Average Attendance vs percent of Arena Capacity

[Quentin Daniels]

"I'm not an administrator, but I play one on message boards."

I can tell a lot of people here have never put together, or even worked on, a large budget.

 

[sleeperpick]

"I'm not an administrator, but I play one on message boards."

I can tell a lot of people here have never put together, or even worked on, a large budget.

please explain a little bit more. The only people I think are unrealistic in this conversation are the people that think there is even a minutiae of a chance that we build a 5k or less stadium on top of the Pat Dome (which will never go away)

 

[Pikapppatri8]

"I'm not an administrator, but I play one on message boards."

I can tell a lot of people here have never put together, or even worked on, a large budget.

To be fair - most people are commenting on their wishes and would like to have's - not from a business perspective or from the lens of business/management.

 

[FreeGunston12]

To be fair - most people are commenting on their wishes and would like to have's - not from a business perspective or from the lens of business/management.

Yes. And I mean, wouldn’t the best case scenario from both perspectives be to fill the stadium we’ve already got?

 

[G M U]

Two ideas:
1- have a designated tailgate area for every game. Provide space heaters or something for colder games. Who cares if you have to pay a couple extra security guards or police to oversee. If you build it, they will come. They’ll bring their own cornhole sets, drinks, other lawn games of choice, etc. Just provide the space.

2- put a TV on damn near every hall in every building and broadcast Mason news, hype videos, game recaps, advertising 24/7. Have a clock counting down to the next game.

I know Mason has tried to do a designated tailgate area a few times but it tends to draw a cringeworthy amount of fans. The effort is certainly there on Mason's part: tent, food trucks, DJ, alcohol, etc. but the area they designate for tailgate is pretty big so people stagger all over the place. The window at which the tailgate is open is pretty big, so people come in at different times, buy an $8 tallboy, drink it and leave. I think in theory, fans would prefer a less structured tailgate with a few people grilling some hotdogs and BYOB. I just don't think we're there yet as a fanbase.

 

[FreeGunston12]

I know Mason has tried to do a designated tailgate area a few times but it tends to draw a cringeworthy amount of fans. The effort is certainly there on Mason's part: tent, food trucks, DJ, alcohol, etc. but the area they designate for tailgate is pretty big so people stagger all over the place. The window at which the tailgate is open is pretty big, so people come in at different times, buy an $8 tallboy, drink it and leave. I think in theory, fans would prefer a less structured tailgate with a few people grilling some hotdogs and BYOB. I just don't think we're there yet as a fanbase.

Another idea to support the tailgate. Do the giveaways at the tailgate instead of in the stadium. I guess that would mean checking tickets there or something. I don’t know. I just feel like it’s a snowball thing. Get a good group of fans for the tailgate a couple times, and it’ll grow and take off from there.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

please explain a little bit more. The only people I think are unrealistic in this conversation are the people that think there is even a minutiae of a chance that we build a 5k or less stadium on top of the Pat Dome (which will never go away)

Yep. Exactly what you said. Those who think there's a chance, plus those who think it's even a good idea.

The University is never going to spend the money to demolish an existing structure that generates revenue to spend more money to build a new one w/half the capacity that would generate less money.

Any University President and/or BOV that tried would be in total disregard of their fiduciary responsibility and the Virginia General Assembly would crucify them for wasting public funds. And rightfully so. There's a reason vcu does graduation at the Richmond Convention Center and not the Siegel Center.

And theres this:
https://www.ticketmaster.com/eaglebank-arena-tickets-fairfax/venue/172065

Vs. this:
https://www.ticketmaster.com/verizo...t-c-siegel-center-tickets-richmond/venue/8587

 

[The Great PATSby]

https://www.pollstar.com/Chart/2018/12/2018YearEndWorldwideTicketSalesTop200ArenaVenues_702.pdf

According to the above link, EBA is Ranked #114 in the WORLD by venue ticket sales. Not bad.

 

[GMUNatsFan]

Several comments about things said in this topic. The Santa Clara games were for a tournament where the tickets went on sale a day or two before the game and season ticket holders had to buy these tickets. Due to the number of season ticket holders we have for the regular season, playing a game at the RAC would never work. (How do you know how many would show up for Southern or other small school out of conference game?) Also, getting the RAQ set up with the infrastructure (Stats, Radio, Streaming) is a pain since it was not built to support this setup and needs to be improvised, which makes handling those things a real pain.

Also, having an arena that just holds what you can sell in season tickets and students causes a problem if you do get the right marketing person/group and your attendance grows. That should be the goal, not reducing the size of the arena. As some of said, EBA is not going anywhere and the money could be better spent within the program, rather than getting another arena. Plus, where would it be built? Unless you go out to the Manassas Campus, I don't think there is room for another arena. If you took down EBA and built it there, where would you play for the three years needed to build it?

