struggle with teams like Charlotte and North Texas, etc.....

That way the new super sucker WIFI that a lot of people want can show more posted final scores that reflect wins on the new Neyland app !!!

(Getting more wins.....Is there an app for that ?)
 
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#182
#182
IndianapolisVol said:
Just win. Solves everything.
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No kidding. It really is that simple, isn’t it.

I don’t care how many rose petals they try to sprinkle on the last 10+ years...they still smell like a nasty turd. And people don’t want to put out their time and money for that.

As an example, look at the basketball team. There was a time they had to cover the seats in the upper deck. Not so much anymore.
 
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#183
#183
lifeisdeep said:
It's not complicated - as already stated, just gotta win more games.
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Yeah, that's why bammer has empty seats for their cupcake games.

Winning certainly will return thousands to the stadium, but attendance is never going to be what it once was.

I'll be there for 2 or 3 games a year no matter what -- but I hate games that can stretch out to 3.5 to 4 hours because they hold up play for 3 minutes for Bud Light commercials on TV and endless official reviews. I hate 'em when I'm at home and I especially hate 'em when I'm sitting on a hard aluminum seat with no armrests and chairbacks, packed like sardines into a 14-inch wide "seat." That was more endurable when the games moved along at their normal pace. And as much as I love the Pride, they haven't seemed to make any new moves or sounds in 20 years. Even Game of Thrones is old.

And let's face it: younger people have a lot more interests, and less interest in football. And there are lots more options for fulfilling those interests. Look at the rise of places like REI. Lots more people out bicycling and hiking and running and working out. They might listen to their favorite teams on AirPods while they're doing these things but they scoff at the thought of spending all that time packed in a stadium and sedentary for 4 hours. And I certainly can't fault them for that.
 
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#184
#184
CampBlount said:
Yeah, that's why bammer has empty seats for their cupcake games.

Winning certainly will return thousands to the stadium, but attendance is never going to be what it once was.

I'll be there for 2 or 3 games a year no matter what -- but I hate games that can stretch out to 3.5 to 4 hours because they hold up play for 3 minutes for Bud Light commercials on TV and endless official reviews. I hate 'em when I'm at home and I especially hate 'em when I'm sitting on a hard aluminum seat with no armrests and chairbacks, packed like sardines into a 14-inch wide "seat." That was more endurable when the games moved along at their normal pace. And as much as I love the Pride, they haven't seemed to make any new moves or sounds in 20 years. Even Game of Thrones is old.

And let's face it: younger people have a lot more interests, and less interest in football. And there are lots more options for fulfilling those interests. Look at the rise of places like REI. Lots more people out bicycling and hiking and running and working out. They might listen to their favorite teams on AirPods while they're doing these things but they scoff at the thought of spending all that time packed in a stadium and sedentary for 4 hours. And I certainly can't fault them for that.
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I hear what you're saying, and would agree regarding filling the stadium for cupcakes. That said, if two years from now we were suddenly ranked number two in the country halfway into October, I think scalpers would make a fortune and people would be fighting outside the stadium for tickets every week. There are still enough Vol fans across this state who have BVS and have stopped attending, in my opinion, and we have been down for so long and have such a tradition, that I believe there would be a massive groundswell of support. I think every person in this state who has ever called himself a Vol would be rabid to see us make it to the playoff, and would not want to miss it.

Just my take.
 
#186
#186
Prices and wins are the 2 biggest things. There will always be big crowds for SEC and power 5 games, maybe not sell outs but always big crowds for sec football. There are other things they could do that would also help in the fan friendly category. Like give away prizes and lower concession prices to a reasonable price and not act like they are a 5 star steakhouse or something and wifi. I will always go to games as long as I can get around good enough, and last but not least let Tennessee get to winning and watch the attendance rise fast. See UT Basketball! GBO!!!!!
 
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#188
#188
OrangeByBirth said:
Seat prices compete with TV viewing now. For many years the TV choices were limited to 2 or 3 games per season, Now, they are all on TV and "conference networks" are expanding further. Fan experience is important in convincing the fan to leave the comfort of his/her recliner to sit on a bench with your knees in the back of the fan in front of you in lousy weather,
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Sure looks like Bama and Clemson fans don't need convincing. Wonder why that is?
 
