Few would argue, the college football experience is one of the best live sport experiences out there in this country. For years and years, fans, family, alumni have gathered on Saturday's to watch their favorite school battle it out. The traditions, the music, the tailgating, you just can't match it with any other sport in America. And seemingly, CFB is just getting more and more popular with the general public, so this begs the question, why is attendance dropping?
Major-college football experienced its largest per-game attendance drop in 34 years and second-largest ever, according to recently released NCAA figures.
Attendance among the 129 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams in 2017 was down an average of 1,409 fans per game from 2016. That marked the largest drop since 1983 when average attendance declined 1,527 fans per game from 1982.
Your 4 Daily Poll options, slightly better explained:
- Almost every game is on TV now, what makes a fan say I have to leave my home to watch this football game? Plus, the at home viewing experience just keeps getting better.
- The average cost to go to a game, especially in the power 5, is not a cheap endeavor. Maybe we're becoming a more frugal society.
- Aloof millennials, allow me to explain...One TV executive said "This issue is with lack of involvement of the college students. They no longer view attending sporting events as part of the university experience." Maybe he's right. Maybe today's college kid is taking more classes online, finding other ways to occupy their weekend's, and college football on Saturday doesn't jive with their schedule.
- Finally, the law of averages. There are more FBS teams than ever. Maybe the Power 5's are pulling their weight, and group of 5 schools are dragging the average down. Even teams as good as UCF had a tough time getting their stadiums half full until the end of the season.
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