Signs that the "Sweet 16" is Thriving or Declining

[rjs4470]

Fees on Ticketmaster are awful for everything. I get they have to make money, but sheesh...

 

Uppers shouldn't be over $10 per session IMO. $15 seems better for lowers, but $12 would go even farther for attendance.

 

For perspective... For UofL's three NIT games, you could get lower level tickets for $12 each. "Premium" seats going for $20. No high school game/event should cost more than big-time college hoops, IMO.

 

I have to think some, if not a pretty good portion of those fees are related to and end up in the venue's pockets. I'm sure Rupp doesn't make itself available for free. Just like concession prices are out of the KHSAA's hands, as concessions are run by an outside 3rd party. Big time event, at a big time college venue, I'm not surprised the ticket pricing is on par with what you might pay for big time college events. And again, I'll argue that $12 vs $18 a ticket isn't going to provide a big attendance spike or even come close to bringing the numbers back to where they used to be.

 

I agree that Ticketmaster fees are awful.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Folks are looking at this at a way too "micro" level. We are simply following a national trend.

 

families have a lot more options for entertainment as well as a lot more "time commitments". I'm sure there were families who couldn't come because they had soccer and baseball games last weekend..

 

15 years ago before the rise in popularity of "travel sports" kids would have had a game on Saturday morning and free time the rest of the day. Now kids travel two or 3 hours every weekend and have 2 or 3 games.

 

It's the same reason why other sports attendance is down, country club membership is down and movie attendance is down. A LOT more competition for entertainment dollars.

Hit the nail on the head. This is why high school gyms aren’t packed across the state, especially on Friday nights. Youth sports have come to totally dominate the spectrum. I can also attest to the fact that mostly older folks attend mid major college games and high school games.

[maysvilleky]

Seventh, why not make the Sweet 16 a boys'/girls' combo tournament? Four girls games Monday and Tuesday, four boys games on Wednesday and Thursday. Four girls games on Friday at 9/10:30/12/1:30 and four boys games at 3/4:30/6/7:30. Girls semifinals Saturday at 2/4 and boys at 6/8. Championships Sunday at 1 and 4.

 

This makes a lot of sense to me. You condense the Championship to 1 week (which you could schedule to avoid the NCAA) and you get more teams (and fanbases) involved.

[rjs4470]

Seventh, why not make the Sweet 16 a boys'/girls' combo tournament? Four girls games Monday and Tuesday, four boys games on Wednesday and Thursday. Four girls games on Friday at 9/10:30/12/1:30 and four boys games at 3/4:30/6/7:30. Girls semifinals Saturday at 2/4 and boys at 6/8. Championships Sunday at 1 and 4.

 

This makes a lot of sense to me. You condense the Championship to 1 week (which you could schedule to avoid the NCAA) and you get more teams (and fanbases) involved.

 

Maybe it might be a good thing. But that’s going to make hotel rooms more expensive and more scarce. It will also create parking and traffic issues with one set of fans leaving and the others arriving for the semi’s and the finals. And I’m not sure that the girls fans stuck around and buy tickets to watch boys and vice versa, especially since most feel cost is already a factor. So there’d be no real attendance bump. I think holding boys and girls together at the same time and place creates more problems (especially in regards to logistics) than it solves. Aside from less downtime, I’m not sure that it creates any real benefit.

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

How much are individual session tickets?

Mine were $19 each on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday. Section 42 or Section 25. Bought at the window.

[TheDeuce]

Mine were $19 each on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday. Section 42 or Section 25. Bought at the window.

 

That's too much for a high school event. Even if it's the State Tournament.

[sportsmaniac]

Mine were $19 each on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday. Section 42 or Section 25. Bought at the window.

 

I agree it is too much. When you say $12 is not that much different than $19 it doesn’t seem like it, but when you are buying multiple tickets it does add up. 4 tickets @$12 is $48. 4 tickets @ $19 is $76. That is a huge difference and do that for 2 sessions for 1 day and you have spent an extra $56. That is another session worth of tickets. They have to reduce the cost if they want families to come.

