Attendance numbers for Sweet 16

[Tiger1]

The five-day attendance total finished at 92,437. That was 4,267 more people than watched last year’s tournament, which was the lowest-attended event since 1994. The attendance from 2015-2017 (275,071) is the lowest three-year total since a stretch from 1976-1978 (264,121).

 

Read more here: Bowling Green vs. Cooper boys basketball Sweet 16 game recap | Lexington Herald-Leader

 

I would bet the decline is the format. Go back to the original format of semi's on Saturday morning and championship on Saturday night and I think the crowds would be better.

[JohnsonQ]

The day and age of a big tournament is over. Red book issues prevent schools from sending people. My school used to buy 10-12 tickets. Now, none. This is happening all over the state. Look at local games. There are very few communities that support their high schools anymore. I don't see the trend changing. The tourney used to have kids running around everywhere. Not now. KHSAA tries to cater to the young audience but they are not interested. Old folks want a program-KHSAA refuses, offers it electronic. If you lose 20 old folks every year it adds up. I think it will continue to dwindle regardless of when it is played.

[Bengal Maniac]

Another thing to me is having it in Lexington. I just don't like anything about the city (I don't mean the people). I think it is not easy to get around. I am not a fan of hotel locations to the city and parking is not convenient. They have improved the roads going in and out. I have no restaurants I look forward to dining.

 

Louisville would be about the same now if it was at the Yum Center with parking. Easier to get in and out of the city IMO. The restaurants are much much better. Better hotels and more downtown and they don't seem to gouge as much (they wait for the Derby for that).

 

Louisville is just a better experience for me. I could live in Louisville. I would not want to live in Lexington at all. I do not like UL in sports, much prefer UK of the two. So it isn't that. I was raised in Louisville but never went back to live after leaving in 1972.

 

I know many would not agree, but I'd rather have all tourneys in Louisville in all sports.

[TheDeuce]

I know many would not agree, but I'd rather have all tourneys in Louisville in all sports.

 

Youre right. They won't. And it has everything to do with a college team. But everything you compared about the two cities is spot on.

[JohnsonQ]

I enjoyed it when they alternated the tournament. The Louisville kids would come out in mass when it was in the ville.

[B-Ball-fan]

Youre right. They won't. And it has everything to do with a college team. But everything you compared about the two cities is spot on.

 

While UK being from Lexington is 'A' reason, for me it's not "THE" reason, and I wouldn't at all consider myself a diehard Wildcats fan yet it's hard not to recognize the historical allure of them and their historical legendary nature in the state of Kentucky, and what it means to a huge portion of the kids throughout the state with big dreams of playing where their idols play or have played.

 

1. Centralized - Fair proximity for the entire state.

 

2. Quaintness with a small town feel, and a classic historic nature that outshines its modern qualities giving it a nostalgic vintage, almost Hoosieristic vibe (pardon the Indiana reference when making a pitch for the bluegrass), while still having medium sized city qualities to be able to handle large crowds, while also offering a rich smartness with a touch of class.

 

3. Lexington's friendliness vibe that harkens back to a slower unrushed time.

 

4. General all around cleanliness of the city, and its calm safe feel just adds to that whole Pleasantville vibe.

 

5. Aside from the hotels nearby Rupp there are tons of them up and down Newtown Pike which is only a short drive to downtown, and not terribly far from the interstate.

 

Most of what I've described is an emphasis on that magical nostalgic feel that having it in Lexington can give it, which IMO it does very well.

 

It has proved all these years that it is capable, and when the Sweet 16 is going on there you can feel it in the air.

 

I believe that taking it to a bigger city could make it get lost as being just one other thing going on, while when in Lexington everyone knows it's the main thing that it going on. It deserves that kind of shine.

[TheDeuce]

While UK being from Lexington is 'A' reason, for me it's not "THE" reason, and I wouldn't at all consider myself a diehard Wildcats fan yet it's hard not to recognize the historical allure of them and their historical legendary nature in the state of Kentucky, and what it means to a huge portion of the kids throughout the state with big dreams of playing where their idols play or have played.

 

1. Centralized - Fair proximity for the entire state.

 

2. Quaintness with a small town feel, and a classic historic nature that outshines its modern qualities giving it a nostalgic vintage, almost Hoosieristic vibe (pardon the Indiana reference when making a pitch for the bluegrass), while still having medium sized city qualities to be able to handle large crowds, while also offering a rich smartness with a touch of class.

