Regular Season Home Attendance

[Pablo]

Any predictions on when we will start filling seats:

https://twitter.com/byjanehammond/status/805155820736483328

 

[GMUgemini]

Any predictions on when we will start filling seats:

https://twitter.com/byjanehammond/status/805155820736483328

December 30.

 

[Patriotsince81]

I have given up all hope of ever having good attendance. Our best year, if memory serves me correctly was an average of 6,800. Doubt we will get near that again. Our fan base just isn't that passionate.

 

[Mason2006Patriot]

There were lots of people at the JMU game.

 

[GMUgemini]

I have given up all hope of ever having good attendance. Our best year, if memory serves me correctly was an average of 6,800. Doubt we will get near that again. Our fan base just isn't that passionate.

I'm a little more optimistic IF Mason can consistently be in the top 5 of the A-10. A, we're going to get better OOC teams come into the building (remember when UVA came to the Patriot Center?), we'll have vcu, Richmond, and GW always on the schedule (which should draw pretty big crowds), plus the A-10 always has other great teams like Dayton, or Rhode Island (this year), or St. Joes, or Davidson and if we're competitive with the top of the league, I think you'll see 6000+ average attendance again.

The future looks bright.

 

[Washingtonian]

Richmond is on Valentine's Day, vcu is Friday, Dec 30th, and GW is on a Wednesday.

 

[GMUgemini]

That's this year.

I'm talking about structurally. It's my opinion. going forward, if we are a consistent top 5 A-10 program, our attendance will be better than it was in the CAA.

 

[Falco]

Winning solves everything.

 

[GMUSig03]

That's this year.

I'm talking about structurally. It's my opinion. going forward, if we are a consistent top 5 A-10 program, our attendance will be better than it was in the CAA.

I agree

 

[Pablo]

That's this year.

I'm talking about structurally. It's my opinion. going forward, if we are a consistent top 5 A-10 program, our attendance will be better than it was in the CAA.

Are you suggesting that it will be better than it was immediately after the Final Four season?

 

[GMUgemini]

Are you suggesting that it will be better than it was immediately after the Final Four season?

Again, I'm talking year over year, not a single outlier year after a history season.

Averaging every year post-Final Four until we joined the A-10:

2007: 6,834
2008: 6,494
2009: 6,295
2010: 5,837
2011: 5,896
2012: 5,161
2013: 4,562
2014: 4,916

Average: 5,749

I think we can do better than that. I would be surprised, however, if we ever cracked 7,000 as an average over any single season, given how the OOC usually plays out.

But think of our first season in the A-10, which saw 6 teams make the NCAA tournament, where we had multiple top 25 teams come to the Patriot Center (UMass, St. Louis). That year we also had a home game with Northern Iowa in the OOC, a 19 win Richmond team, a 24 win top 50 RPI St. Joesph's team, a 24 win top 50 RPI George Washington team, and a 23 win top 50 RPI Dayton team at home. You don't think if we were in the mix with them at the top those games wouldn't have been heavily attended?

The attendance for those games by the way:

UNI: 4,367
St. Joes: 5,027
No. 15 UMass: 4,014
GW: 7,174 (a bright spot)
Dayton: 3,864 (a low spot) -- and we got waxed heavily in that game.
No. 10 St. Louis: 4,057 (under 5,000 fans for two teams ranked in the top 15)
Richmond: 4,011

 

[Pablo]

gemini,

I hope that you are right. But, I'm not nearly as optimistic as you are on either finishing consistently in the top 5 in the A10, or significantly increasing average home attendance.

 

[masonjoe]

Winning solves everything.

Mason was one of the best teams in the country during 2011, average bball fan in fairfax didn't seem to care much.

 

[Falco]

\

Mason was one of the best teams in the country during 2011, average bball fan in fairfax didn't seem to care much.

Well 2011 was the first year mason made the tournament since 2008. You need to win consistently, and I ve been advocating for a better game day experience for ever.

We need cheaper tickets, we need a video score board, And they should allow tailgating for more then just homecoming. They should encourage tailgating at the season home opener. (I think they should make the homecoming game the game opener).

 

[Pablo]

I would like to see the AD release information on full season ticket sales. Is there any doubt that the number has been trending down for several years?

BTW, any guesses on how many seats are now covered.

 

[Falco]

Improve attendance in 6 ways.

1. Win
2. video score board (kiss cam)
3. more give aways,
4. radio headsets-- let fans rent or buy a headset to listen to the radio broadcast. Several SEC schools, such as Alabama and Auburn, partner with LiveSportsRadio to rent headsets to fans. I wouldn't be into it, but I bet someone would be into it.
5. Advertise VIP lounge - Alumni come in and give them food and drinks before the game.- I know we have this, but let get something nicer then just standing behind a curtain.
6. more tailgates- and maybe the culture has changed this year, but last year I had a portable tailgate grill I bought at Dicks after I saw everyone at redskins stadium with them. and I was told I couldn't use the grill because it used mini propane bottles.

***. Idk how mason could do it, but I would appreciate more comfortable seats. I rather the max capacity be 7k and allow for bigger seats and leg room. (maybe next stadium)

 

[IzzyWikis]

How does attendance look in the student section this season? Winning does solve everything but having the students show up regularly adds to the "game day experience."

 

[Pablo]

The students have been very supportive when school has been in session.

 

[Patriot8]

1) Pick up the Robins Center and drop it on top of EBA
- EBA has a similar layout to the Robins Center (pre-renovations). They decreased the number of seats, put in new seats, put in new lighting, and now have 4 video scoreboards with hospitality areas on top of them.. Best place I've ever watched a game
2) Hire vcu's game production staff
- Went to the vcu-Princeton game, and through my immense hatred for this coaches, players, fans and University, I was able to find enjoyment in their on-court contests.

I don't hate their band.. I pity them.

 

[gmu05]

One issue I have is that the people that buy season tickets only go to half the games. So when joe schmoe wants to go to a couple games a year and buys a few tickets he ends up sitting in the nose bleeds. Our arena is too damn big for the demand and people who go to the occasional game don't have as good of an experience I feel.