[NEERFAN]

It's been a while since I attended the S16 but $19 seems much steeper than what I remember paying. Most regular season games are $5 - $7, I could see paying double that but no way I could afford the whole tournament with lodging and everything else.

[Woodland]

I think it is time for classes. You would get more people involved across the state. You could still have a one true champion, just play a final four with the class champions.

I agree and get rid of Khsaa also

[nkufan23]

I think they were $18 for lowers and $13 for uppers per session (two games). The fees on Ticketmaster are insane (as @Wireman said), however buying at the window makes getting lower arena tickets almost impossible.

 

I attended every game of the sweet 16 this year and have been for many years now. Easiest way to get tickets down low is first find them on your phone then walk up to the window and tell them the exact tickets that you want. For example Section 11, Row W, Seats 1 and 2. We did this to avoid paying the online fees.

[Tiger1]

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!

 

First, the cost is a determining factor but not necessarily ticket cost. The concession cost and more so the lodging cost has really gotten out of hand.

 

Second, I used to order my tickets thru the KHSAA for like 15 straight years and never received good lower arena seats. Not once!!! So, as Mustang has already pointed out that those "good seats" are held for KHSAA board members and schools. So, the normal fan such as I will never get those premium seats.

 

Plus, as many other posters have pointed out that there are so many other options for individuals and or families to chose from these days for their entertainment.

 

Lastly, the changing of the format is a big contributor to the decline. Some people want to point out that it is more fair giving teams rest and playing on Sunday, but my comeback is that's what made the tournament such a valued treasure to players and fans because you had to have the mental toughness to play on Saturday morning and then come back Saturday night to win the championship.

Not to mention that this change has increased the cost because people have to stay over Saturday night and ones that don't stay over don't want to drive back on Sunday for the championship game. Just my two cents.

[sweet16]

Semifinal crowds use to be very big but not since the change. The coaches that do go, a lot go back Saturday morning. A lot use to watch the semis and then go back home.

[kyag]

The venue needs to change. Put the tournament in Memorial. Teenagers are not interested in socializing unless it is Snapchat or Instagram. Imagine playing at Memorial with 8500 capacity, bands playing, student sections cheering, and no empty seats. Rupp is an awesome experience but I think the lure of playing there is gone with the current student. I thought about going with my 4 boys but soon realized the cost of parking, tickets, and food was just too much for an evening of basketball Saturday night. Plus both games were over at half. I saved money by following BGP for updates.

[sweet16]

^^^^

 

Not enough seating in memorial.

[outofbounds]

Haven't read all the posts on this thread so I may be repeating someone. As stated earlier, the cost and the KHSAA leadership are definitely issues that need resolved. This may be an oversimplification but I think the biggest problem is the quantity of D1 caliber players whose teams make it to the Sweet 16, especially ones good enough to be recruited by the CATS & CARDS.

 

Kentucky just doesn't produce the amount of talent it used to back in the 20th century. The Sweet 16 doesn't have any buzz surrounding the best teams or players like it used to. How many of you were around when Rex Chapman's Apollo team made it in '85? There was such a buzz about him during that tourney. I don't know how you fix that in today's climate. KHSAA can't force UK or U of L to recruit in-state kids.

 

Look back at the year Madison Central won it with Hawkins and Holmes had Bolden. That tourney had buzz because Cal was looking at both. There is no magic formula...you have to have player(s) that people want to come see. Was there anyone in this year's tourney who created that kind of excitement from fans statewide? CJ Frederick was MVP and he is going to Iowa. No slight to him, but who cares about watching kids that are going to Iowa to play their college ball? It didn't used to be that way. Kentucky and Louisville used to regulary sign a kid or two from in-state. Until it gets back to that the Sweet 16 is going to suffer.