#190
#190
ftsandersvol said:
I have also said many times they are pricing the average fan out of the game. I imagine it’s a nice feeling not to have to worry about money.
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I thought they priced the average fan out 50 years ago, but it may be I don't know what average is. The people I know, I would say 1 fan out of 100 has season tickets.
 
#191
#191
Firebirdparts said:
I thought they priced the average fan out 50 years ago, but it may be I don't know what average is. The people I know, I would say 1 fan out of 100 has season tickets.
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I was referring to just single-game tickets. But, yeah, season tickets are a whole other animal. As soon as a "donation" was required to even be considered for season tickets, they probably wiped out at least 75% of the fan base. If memory serves me correctly, we have the New York Giants to thank for this power grab. They were the first sports organization to make fans pay for the privilege of sitting in their stadium on top of the normal season ticket price.
 
#193
#193
Chartervol said:
Everybody wants a top shelf program but no one wants to pay top shelf prices for it.
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You say that as if the latter is supposed to come before the former. It isn't. Ticket prices, like the price of anything, is supply and demand. When the prices go up or stay the same as the quality goes down, that's going to lower attendance.
 
#194
#194
1. Stop scheduling the cupcakes and replace them with power 5 teams. I would much rather go to see us play a team like Virgina than UT Chattanooga.
2. Beer sales
3. Profit
 
#195
#195
They could stop raising ticket prices while the quality of the product on the field continues to deteriorate.

100k+ aren’t going to line up at 80-90 bucks a pop to see the Vols get drubbed by Georgia, Bama, Florida.

And without sure sellouts and higher ticket prices on the streets, 100k+ people aren’t going to flock to Neyland to see the Vols beat up on some inferior school nobody knew had a football team.
 
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#196
#196
Chartervol said:
Everybody wants a top shelf program but no one wants to pay top shelf prices for it.
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Your comments are ridiculous. I don't care what kind of product TN puts on the field. Not gonna shell out that kinda of money every home game when television puts together a quality product I can watch from home. TN fans aren't paying for a product, they are paying out bad contracts.
 
#197
#197
WoodsmanVol said:
I'm going to try to Steve Martin this, meaning suggest wild and crazy ideas.

1. Have designated family only sections that encourage bringing kids without enduring drunken, drink spilling, cussing bozos.
2. Widen seats so people aren't squeezed or forced out of theirs by humanoid whales.
3. Have sections wifi-linked so certain categories of fans can order drinks and beverages via text order. Must have a phone app activated for fans with tickets for that section by ticket scanners that activate the app for that game day. Deactivated next day.
4. Have lucky tickets similar to lottery tickets where each quarter a fan wins one of the following and the winner is flashed on the jumbotron: Set of Vols dishes. Authentic Vols football. Ticket to the next game. An on-campus designated free parking spot for the next game. Invitation to the team dressing room, with pictures taken with named players. A seat right behind the team's sideline. Free hotel room to the next home game. Participation in the Vol Walk with the players. Free family meal at one of the restaurants near the university. A puppy sired by Smokey. Run through the "T" with the team. $100 shopping spree at a local grocery store or Volshop.
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Widen seats and make them "box seats" with a back.
 
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#199
#199
WoodsmanVol said:
I'm going to try to Steve Martin this, meaning suggest wild and crazy ideas.

1. Have designated family only sections that encourage bringing kids without enduring drunken, drink spilling, cussing bozos.
2. Widen seats so people aren't squeezed or forced out of theirs by humanoid whales.
3. Have sections wifi-linked so certain categories of fans can order drinks and beverages via text order. Must have a phone app activated for fans with tickets for that section by ticket scanners that activate the app for that game day. Deactivated next day.
4. Have lucky tickets similar to lottery tickets where each quarter a fan wins one of the following and the winner is flashed on the jumbotron: Set of Vols dishes. Authentic Vols football. Ticket to the next game. An on-campus designated free parking spot for the next game. Invitation to the team dressing room, with pictures taken with named players. A seat right behind the team's sideline. Free hotel room to the next home game. Participation in the Vol Walk with the players. Free family meal at one of the restaurants near the university. A puppy sired by Smokey. Run through the "T" with the team. $100 shopping spree at a local grocery store or Volshop.
Click to expand...

give us all a trophy for attending so we can feel good about ourselves
 
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