I've parked at the same print shop on the backside of the main Rupp lot forever, and normally at $5 he has always had a full lot. It's a great place to get in and out of. This year he raised the price to $10 and was complaining that he didn't have any business. Since I've been parking with him for such a long time he only charged me $5, but it was obvious there, and at the neighboring off-site lots, that business was down.

 

I agree, parking costs, ticket costs, concession costs, hotel costs all add up to keep attendence down. I also don't think the event has the statewide appeal that it once had, and RedBook in the public schools has driven off a lot of business.

The attendance is not or has not been increasing over the last few years,, trying to find gyms that will play to that. If your only averaging 11-12 thousand why increase the venue size, what good is that going to do?

 

And all I'm saying is that if falling attendance has taken the figure down to an average of 11-12K per session, moving to a 7300-seat arena isn't very likely to move that 11-12K figure back upward. My (admittedly declining) math skillst ell me that isn't possible,

 

There is no need to increase the size of the venue. The issue is how to increase the size of the crowd.

Edited March 23, 201511 yr by mcpapa

Attendance is down for multiple reason, but the biggest reason is cost! THis is what it cost me the last week:

 

Tickets: $500

Hotel Room: $500

Parking: $40

Food & Concession: $300

Gas: $50

 

Total Cost: $1390 for me and my kids for 5 days of basketball. TOO MUCH!

Let's face it folks when you go to a regular season game in Northern Ky. on most nights there aren't enough people in the stands to start a fight. Sure there are the exception schools that have a good following but I've been to Holmes games when there weren't 300 people there. Same for Dixie, Conner, Boone Co. and other school's games. High school kids have better things to do than support their teams and it's kind of sad. Going back to a rotation between sites might help attendance some as I think it may be getting a little stale at Rupp but if you are going to do that rotate it around the state and let other areas enjoy the home cooking. People down Owensboro way always have a long trek to go to the tournament. I hope they never go back to the Saturday night finish. It may cost schools and fans more but it takes away the advantage of drawing in the upper bracket and getting a day of rest where the last game of the last session requires a team to win 4 games in about 50 hours.

Attendance is down for multiple reason, but the biggest reason is cost! THis is what it cost me the last week:

 

Tickets: $500

Hotel Room: $500

Parking: $40

Food & Concession: $300

Gas: $50

 

Total Cost: $1390 for me and my kids for 5 days of basketball. TOO MUCH!

 

Especially if your kids would rather be doing something else.

Y

Attendance is down for multiple reason, but the biggest reason is cost! THis is what it cost me the last week:

 

Tickets: $500

Hotel Room: $500

Parking: $40

Food & Concession: $300

Gas: $50

 

Total Cost: $1390 for me and my kids for 5 days of basketball. TOO MUCH!

 

I don't know how you fix the cost, as every cost you mention (aside from ticket cost to a certain extent) is controlled by a provider outside of the KHSAA. I don't know for sure, but I'd guess it's never been "cheap" to attend the sweet 16.

 

I just think there are lots of things competing with people's attention. Other spring sports, the NCAA tourney and yes the ability to watch online all likely have an effect. The online coverage is very good, and that's how I watched the Cov Cath semi game. I've watched wrestling, volleyball, soccer and football on the KHSAA's feed and all of them have been well done.

Attendance is down for multiple reason, but the biggest reason is cost! THis is what it cost me the last week:

 

Tickets: $500

Hotel Room: $500

Parking: $40

Food & Concession: $300

Gas: $50

 

Total Cost: $1390 for me and my kids for 5 days of basketball. TOO MUCH!

 

This is the real problem. It cost me $100 for one night...and I had a media credential. By the time it was said and done, I spent $100 on two 11-year old girls, gas and parking. I almost had a stroke when I dropped $25 on pizza and soft drinks.

This is the real problem. It cost me $100 for one night...and I had a media credential. By the time it was said and done, I spent $100 on two 11-year old girls, gas and parking. I almost had a stroke when I dropped $25 on pizza and soft drinks.

