Today's Lex Herald had an article announcing the KHSAA acknowledges their responsibility to preserve one of Ky's two great sporting events. Tackett announces he is putting together an outside (?) group of business and marketing people that will examine the problem and recommend courses of action. He hinted that it first appeared that it was the schools themselves, but than acknowledged that study had shown it was the sale of tickets to the neutrals that come and stay for the duration that had fallen so dramatically.

 

Lots of work to do. We have had hundreds of opinions spoken in the past in at least two other threads on the Boys and Girls Sweet Sixteens. Maybe someone of influence took notice to many on target points. Whatever, the cause, congrats to Commissioner Tackett for stepping up to acknowledge the problem and seeking outside expertise for much needed professional help. Now he has to sit back (and that can be hard for a CEO, especially a public servant) and allow the process to germinate to fruition. This can be a monumental start to saving our Sweet Sixteens!

If it is indeed a dramatic drop in ticket sales to the neutrals who stay for the duration that is the primary issue, the Sunday game must be re-evaluated.

 

I think UK games on television also hurt attendance, but that can't be helped.

Seeding would help tremendously! Two of the best teams shouldn't be playing opening round games. Just my personal opinion.

I've also heard complaints about not doing fan friendly conveniences such as having programs for sale anymore. Plus the things that give the tournament a little more dazzle such as not doing the glitter from the rafters celebration for the champion team anymore. The first year they didn't have it I didn't realize it had been taken out of the celebration and it disappointed my 7 year old nephew I had taken to the game. I had told him about it and that's all he talked about from the time we left his Georgetown home.

 

Of course, I understand these type of changes are to hold down costs and have nothing to do with ticket sales. I don't know what the answer is to that problem. I know that throughout the 1980s and most of the 1990s that the Sweet 16 seemed much bigger and more attended than in the past decade. But when I attended my first tournament at Rupp in 1979 there were no multiple ESPN programs or Internet to interfere.

Also, back in the 1970's and 80's high school gyms on Tuesdays and Friday nights were filled with fans. That's not the case anymore, even for the better teams in the state. So it's not just the state tournament that is suffering from low crowd number, it's high school gyms all over the state.

I hope this group has the authority to look at the KHSAA and some of their decisions. Changing format and changing times are some of the changes that was not necessary. Changing times on the bracket for teams that has long drives, terrible. When teams make it to the state tourney they do what ever it takes to get there. Also, when you do cost cutting measures, programs, glitter etc, it just may cost you fans also. Letting kids transfer and play for whoever they want and whenever they want has to bother some fans, Can no one at KHSAA figure that out.

I believe there may have been some adjustments, but red book rules made it tougher to get those tickets for coaches and administrators. That may have affected it some.

 

When I first started coaching, it was standard for a football staff to attend the state finals and a clinic. Now, because of the red tape and how tight money is for athletic programs, we rarely do that now. We are trying to save fundraising money so our staff can attend the AFCA in Nashville in January of 2017. We can still do stuff like this, but not as frequently and it is not as easy to get it done.

 

I would think issues like this would impact the Sweet Sixteen attendance.

What they are missing is that "the neutrals" are an older generation, who either aren't with us anymore or can't attend because of age/health. Example: My grandparents who had been going since the 40s (as kids) up until 2012 (grandma has passed; grandpa struggles with breathing & can't walk more than 50 yards even with oxygen tank.

 

My dad, a "neutral", isn't a fan of the Sunday championship, didn't go this year for the first time since 1951. He was born in 1950.

 

The "neutrals" like myself (44), I've only missed 2 Sweet 16s, aren't taking their kids like I do. My boys are 8 & 6,they just attended their 9th & 7th Sweet 16 this past March.

 

The family tradition part just doesn't exist anymore.

I don't have a problem with seeding and I think it would help. My question is who is doing the seeding and how? And be ready for folks to whine about it.

