Pendleton County has a great fan base, and when they are putting a quality team on the court, they are there, home and away games. Campbell County is hot and cold. Me, I go to most all the Camels games. Go Camels!!!!

 

Same for GRC. When we have a really good team, we have really good support both home and away. I am NOT a "fair-weather-fan". I will support my Cards year in and out.

I think when you are talking attendance at HS games at least, it's not the support from the community that impressive me in the size of the crowd but in the size of the student body attending the games.

 

I have been to games where the gyms are packed but then you see only twenty to thirty students in attendance cheering on their classmates!

 

I am sorry but even with a packed gym, I don't call that a great crowd!

Pendleton County has a great fan base, and when they are putting a quality team on the court, they are there, home and away games. Campbell County is hot and cold. Me, I go to most all the Camels games. Go Camels!!!!

 

Crowds at Pendleton Co games were up and down all year. If it was a rival (Harrison) or a good/local team (Augusta, MoCo), then the gym was packed. If not, then attendance wasn't great. As far as away games, they probably had 35-40 fans travel this year to most games.

I think that the economy and the fact that people might have less to spend on tickets, concessions, etc. also plays a role; especially with games being moved to larger arenas with higher ticket prices.

 

If you're talking about a family of four getting up and going to watch a game (when they have no immediate relatives playing) then yes, I'd agree that could be a part of it. But, I think for the student body, it's not. I'm not saying they have money flowing out of their ears. I'm just saying what they have, they'd rather spend it elsewhere. Shoot, they'll probably spend enough money to see a couple games a week, just driving around and hitting the local McDonald's or Dairy Queen after school.

 

Plus, the other thing I think plays a big part, is the fact that kids are now used to being "in control" (for lack of a better term) in what they do. Don't like what you're seeing on TV? Change it! Don't like the website you're on? Go to a different one! Don't like the game you're playing? Hit Restart! Don't like the person you're talking to or texting? Call someone else! To go to a HS basketball game isn't that type of activity.

 

And I think the social skills of some kids nowdays are really lacking in true face-to-face situations. Kids will sit 2 feet away from each other and communicate via text. Rather than go over to the neighbor's house, they'll call them on their cell phone. I'm not saying everyone does this. But, it does offer a whole realm of other possibilities that are competing with watching a HS basketball game.

With all the above said...mostly to the negative side of attendance, then to me that really is a sad state of affairs and the old image of KY being the great hs basketball state no longer exists. People will say no way and point to the Sweet 16/state tournament and how it's not classed, tradition, the "little guys" have a chance, etc. Nope. if the teams/schools aren't being supported night in and night out, and you can go into many gyms on game night and much of the time find a half empty building, then that "mystique" no longer exists. I don't think you can have it both ways. I've heard some old timers even say the Sweet 16 isn't what it used to be like years ago, but that I can't speak on. I guess times change, sometimes for the worse, and I believe this is one of those worse times.

I'm of the opinion that using HS basketball game attendance as a means of determining whether or not this is a "basketball state" is a bit of a leap. It's even more of a leap to say that Kentucky is now a "football state" because of declining attendance at HS hoops games — especially when attendance at HS football games is not one of your determining variables.

 

Kentucky is hot for football in certain areas. Corbin, Danville, NoKy, Louisville, Mayfield, etc. In other places — like the second largest city in the state, for example — football generates yawns. This state is a "basketball state" not just because of HS hoops, but because of its passion for college hoops as well.

 

And to settle the argument: Until I see 20,000+ people showing up for any single game of the state football finals, the suggestion that football has supplanted basketball in Kentucky seems downright silly.

I am NOT a "fair-weather-fan". I will support my Cards year in and out.

 

Truer words have never been spoken. :lol2::thumb:

At NewCath the crowds are better than average for just about every game. When it is a big rival or top team from around KY (Trinity) the place is busting at the seams.

 

The student body has a great showing, and this is helped by the fact that they sell a Student Pass that gets them in free to ALL home sporting events and discounts on tickets to school dances for the entire year........cost is $40.00.

I would guess Knott County Central averages around 2500 per game with full Houses (5,000+) for Hazard, Perry Central, Letcher Central and Cordia games, with KCC filling one side and endzone.

