Someone needs to grasp that the sweet 16 can not go head to head with the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament. A very high percentage of spectators that enjoy high school basketball also enjoy the opening rounds of the NCAA tourney’s. I have personally been to the boys sweet 16 every year since 1992. I caught a random couple before then but have purchased 6 seat packages since then. I have seen the attendance slowly dewendle down in the last little bit. This is not the only fix all of high school sports are suffering. My grandfather regularly attends 100 high school, girls and boys, games a year. I do not know what all the answers are but it is time for at least stabilization but would be great to see crowds grow. On another note Rupp Arena needs to fix its cell phone issue. Service is so limited when the arena has 10000 people there. Wether you like it or not if there are connection issues with phones it hurts the attendances.

There is discussion on moving up the boys state to the last week of the NCAA regular season

I think that in general fewer people go see high school sports these days and this factors into the finals attendance.

Going head to head with the NCAA Tournament is the least of their worries.

Back “in the day” high school coaches made up a large portion of the atrendance at the state tournament. When Red Book came out and said school districts could no longer pay for coaches rooms, tickets, meals, etc. at the state tourney the attendance dropped big time.

 

I don’t see these numbers improving until some of them financial restrictions are lifted.

Back “in the day” high school coaches made up a large portion of the atrendance at the state tournament. When Red Book came out and said school districts could no longer pay for coaches rooms, tickets, meals, etc. at the state tourney the attendance dropped big time.

 

I don’t see these numbers improving until some of them financial restrictions are lifted.

 

Even if every HC in that state came, that would have been a drop in a very big bucket at Rupp...what a couple hundred coaches?

Going head to head with the NCAA Tournament is the least of their worries.

 

What should be at the top of their list of worries?

I think that in general fewer people go see high school sports these days and this factors into the finals attendance.

 

I agree with this, there are just a lot less casual fans these days. Parents and Die Hards will still attend the games but you see less casual fans not directly connected to the team (Kid on the team) attending.

Coaches should be able to attend the state tournament at the very least. They have earned that just for doing what they do.

I have been going for over 50 years. I had to miss last year for health reasons. I remember the big crowds Mason would bring. When it was in Louisville you had more attendance from that area. Now.when Louisville team play very small fan support.

 

Also it costs a lot more to attend the games. Tickets food hotel rooms snacks at the games are very pricy.

 

Personally I really miss the programs. I had saved one from each year I had attended.

I think it is called elasticity of demand. As price goes up for the same product demand will go down. That is why corporate America continually works for improvements in delivery, efficiencies, and the quality of their product. Without those enhancements/efficiencies as your prices increase some other company's product will be viewed as more attractive or cost beneficial and step into the demand void replacing yours. Tough balancing act and probably the Local Chamber could play a role with the KHSAA and hotel association to create a more attractiving pricing options for rooms. Thought the WIFI problems at Rupp were to be addressed. Programs played a bigger role to old stalwarts of my generation ( candidly I have less interest in a game when I don't have the ability to page through info, and I can't recall what I read electronically before the session). I guess what it boils down to is you can't afford to try to run the Association on the back of this Golden Goose.

Most staffs had/have at least 4-5 coaches on them in the state. So do that math times the number of schools. It wasn’t just head coaches.

I have been going for over 50 years. I had to miss last year for health reasons. I remember the big crowds Mason would bring. When it was in Louisville you had more attendance from that area. Now.when Louisville team play very small fan support.

 

Also it costs a lot more to attend the games. Tickets food hotel rooms snacks at the games are very pricy.

 

Personally I really miss the programs. I had saved one from each year I had attended.

 

I really, really miss the programs. That's not why I don't go as much as I used to, but I really miss the programs.

I couldn’t agree more on the programs. The answer I always received was they were not cost effective. I would pay more for the darn things. I have two sons 8 & 10 who started going with me last year. My grand father is 78, my father is 58, I am 38. You have to get people to the games. It is dead before the games an in between the games in the area. Have stuff going on for kids. Also if the schools would incentives the students to attend. IE, excuse the day at the very least that would help.

They don’t have programs? The khsaa really is a mini NCAA. Completely tone deaf.