Back in the day there wasn't any streaming... For today, I do not think that is a bad Thursday morning crowd. Do all the coaches and AD's still get free tickets?

11 hours ago, Big East Zebra said:

I'm not from CC, but as a High School basketball sports fan, who will be attending the Sweet 16 this weekend, I feel like I've been cheated because the very first game of the State Tournament was the Championship game!  The KHSAA is in love with the RPI, and IF, the RPI is so good, seed the dang Sweet 16 or throw the RPI in the septic tank where it truly belongs!  No GURU, I'm not a major league crybaby, I just think the Championship game on Saturday night should be the 2 best teams in the state. Now it's not going to be that way. 

I feel like I have heard this argument in previous years, when two top teams play early. People say that this was the "championship game" Yet then the team that won that game, still doesn't even end up winning it all. St. X is definitely a favorite, but there is also another team still in the tournament that has already beaten St. X this year. So its hard to say that this was the "Championship Game". 

At the end of the day both teams had plenty of time to prepare for each other, scout, game plan, and both one equal footing with it being the first game and dealing with nerves, etc. If these two teams played later on, then we also hear the excuses well this team had more rest, etc. 

It was two good teams that went at it, and won team simply played better. Now let's see if St. X can finish the deal and win it all. 

7 minutes ago, fatsnbul said:

Back in the day there wasn't any streaming... For today, I do not think that is a bad Thursday morning crowd. Do all the coaches and AD's still get free tickets?

I think they stopped doing that years ago.

11 minutes ago, fatsnbul said:

Back in the day there wasn't any streaming... For today, I do not think that is a bad Thursday morning crowd. Do all the coaches and AD's still get free tickets?

3 minutes ago, Runcible Owl said:

I think they stopped doing that years ago.

I don't know the answer here so I assume RO is correct.  I will say giving out all those free tickets was problematic and assuming the practice has been stopped I think that is a big reason these crowds are down.  You don't get to see a lot of the stands but every glimpse I get, the crowds look poor.  Even for the this X/CCH game, compared to my memories of the past, that looked like a pretty poor crowd.  In short, I just don't think Sweet 16® is the cash cow it used to be. 

Regarding seeding: Tackett is on record saying the state tournament has never been about getting the top 16 teams to play each other, or having the top two teams in the finals. He and the KHSAA believe the state tournament needs to have “equal geographic representation.” Although it’s a horrible way to decide a state champion, it’s not going to change any time soon. 

41 minutes ago, theguru said:

I don't know the answer here so I assume RO is correct.  I will say giving out all those free tickets was problematic and assuming the practice has been stopped I think that is a big reason these crowds are down.  You don't get to see a lot of the stands but every glimpse I get, the crowds look poor.  Even for the this X/CCH game, compared to my memories of the past, that looked like a pretty poor crowd.  In short, I just don't think Sweet 16® is the cash cow it used to be. 

Attendance figures have historically been released after each session. Wednesday morning - two games, etc. Saturday semifinals - two games, championship - one game.

Below: Middle column is Gate Receipts; right is overall tournament attendance.

The KHSAA Record book was last updated in 2022.

Definitely trending downwards. Who knows where we are now?

Via the TV broadcast yesterday they said both sessions had slightly over 11k in attendance.   I don’t know if that is an actual gate number and physically there, or if that was tickets sold.  Does anyone know how many the lower bowl seats?  I am an old man now and have attended most tournaments since the legendary Clay Co teams from the 80s, and when I reflect back on those times I remember the crowd being bigger.  I was just a kid then, so I could just be misremembering. 

3 hours ago, theguru said:

No idea but this picture says pretty poor.  At least poor compared to back in the day.

Anyone?

CJ reported it at just over 11,000.

Just now, TH58 said:

CJ reported it at just over 11,000.

Hard to believe and thank you.

I also think schools are less willing to allow their coaching staffs to take off school in order to go to the tournament. 

For the first game, X had more students there than CC but both were well represented. I know X students were given the day off. I actually thought they should have had more students there.

NL had a decent number of kids there. WC, not much at all.

I don’t understand schools not encouraging more students going to events like this. These are life long memories for many of these kids.

 

For those of you that were at the game(s) here is what google/ukathletics says about the lower level of Rupp Arena:

Upgrades coming to Rupp Arena beginning with 2019-20 season ...The lower level of Rupp Arena features approximately 10,000 to 10,549 cushioned theater-style seats. Following renovations, this lower bowl, known as the lower arena, offers a prime, closer view of the court, distinct from the upper-level seating. 

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I know there were a few people in the upper arena but it didn't look like many at all.  Just based on a couple of photos the lower level looked maybe 2/3rds full so I am thinking 7500 max so far and maybe the actual tickets sold were 11000.

Anyone?

I was there yesterday. That seems a little  high. My guess is 9500.

Lower bowl not filled. Maybe 800 up top.

11 minutes ago, Falcon Pride said:

For the first game, X had more students there than CC but both were well represented. I know X students were given the day off. I actually thought they should have had more students there.

NL had a decent number of kids there. WC, not much at all.

I don’t understand schools not encouraging more students going to events like this. These are life long memories for many of these kids.

St. X's enrollment is more than twice the enrollment of Cov Cath, so they absolutely should have had more students at the game yesterday, haha.

Yes I know.

What I didn’t know was if CC students were given the day off?

Edited March 19Mar 19 by theguru