I'm of the opinion that using HS basketball game attendance as a means of determining whether or not this is a "basketball state" is a bit of a leap. It's even more of a leap to say that Kentucky is now a "football state" because of declining attendance at HS hoops games — especially when attendance at HS football games is not one of your determining variables.

 

Kentucky is hot for football in certain areas. Corbin, Danville, NoKy, Louisville, Mayfield, etc. In other places — like the second largest city in the state, for example — football generates yawns. This state is a "basketball state" not just because of HS hoops, but because of its passion for college hoops as well.

 

And to settle the argument: Until I see 20,000+ people showing up for any single game of the state football finals, the suggestion that football has supplanted basketball in Kentucky seems downright silly.

 

But I'm not including college basketball, that doesn't enter into the equation at all. Strictly hs sports, and I think it's football, and honestly I think the gap is widening and has been the past few years. Attendance to football games could be used, but, it's not equitable either because of fewer games, etc. even though the numbers would actually work in my favor I believe.

 

There's no doubt some areas of KY basketball will always be king. Then again many of those places either have no football or are still fairly recently consolidated schools with rich small school basketball history because that's all they had at that time. And yes, you will have your schools with terrible football history and really good basketball history (exp. Marshall County) where football has no chance to supplant basketball unless or until football starts to show some success.

 

Again, all my opinion, but I have a tons worth of anecdotal evidence over the past almost 25 years now of living in KY, both in the far western part and now central area, and a job where I travel every area of the state and always discuss sports wherever I am. Just calling it the way I see it.

Edited July 30, 201313 yr by BigVMan23

But I'm not including college basketball, that doesn't enter into the equation at all. Strictly hs sports, and I think it's football, and honestly I think the gap is widening and has been the past few years. Attendance to football games could be used, but, it's not equitable either because of fewer games, etc. even though the numbers would actually work in my favor I believe.

 

There's no doubt some areas of KY basketball will always be king. Then again many of those places either have no football or are still fairly recently consolidated schools with rich small school basketball history because that's all they had at that time. And yes, you will have your schools with terrible football history and really good basketball history (exp. Marshall County) where football has no chance to supplant basketball unless or until football starts to show some success.

 

Again, all my opinion, but I have a tons worth of anecdotal evidence over the past almost 25 years now of living in KY, both in the far western part and now central area, and a job where I travel every area of the state and always discuss sports wherever I am. Just calling it the way I see it.

 

There are far more Marshall County-types in Kentucky than Danville-types. It's not even close, really. Again, football passion is isolated in small areas dotted around the state. Those schools are usually independent city schools who have always had football, in some cases for 100 years. The large county schools, as a whole, tend to underperform wildly in football, both in terms of W/L and gate. Usually that's because the large county school was consolidated from several smaller schools, very few of them large enough to field a football team on their own.

 

And as far as crowds and such goes, football isn't exactly packing them in everywhere. Like basketball, most schools get big crowds when they play their rivals, and not so much when it's just a run-of-the-mill game. For every Boyle County success story, there are a half-dozen Taylor County-type schools that just can't be bothered to put forth the effort and support to be successful at football.

I wonder if bussing has hindered attendance over the years. When I was a kid the whole community that lived around the high school would attend football and basketball games. Parents of kids that graduated would still attend games well after their kids moved on with their lives. I don't see this anymore.

I wonder if bussing has hindered attendance over the years. When I was a kid the whole community that lived around the high school would attend football and basketball games. Parents of kids that graduated would still attend games well after their kids moved on with their lives. I don't see this anymore.

 

I would argue consolidation and the ease of travel in the past 40 years has more to do with it. Kind of makes it tough to keep up loyalty when the school you went to was shut down ad you're now expected to transfer your allegiances to the county school you did not attend, in a town where you do not live. Some have made that switch and begun cheering for the county school, but it's usually only while their kids are attending that school. Once they're graduated, those parents can't be found. Still, folks are far more likely to go to the county school's basketball games without any vested rooting interest than they are a football game, especially if they came from a pre-consolidation HS that didn't have FB.

30 basketball games to 10 football games. Most of the basketball games are played on a weeknight. When I was in school, everyone came to our games. I think specialization has hurt attendance. Coaches put teams against each other.