The better plan is to work on expanding our attendance so that we fill the stadium we have. Otherwise you are just giving up on where we are at right now.

 

[GMUgemini]

Several comments about things said in this topic. The Santa Clara games were for a tournament where the tickets went on sale a day or two before the game and season ticket holders had to buy these tickets. Due to the number of season ticket holders we have for the regular season, playing a game at the RAC would never work. (How do you know how many would show up for Southern or other small school out of conference game?) Also, getting the RAQ set up with the infrastructure (Stats, Radio, Streaming) is a pain since it was not built to support this setup and needs to be improvised, which makes handling those things a real pain.

Also, having an arena that just holds what you can sell in season tickets and students causes a problem if you do get the right marketing person/group and your attendance grows. That should be the goal, not reducing the size of the arena. As some of said, EBA is not going anywhere and the money could be better spent within the program, rather than getting another arena. Plus, where would it be built? Unless you go out to the Manassas Campus, I don't think there is room for another arena. If you took down EBA and built it there, where would you play for the three years needed to build it?

The better plan is to work on expanding our attendance so that we fill the stadium we have. Otherwise you are just giving up on where we are at right now.

You could technically build a new arena right next to EBA and then demolish EBA when it’s done a build a parking structure there, but that would make parking on campus a huge pain while all that was going on.

EBA just needs some TLC. It is a fine arena. Maybe in 25 years we can think about building something new.

 

[Herndon]

https://www.pollstar.com/Chart/2018/12/2018YearEndWorldwideTicketSalesTop200ArenaVenues_702.pdf

According to the above link, EBA is Ranked #114 in the WORLD by venue ticket sales. Not bad.

Wow. I knew that the Patriot center was a money-making vehicle for the University but it looks like it's actually kind of a cash cow

 

[Walter]

Since the basketball capacity is actually 7,860 and last year's avg attendance was 4,335, then our fill rate is a little over 55%.

Where does the 7,860 come from?

 

[By George.]

Two ideas:
1- have a designated tailgate area for every game. Provide space heaters or something for colder games. Who cares if you have to pay a couple extra security guards or police to oversee. If you build it, they will come. They’ll bring their own cornhole sets, drinks, other lawn games of choice, etc. Just provide the space.

2- put a TV on damn near every hall in every building and broadcast Mason news, hype videos, game recaps, advertising 24/7. Have a clock counting down to the next game.

We talk to different Mason staff all the time about this, issue being that no one ever shows up to the nubby tailgates they host so they can’t justify hosting more of them. They also make the case that basketball tailgating isn’t a thing. I wish people better utilized the Rathskeller but....too late.

 

[GMUgemini]

Where does the 7,860 come from?

They put tarps in the corners so it cuts capacity.

 

[FreeGunston12]

We talk to different Mason staff all the time about this, issue being that no one ever shows up to the nubby tailgates they host so they can’t justify hosting more of them. They also make the case that basketball tailgating isn’t a thing. I wish people better utilized the Rathskeller but....too late.

Yeah, the Rat is an idea but it’s hard enough to get to campus on most gamedays and by the time it’d take me to walk to the Rat, I’d have to turn around and walk back.

 

[GMUgemini]

Yeah, the Rat is an idea but it’s hard enough to get to campus on most gamedays and by the time it’d take me to walk to the Rat, I’d have to turn around and walk back.

I say just serve beer in the EBA and be done with it.

Also, tailgating might not be a thing, but pre-game parties is what made GCU's basketball team go from zero to one of the best shows in mid-majors. And guess who they target? On campus students. Of course, Phoenix in January is gorgeous, and in Virginia that can be a challenge, so there is that.

But still, target the students! Get them to fill the student section every game.

Oh, and stop squashing grassroots movements. The only way it's really going to get better and be sustainable is through student, alumni, and community efforts outside of AD marketing and department meetings.

 

[jessej]

They put tarps in the corners so it cuts capacity.

Why dont they remove the Tarps for sure sellout games like vcu?

 

[GSII]

Why dont they remove the Tarps for sure sellout games like vcu?

Bc it would fill with vcu fans.

 

[mason89]

Where does the 7,860 come from?

"EagleBank Arena offers fans excellent sight lines and has a basketball capacity of 7,860..."

https://gomason.com/facilities/?id=5

 

[GMUgemini]

Why dont they remove the Tarps for sure sellout games like vcu?

We had 6,100 fans for vcu last season... I'm sure if the demand was truly there, they might remove the tarps, but I don't think we've sold a game out in quite a few years (last one I can find is UVA in 2012).