Seems like more people are worried about their own convenience and it's less about a quality final. If the extra expense of another night is the issue, sleep in the car. I think it's great that this format benefits the two teams in the final with at least a fair amount of rest for each.

 

When considering a decline in attendance, or ways to improve attendance, shouldn't the customer's (attendee's) convenience and/or satisfaction factor into the equation, at least to some extent? It would seem short-sighted for this to be excluded. I would say the same regarding the extra night's hotel stay. If this keeps people away, it's relevant. And some people drive compact cars - which don't make for comfy night's sleep!!

 

I agree with @Oldercoach that someone needs to take a holistic look at the entire event and turn speculation into facts/data, and make adjustments accordingly. If there are things that can be changed that will increase attendance or improve the event, these things should be considered.

As I Went to KHSAA to look at attendance, it is even more compelling an issue to be dealt with. 2013 was the only year in the last 8 Sweet Sixteens that did not experience a significant decline in attendance. That is a trend outlier! 7 of 8 years in decline. In business that is a CRISIS. Wake-up KHSAA! You do not have the business talent and experience to attack this problem alone. You need non-school, and non-board members to help you. You need some cris management experts before it is too late.

 

So, you're saying then that the decline started BEFORE the change to single game finals on Sunday. What that tells me is that people stopped coming before the change, and there are a myriad of reasons for that. Cost, other events during same time period, participating teams, overall downturn of high school basketball attendance in general...the list just goes on. The game/tournament itself just isn't as important to the general public/fan as it was 25+ years ago. That's unfortunate, but I just don't think there's much to do to fix that.

 

I know personally several middle school kids that would have probably been there for Saturdays session, but they wee playing baseball in Oldham Co against four different Oldham Co middle school teams. And there were probably several of those Oldham Co kids that would have been there but for the same reason. Multiply that my 25 or so, maybe even more than that, and that doesn't include the soccer that I know was going on at the same time.

 

It's a great event that just doesn't hold the same place in the hearts of the public that it used to. Maybe there are some things that could be done to help bump attendance, but it will never be what it was more than likely.

I'm going to say the format has nothing to do with the decline. It's pretty darned expensive.

 

And most schools aren't calling of school for the state tournament anymore.

You reward a team for losing their district, I understand that losers of a district have won a state tournament. Trust me when I say that a district runner up may get an awesome draw at the regional tourney and that is a major reason why they even get to the state tourney. When you lose in post season you should be done, it is why it is called post season play. If you can not win your district are you really the best team in your region?

 

Because a 4 team regional with 3 games would be boring. You would make less money, and less attendance. And I love having district rematches: Augusta/Mason, CovCath/Holmes.

It's a great event that just doesn't hold the same place in the hearts of the public that it used to.

 

While there are a number of factors in play, I believe this is the biggest. High school basketball simply does not have the support it had in years past, and this is prime evidence of that fact. And I'm not sure there is much you can do about it any time soon.

While there are a number of factors in play, I believe this is the biggest. High school basketball simply does not have the support it had in years past, and this is prime evidence of that fact. And I'm not sure there is much you can do about it any time soon.

 

We are an increasingly fragmented society. Lots to do personally, professionally. And a 5 tournament just doesn't fit into as many folks schedule as it used to. Aside from scheduling and e-programs, I really haven't heard all that many complaints about the tourney. I think it's a case of losing the casual fan to other activities, rather than anything that has or hasn't been done to promote or run the Sweet 16.

We are an increasingly fragmented society. Lots to do personally, professionally. And a 5 tournament just doesn't fit into as many folks schedule as it used to. Aside from scheduling and e-programs, I really haven't heard all that many complaints about the tourney. I think it's a case of losing the casual fan to other activities, rather than anything that has or hasn't been done to promote or run the Sweet 16.

 

The best attended years were in the 1980s (I would link the numbers but can't find them). The common theme in that decade was the high number of participants who were coming to UK/UL to play in college. Players like Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus, John Pelphrey, Allan Houston, Rex Chapman, and many others were high level recruits that drew in the casual fan. The Sweet 16 has seen large numbers of college players over the last few years but none that really made the outsider fan take notice - like it or not, people were more interested in coming to watch Richie Farmer and Allan Houston than they are Quentin Goodin.

like it or not, people were more interested in coming to watch Richie Farmer and Allan Houston than they are Quentin Goodin.

