Signs that the "Sweet 16" is Thriving or Declining

[bruin66]

Start the season a week or two earlier. That will help the Sweet 16 not compete with the NCAA. Not the biggest problem, but it is part of the issue.

 

I say don't start the season 2 weeks earlier, but instead trim 2 weeks off of the regular season.

[rjs4470]

4 Tickets each game -- $76 x 3 games = $228

Parking each game -- $15 x 3 games = $45

Concessions / Ice cream each game -- $30 x 3 games = $90

 

Over $360 and we didn't attend the opening round game. That is real money, and I wouldn't dream of doing that if my school wasn't it. I don't care how much fun the environment is, how good the ice cream is, or good the basketball is, I'm not dropping $360 over 3 days (not to mention hotel or gas) if I don't have a dog in the fight.

 

I agree it's real money. But at what amount would you need to get to to bring back the "casual" fan?? Cutting ticket prices in half still burns a $250 hole in your pocket. Obviously this is just my opinion, but if I'm not going to go at $360, I'm probably not spending $250 either. I still say, if people really wanted to go, cost isn't as much of a factor. People will find a way to go, just like they find thousands of $'s to do to Disney World every year. Your "not having a dog in the fight" statement is much more important to the attendance than cost. Aside from giving free entry, I'm not sure there's much you can do about getting those "without a dog in the fight" through the gates. I think you've got 3 groups of people. Fans of the teams that are playing, Die hard, HS basketball fans, and people who just aren't that interested. There's not much that keep the first two groups away. And I don't know what you can do to attract the third group, which seems to be growing.

[Sportsaholic Mamaw]

It's not like they wouldn't be playing games those weeks if there was no AA. Most teams would still have at least 4 or 5 games over those couple of weeks. Only a handful have the expense of actually traveling to the AA.

 

But attending those games is more expensive than regular season games. Food, tshirts or souvenirs, tickets, overnight stays if it's a distance and possibly farther travel if not staying at tournament site. The last two could be a lot more expense, especially if a western Kentucky site is chosen.

[TheDeuce]

The cost, per capita/adjusted for inflation isn't much more than it was years ago...

 

The economy is very good right now, relatively speaking. The "game experience" is poor, at best. does cost keep some away? Sure. But it's more than just 'cost"

 

What exactly about the "game experience" is a bigger factor than cost?

[UKMustangFan]

My two cents on this....

 

I don't think there's much that can be done. I think the younger generation doesn't have the same nostalgic attachment to their HS as the older crowd does, so attracting them to the games is going to be huge challenge regardless of cost.

 

Myself for example, I wouldn't go even if it were free unless I had a kid in school at a competing school, and even then, I'd probably only go for that game/session.

[ESPNdeux]

Red book rules.

 

Price of lodging/parking/food.

 

Sunday finals format leaves too much down time.

 

Lack of entertainment in the area.

 

Move it to Louisville and go back to the Wednesday to Saturday format.

[rjs4470]

My two cents on this....

 

I don't think there's much that can be done. I think the younger generation doesn't have the same nostalgic attachment to their HS as the older crowd does, so attracting them to the games is going to be huge challenge regardless of cost.

 

Myself for example, I wouldn't go even if it were free unless I had a kid in school at a competing school, and even then, I'd probably only go for that game/session.

 

This is big too. Some of it is because people are so transient now. I don't think there's as many cases of generation after generation growing up in the same town and going to the same high school. I've lived in KY for 20 years, and have only been to one Sweet 16 and that was to see my local school, with kids I've coached for a number of years. And I'm not likely to go and neither are my kids (because they didn't play basketball and aren't huge fans), unless their school goes back again in the future.

[Jumper_Dad]

But attending those games is more expensive than regular season games. Food, tshirts or souvenirs, tickets, overnight stays if it's a distance and possibly farther travel if not staying at tournament site. The last two could be a lot more expense, especially if a western Kentucky site is chosen.

 

But again it only impacts the handful of teams that go. No one is forcing anyone to buy tshirts or souvenirs an lodging really only impacts teams that advance or ones from all the way across the state. My point is that the AA is not a drain on the majority of teams anymore than regular season games are. I never see anyone complaining about out of town tourneys at Christmas Break being too expensive to attend.

[Jumper_Dad]

In my opinion, the biggest drag on attendance to all events is the number of activities that are available for children these days. Years ago kids had football, basketball, baseball and a few other activities to take time out of the family schedule and the youth seasons for those sports was relatively abreviated compared to today.

 

Today parents also have kids in soccer, swimming, wrestling, volleyball, dance, cheer, martial arts, archery, quick recall, band and any of a number of other activities that eat up family schedules and dollars. Seasons are longer, competition is year round and it all cost money. I think this has the biggest impact on events like this and others.

[Larry Linville]

Start the season a week or two earlier. That will help the Sweet 16 not compete with the NCAA. Not the biggest problem, but it is part of the issue.

 

Then there's more overlap with football and even less kids that will play both sports.

[Larry Linville]

I would venture to guess that most HS sports fans are like me. They will follow their team to the tournament but if their team isn't in they aren't going.

[plantmanky]

In my opinion, the biggest drag on attendance to all events is the number of activities that are available for children these days. Years ago kids had football, basketball, baseball and a few other activities to take time out of the family schedule and the youth seasons for those sports was relatively abreviated compared to today.

 

Today parents also have kids in soccer, swimming, wrestling, volleyball, dance, cheer, martial arts, archery, quick recall, band and any of a number of other activities that eat up family schedules and dollars. Seasons are longer, competition is year round and it all cost money. I think this has the biggest impact on events like this and others.

 

Another impact to consider is that less and less kids have their licence at 16 anymore to drive to the event, even together as a group.

[Tiger1]

My dad has been going all week from he last 25 years. He goes to 60% of the games but always the

Finals. Once they switched to Sunday’s he hasn’t been to one, and he loves the state tourney. 2pm on a Sunday there are other things to do

 

Yeah this is my 40th straight year and I have always gone all week, but unfortunately this will probably be the last tournament I attend for a while. It just isn't the same anymore and I am just not into it like I once was.

[Shuttlesworth]

When the commissioner is looking at his computer screen for the better part of a whole game, shows me all I need to know.

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

It just isn't the same anymore and I am just not into it like I once was.

 

You're the perfect person to address this as a 40 year veteran -- what is different? Why is it not the same any longer?

 

Thanks Tiger!