 

I also think they should move them up earlier in the month and not compete with the NCAA tournament. In a college basketball crazy state it is always easy to see when the UK or UL game is on.

 

I'm a big fan of the Sunday title game. I can't remember who it was that made the point that the semifinals now have their own day and are a big deal now. They never were a big deal before and were forgotten about when played on Saturday morning. With them on Saturdays by themselves they have their own day and take on more meaning. I'll also never be convinced that having the semifinals and finals on the same day is a good thing for the coaches and players.

 

I still maintain that the teams involved make a huge difference in the attendance numbers. In 2013 over 120,000 people attended the Sweet 16. Madison Central was in the finals. The whole town of Richmond came to Rupp for 4 days. Makes a big difference.

I like the Sunday finals. I have always felt sorry for the team that reached the championship game from the bottom bracket that played their first game Thursday, second on Friday, and two on Saturday. It's even worse if they had to play the late game on Thursday. There was no break for them like the team from the top bracket that started on Wednesday and had Thursday off. I don't know if anyone has ever checked into it but my guess is that more winning teams have come out of the top bracket than the bottom by a substantial margin.

I believe there may have been some adjustments, but red book rules made it tougher to get those tickets for coaches and administrators. That may have affected it some.

 

When I first started coaching, it was standard for a football staff to attend the state finals and a clinic. Now, because of the red tape and how tight money is for athletic programs, we rarely do that now. We are trying to save fundraising money so our staff can attend the AFCA in Nashville in January of 2017. We can still do stuff like this, but not as frequently and it is not as easy to get it done.

 

I would think issues like this would impact the Sweet Sixteen attendance.

 

This is a huge part of it. Before the Redbook changes, other sports teams coaching staffs would attend, now forget about it.

I like the Sunday finals. I have always felt sorry for the team that reached the championship game from the bottom bracket that played their first game Thursday, second on Friday, and two on Saturday. It's even worse if they had to play the late game on Thursday. There was no break for them like the team from the top bracket that started on Wednesday and had Thursday off. I don't know if anyone has ever checked into it but my guess is that more winning teams have come out of the top bracket than the bottom by a substantial margin.

 

I used scoreboard & went back as far as it goes looking at semis & championship game only & it was about 50/50 on early morning semi winner or late Saturday morning winner.

 

I'm headed out to sons baseball games, I'll see if I can find my post with this info later tonight or tomorrow

I like the Sunday finals. I have always felt sorry for the team that reached the championship game from the bottom bracket that played their first game Thursday, second on Friday, and two on Saturday. It's even worse if they had to play the late game on Thursday. There was no break for them like the team from the top bracket that started on Wednesday and had Thursday off. I don't know if anyone has ever checked into it but my guess is that more winning teams have come out of the top bracket than the bottom by a substantial margin.

 

Here you go. Found it quicker than I thought I would.

 

Just a little research using the scoreboard.

 

The 4 years with championship game on Sunday (2013-2016): 3x champion played 1st semifinal game on Saturday; 1x champion played 2nd semifinal game (CovCath)

 

15 years prior (1998-2012) championship game played Saturday night:

8x the champion played in the 2nd semifinal game; 7x the champion played in the 1st semifinal game

Here you go. Found it quicker than I thought I would.

 

Just a little research using the scoreboard.

 

The 4 years with championship game on Sunday (2013-2016): 3x champion played 1st semifinal game on Saturday; 1x champion played 2nd semifinal game (CovCath)

 

15 years prior (1998-2012) championship game played Saturday night:

8x the champion played in the 2nd semifinal game; 7x the champion played in the 1st semifinal game

So it appears over the time span you have listed there's not much of a factor in who starts the tournament on Wednesday and who starts on Thursday in who wins the championship, or which winning team in the semis have the longest time to rest before the second Saturday game. That surprises me somewhat.

How much do tickets cost for the Sweet 16?

How much do tickets cost for the Sweet 16?

 

$18

Lower Arena