 

And, to add to that...there are still pockets in the state where high school basketball in THE thing. Manchester and Clay County is probably a good example of that. When one of those schools get to the sweet 16, the whole county shows up. Get 2 or 3 schools like that in and they win a couple of games, that would make the attendance numbers go up in a hurry. Had Owen County made the tournament and gotten to the finals, they probably would have accounted for a good 12-15,000 overall attendance jump themselves for the week, if not more than that.

While there are a number of factors in play, I believe this is the biggest. High school basketball simply does not have the support it had in years past, and this is prime evidence of that fact. And I'm not sure there is much you can do about it any time soon.

 

This is the approach that the KHSAA has obviously taken. Can't do anything about it. Don't see an immediate cure, so let's ride this pony into the ground. Down 20 in the 4th quarter, so let's surrender. Absolutely a pathetic approach! There are people smarter than all of us in managing crisis. Reach out KHSAA before it is too late.

This is the approach that the KHSAA has obviously taken. Can't do anything about it. Don't see an immediate cure, so let's ride this pony into the ground. Down 20 in the 4th quarter, so let's surrender. Absolutely a pathetic approach! There are people smarter than all of us in managing crisis. Reach out KHSAA before it is too late.

 

I don't think they are surrendering. But this attendance issue goes deeper than what the KHSAA has immediate control over. Like baseball, AAU and travel basketball is creating better, more skilled players, but at the expense of destroying local youth basketball leagues, especially at the middle school level. As these local leagues dry up and disappear, people lose touch with and drift away from basketball as they find other things to do. And again, this isn't solely a basketball issue, or an issue that's limited to just the state of KY. I see attendance down at all high school events, and I think part of that is a matter of how transient our society has become, and the local ties just aren't as strong as they used to be.

Attendance depends on who is playing the tournament. BG has never had good fan support and Doss didn't either. Replace Doss and BG with two schools from their region that have strong fan support and attendance bumps up.

 

Baseball games and AAU tryouts/practice starts up as soon as the region tournaments are over. More kids and parents gone that would attend.

 

I saw over the weekend that football combines have started already. More kids gone.

 

Add in March Madness starting on Thursday and UK playing in the tournament and that is even more people gone.

 

It ain't the format driving attendance down. It's whatever currently has the people's attention that is driving people away. More often than not people have other stuff going on and they don't care who wins the Sweet 16 once their team is eliminated.

Go back and look at who was playing and where they are from and you will be shocked at last four year trends. It is solvable by people that disassociate with excuses and are prepared to open their minds. They are called Cris Management in business, and the nature of most posts on this thread suggests most are totally unfamiliar with the concept and provide little willingness to do anything but stick their head in the sand. Typical suggestions have been why things won't work; rather then a Strategic Approach that is time and true proven in business. It is about the process, where the answers will and can be found.

And, to add to that...there are still pockets in the state where high school basketball in THE thing. Manchester and Clay County is probably a good example of that. When one of those schools get to the sweet 16, the whole county shows up. Get 2 or 3 schools like that in and they win a couple of games, that would make the attendance numbers go up in a hurry. Had Owen County made the tournament and gotten to the finals, they probably would have accounted for a good 12-15,000 overall attendance jump themselves for the week, if not more than that.

 

That's a good point and triggered me to think of something I hadn't really thought of before. How much of a factor do you think it is that several schools that make it to the Sweet 16 now aren't a true representation of that town/county? Don't shoot me for using Taylor County as an example but Goodin is the only key player on that team that is truly a Taylor Countian. There are a lot of schools that have kids transfer in to stack the deck and leave the locals sitting on the bench or not on the team period. Maybe it's no factor at all but it got my wheels turning.

If you do a Google search and review the KHSAA tax returns, one quickly recognizes the total dependency of the organization on both the Boys and Girls Sweet Sixteen tournaments for continued viability. With reserves being progressively depleted and no immediate reversal in sight, the Board of Directors has certainly got to be operating in alarm mode (or they should be). This problem simply cannot be ignored and yes there are a myriad of factors, but the KHSAA must resurrect our Sweet Sixteens.

If you do a Google search and review the KHSAA tax returns, one quickly recognizes the total dependency of the organization on both the Boys and Girls Sweet Sixteen tournaments for continued viability. With reserves being progressively depleted and no immediate reversal in sight, the Board of Directors has certainly got to be operating in alarm mode (or they should be). This problem simply cannot be ignored and yes there are a myriad of factors, but the KHSAA must resurrect our Sweet Sixteens.

 

And I thought it was about the players playing for a state title.