 

3. Lexington's friendliness vibe that harkens back to a slower unrushed time.

 

4. General all around cleanliness of the city, and its calm safe feel just adds to that whole Pleasantville vibe.

 

5. Aside from the hotels nearby Rupp there are tons of them up and down Newtown Pike which is only a short drive to downtown, and not terribly far from the interstate.

 

Most of what I've described is an emphasis on that magical nostalgic feel that having it in Lexington can give it, which IMO it does very well.

 

It has proved all these years that it is capable, and when the Sweet 16 is going on there you can feel it in the air.

 

I believe that taking it to a bigger city could make it get lost as being just one other thing going on, while when in Lexington everyone knows it's the main thing that it going on. It deserves that kind of shine.

 

2-4 seem to infer that you wouldn't get those things in Louisville. If that's the case, it's pretty easy for anyone that lives here to determine that you don't spend much time in Louisville.

[The Professor]

The day and age of a big tournament is over. Red book issues prevent schools from sending people. My school used to buy 10-12 tickets. Now, none. This is happening all over the state. Look at local games. There are very few communities that support their high schools anymore. I don't see the trend changing. The tourney used to have kids running around everywhere. Not now. KHSAA tries to cater to the young audience but they are not interested. Old folks want a program-KHSAA refuses, offers it electronic. If you lose 20 old folks every year it adds up. I think it will continue to dwindle regardless of when it is played.

I think Red Book issues are the biggest reason for the decline of attendance at the tournament. I know quite a few people from my school system and in systems from surrounding counties that used to be at the tournament every year but don't attend anymore due to the new restrictions. When you include the totals from all 120 counties that is a huge number of empty seats and empty hotel rooms.

[SnottieDrippen]

I think Red Book issues are the biggest reason for the decline of attendance at the tournament. I know quite a few people from my school system and in systems from surrounding counties that used to be at the tournament every year but don't attend anymore due to the new restrictions. When you include the totals from all 120 counties that is a huge number of empty seats and empty hotel rooms.

 

New restrictions, meaning they have to pay for tickets?

[B-Ball-fan]

2-4 seem to infer that you wouldn't get those things in Louisville. If that's the case, it's pretty easy for anyone that lives here to determine that you don't spend much time in Louisville.

 

Louisville is a fine city and I like it very much, but my pitch is an all inclusive one where everything that I pointed out equals the sum of it parts. I'm not at all inferring that Louisville doesn't have any of those attributes that I described, but if we're comparing small, quaint, friendly, unrushed, clean, and safe while also recognizing its centralized location, Lexington does a better job of offering those qualities.

[The Professor]

New restrictions, meaning they have to pay for tickets?

 

The head coaches of the basketball teams at our school were rewarded with rooms and tickets in the past. It was a perk that they were informed about when they were hired. Nearly all schools did this in the region were I live. That's no longer permitted.

 

I suppose a way around it would be just add the cost of rooms and tickets to their salary. I personally don't see anything wrong with rewarding head coaches for their year of work by paying for their tickets and rooms.

[brooksville]

Can we get a logistics expert? These people actually exist and get paid for having a lot problem solving skills.

[brooksville]

Bracken County Schools used to call off school on the Thursday and Friday of State Tournament week because so many people went. They don't do that anymore. However, some dedicated employees and students still skip school to make the trip.

[SnottieDrippen]

The head coaches of the basketball teams at our school were rewarded with rooms and tickets in the past. It was a perk that they were informed about when they were hired. Nearly all schools did this in the region were I live. That's no longer permitted.

 

I suppose a way around it would be just add the cost of rooms and tickets to their salary. I personally don't see anything wrong with rewarding head coaches for their year of work by paying for their tickets and rooms.

 

Are you also rewarding student-athletes with tickets and rooms? Assistant coaches? What about managers and statisticians? Book and clock keepers? Trainers? The head coach isn't the only one putting in hours.

 

You want a trip to Rupp on the school's dime, win the region.

[The Professor]

Are you also rewarding student-athletes with tickets and rooms? Assistant coaches? What about managers and statisticians? Book and clock keepers? Trainers? The head coach isn't the only one putting in hours.

 

You want a trip to Rupp on the school's dime, win the region.

Head coaches are doing more than "putting in hours". He/she have the responsibility and pressure of dealing with the expectations of fans, the media, the administration, team discipline, etc. They handle public relations for their program and oversee all other's responsibilities of those connected to the program. They're also involved with team schedules, travel schedules, equipment orders, and other duties. A few of jobs may be delegated to assistants but anything that goes wrong falls back on the coach.

 

Equating managers and stat keepers duties and responsibilities to the head coach is really reaching.