POOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ATTENDANCE!

[WarriorFan]

I was at the Brentwood High-Riverdale game last night, and attendance was announced on the loudspeaker as 4,900. 4,900 at a Tennessee AAAAA State Championship game????

 

What is particularly sad is that the game was played in Murfreesboro, home of Murfreesboro Riverdale, and Brentwood High is just 30 miles down the road.

 

This is pitiful....

 

What happened to the days of 32,0000 attendance for a State Championship Game?

 

The attendance was particularly sad because we had two fine Mid-State teams in contention for the State title who played exceptionally hard. I don't buy weather being in the mid 30's as a reason for people not coming to our largest school division's State Championship game. I have been going to State Championship games since the late 1970's, and cold weather has never kept fans from being there.

 

Furthermore, attendance records are not posted on the TSSAA.org site for State Championship games since 1998(2nd year of the Division I and II games). All other State Championship records before 1998 are posted for all classifications. Is it because they know how bad attendance has become at State Championship games because of the split? I believe so. 3 years of attendance totals do not take very long to enter in the system. Total attendance for the 1998 State Championships were 46,500. 1997, total attendance was 57,500. 1996 attendance totals were 58,000. 1995 attendance totals were 77,500. I do not think that estmated attendance totals decreasing over the years are a fluke. The TSSAA knows that attendance is horrendous at State Championship games now, and that is why they don't post it anymore. The TSSAA should not hide the fact that attendance has dropped, which causes revenue shortage in ticket sales and the overall event. They have had to go to another location to play the games, as well as get another sponsor. Revenue wise, I bet the ship has been sinking for several years. People no longer have interest because the best schools no longer play each other.

 

Once again, The Tennessean did not list attendance for the games in the paper. They knew the story, and this is a cover up. Attendance for years was always posted. Folks, this is a sinking ship.

 

 

Here are the facts:

 

No game has pulled in a crowd over 20,000 since Brentwood Academy played Riverdale in 1995 in the 5A State Championship.

 

These are the top attendance games since the State Championship has been played:

 

(Winner Posted First)

1988 Dickson County vs. Oakland 32,000

1995 Brentwood Academy vs. Riverdale 28,500

1987 Jefferson County vs.Gallatin 27,600

1993 Lincoln Ounty vs. Riverdale 27,000

1991 Oak Ridge vs Gallatin 27,000

1982 Lincoln County vs. Gallatin 26,300

1990 Lincoln County vs. Germantown 23,000

1988 Brentwood Academy vs. Alcoa 21,000

 

:confused:

[Edited by Brandon100 on 12-8-02 12:39P]

[Edited by Brandon100 on 12-8-02 12:59P]

 

[OnlineLC]

Wow that is low for a 5A game, I can't remember the exact number but it was somewhere between 4000-5000 for the Boy-CPA 1A Game.

[muffin]

The Boyd-CPA game was said to be 4600, it did not look like that many people were there to me.

[SCRAPPY]

$10 for a ticket. $5 for parking. More cash for cokes and popcorn. Staying at home and watching on TV. Priceless.

[WarriorFan]

Scrappy, these games were being televised over 10 years ago with huge crowds. I still think that the interest is not there because there are too many "State Champions" in such a low population state....

[sls]

A lot of the attendance is hurt on Friday and Saturday because many people go to basketball games those nights, who would normally go to the football state championships. On Sat. some can't go and get home in time for a b-ball game. I would also say the economy this year is not great either.

[LordInfamous]

People have other commentments or just don't have all the money it takes for food, gas, and tickets. Plus TV coverage hurts i know lots of people that watched it on TV. Plus i know the Blount Co christmas parade is the same day as the state game every year and people pick going to that and watching the game. I think the 4A game had like 4200 or something I thought the 5A game was gonna be huge.

[BigDogDaddy]

UPN channel 30 in Nashvile, did susch a great job that going to the game, when your only interest is watching, not cheering, is a waste of money. I'm sure that TSSAA will get with the TV stations and make it pay per view in the future!

 

We were watching with other parents from our team and had a party, we would have gladly paid $25 for PPV

 

20,000 missing attendance X $10/ticket = $200,000, I wonder what the four TV markets(Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga) have to pay to broadcast. I bet its more than $50,000 each.

[Edited by BigDogDaddy on 12-8-02 8:59P]

 

[TheInsider]

I was there for every game.. I thought there were more at the Boyd CPA game. It was close I guess. The visitors side definately had more for the Boyd game than the Riverdale game.

[DelTavian]

Posted by BigDogDaddy:

 

20,000 missing attendance X $10/ticket = $200,000, I wonder what the four TV markets(Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga) have to pay to broadcast. I bet its more than $50,000 each.

[Edited by BigDogDaddy on 12-8-02 8:59P]

 

No way....NO WAY the TV folks paid $50K each. I'd be surprised if it was $10K each.

 

Del.

[donhaney]

I was there both days. The Class A game was announced at 4600, the AA game was at 2900.. 3A I missed the announcement but I am guessing 3500, 4A at 4200 and 5A at 4900... that's a total of 20,100. But how are those numbers determined? If I was at the 3A game and was counted, then stayed for the 4 and 5A games, how was that calculated?

 

I don't know the reasons, although I think everyone is making good points but I was thouroughly SHOCKED at the attendance, especially for the 5A game which I thought would have easily drawn 12-15,000? I do think Statewide Coverage on television, which was heavily promoted this year, hurt the live gate tremendously. I also think fans who come every year are about fed up with the costs.

 

This is high school football, not the Titans! $2.50 for a small cup of hot chocolate! $1.50 for a cup of coffee! Ten bucks for a ticket, five bucks to park! If you wanted to stay for all three games, you were out some real cash. With 30 degree weather, hoping to keep from freezing to the seats, you would spend 20 dollars on coffee...HA

 

Oh well, anyone that thinks the TSSAA as a whole is interested in anything more than money......

[thekeg55]

Does having the games in the Boro have any differance then when they had them at vandy, attendance wise?