 

I agree with you and sportsmaniac on the cost. Totally out of hand for the product being presented.

 

Also there just are not any players that people want to come see. Rare to see an elite D1 prospect play in the tourney anymore. Hard to draw in casual fans if you don't have players that capture the public's interest ala Rex Chapman, Allan Houston, Richie Farmer. Back in the 80's most of the tournaments featured players that were being recruited by UK or U of L. Doesn't happen very often anymore. KHSAA can't do much about that.

 

I think the main reason the 2013 tourney was well-attended was due to the buzz of Calipari coming to watch Hawkins, not to mention you had players such as Bolden and Justice in the mix. This year Bolden's team didn't make it and Justice's team was put out early.

As a casual fan who had never been to the Boys Sweet 16, I went with my wife to the Friday and Sunday games. This is what it cost me:

 

Gas: $70 - two $35 full ups

Parking $20 - $10 both times

Food/Concessions - $100 - We ate out both trips.

Tickets - $40 - $20 for the both of us, twice

 

So that's $230 for a weekend to watch two high school basketball games. I'm not a lawyer or doctor. That's a lick to our family finances for the monthly budget. You can count me out from here on out unless my team makes the Finals. Simply too expensive.

I think a renovated Rupp Arena would help with the attendance. For many casual fans, getting state tournament single session tickets on the sidelines is tough. Most of those are bought by people getting the entire book of tickets or by coaches/districts. So a casual fan can get a corner seat (good), and endzone seat (not great), or an upper level seat (terrible). Nobody wants to sit up top and a sizable number of lowers don't actually face center court. Remodeling the arena, with suites and all chair-backs, would make for a more appealing product. But those changes aren't in the hands of the KHSAA.

 

Of course the normal follow up to that would be "play it in Louisville." Fair point, considering the Yum Center is one of the nicest arenas in the country. However, if people aren't going to Lexington, I can't see them going to Louisville. A large segment of the state's population is reluctant to go to Louisville, to drive in Louisville, to stay in Louisville, because its "too far" or "too busy." That's silly, in my opinion, but you can't change how people think.

 

One thing is certain, though. The KHSAA really needs to think seriously and strategically about how this tournament moves forward.

It surprises me that anyone is shocked about food prices at sporting events in large arenas/stadiums. It's been like this forever and isn't going to change or get any better. Aside from promotions you at some minor league baseball stadiums, food is typically going to be expensive at a large sporting event. Private companies run the food service (not the KHSAA or UK) and they will charge whatever they can get away with. And since they have a pretty captive audience, they can get away with a lot.

Where can you find the attendance numbers per session. Id be curious to see the breakdown.

 

KCC losing and Camron Justice being out of the tournament hurt the attendance for sure. I know people that were planning on going just to see him and when they lost they didn't go. I also think that there was no appeal for the casual fan for most of the teams in the final four. That is no disrespect to Owensboro, Boyle, BG or Cov Cath, but most people don't know a thing about any of those teams and when there are no teams from 11th region or a ballard or Trinity (with D1 players) or a really good team from the mountains in the semi finals, the casual fan loses interest, at least that is my opinion.

 

I agree with he cost comment as well. Too expensive when it is broadcast live on the internet.

 

I really hope they don't move it from Rupp as it would lose some of its luster in my opinion.

If they want to build a fan base for their product among young people then it has to be affordable and fun. $13 for an upper arena ticket? Please. That price doesn't entice many high school age kids to ditch class with their friends in favor of a trip to Rupp. Not that I condone that type of thing.

Part of it is the teams that survived and advanced.

 

Part of it is the same problem during the regular season - apathy.

 

Imagine if it weren't for those like Goldie who go every year regardless of their team's participation.

Said before and will say it again Redbook is the single biggest factor.

 

Coaches and their staff would go. You are looking at 4-6 guys from every school and it was one of the few perks they get.

 

Now? Your going to spend half your coaching stipend to go?

 

No chance?