Time for the AD to get a bigger stadium with more seats.
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Student attendance for games has been embarrassing for years. You have what 7 or so home games a season and they can't make it there? Pathetic. If I had any faith that the tickets would be purchased by alumni or the general public I'd be all for shrinking the student section but that's unlikely to happen.The upper decks were sparse, and the student section never filled in on the west stands. It's one thing to blame STEP, but where were the students?
You whiny puss a**. Can't even enjoy a great win. You have to be a miserable SOB. What a life.Time for the AD to get a bigger stadium with more seats.
Yea I knew someone would post this....the empty seats thread after every home game. Yes the stadium was relatively empty compared to the good old days. It is what it is per everyone's reasoning that gets discussed here weekly. I was at the game and thoroughly enjoyed the performance as well as the leg room.Time for the AD to get a bigger stadium with more seats.
We had a great time at the game yesterday. Weather turned out much better than expected. I was overdressed when the sun was out. Might have to write in to WTAJ to complain about the forecast I followed. Other than that, no complaints here. Great to see the reserves get so much action.Yea I knew someone would post this....the empty seats thread after every home game. Yes the stadium was relatively empty compared to the good old days. It is what it is per everyone's reasoning that gets discussed here weekly. I was at the game and thoroughly enjoyed the performance as well as the leg room.
Looked like there were lots of empty hotel rooms - at least you could reserve one easily late in the week, which is unusual.Time for the AD to get a bigger stadium with more seats.
This is such BS. Fill the other sections as they do the students, fill every seat bottom up, and all sections would look like the students.Student attendance for games has been embarrassing for years. You have what 7 or so home games a season and they can't make it there? Pathetic. If I had any faith that the tickets would be purchased by alumni or the general public I'd be all for shrinking the student section but that's unlikely to happen.
94 thousand.
Every single person I know who is a season ticket holder and has children was not at the game. Impossible to sell also since most of their friends were in the same boat. This season is an anomaly. Worst schedule and game dates I've ever been a part of. As tough as possible on the fans.
Looked like there were lots of empty hotel rooms - at least you could reserve one easily late in the week, which is unusual.
Time for the AD to get a bigger stadium with more seats.
My apologies for the length:
This is not a post on ripping the students not showing up (or alumni/non-alum fans). I'm trying to figure out why the Beav is only about 75-80 percent full for most games anymore, and only 90-95 percent for the marquee games as well. (And I, too, don't mind the extra room, but I also like being wedged into a raucous crowd determined to impact the game more than the extra room.)
There are several reasons, IMO:
1) Penn State football is not a national power anymore. It may return (I fervently hope), and perhaps crowds will as well.
2) HDTV. It ain't just us seeing empty seats, it's most of CFB, especially those with massive stadiums.
3) Helluva lot more options to CFB -- not just students but alums, too. (Perhaps Halloween games always had poor attendance and I just didn't notice.)
4) Rising costs, plus mismanagement at the administrative level. I personally wonder where all the money has gone. Heck, 10 years ago BTN didn't exist. Now, almost 10 years later revenues are rolling in. Since it wasn't budgeted 10 years ago, WHERE, EXACTLY did it go.
5) IT, and the subsequent efforts to destroy the program. Whether or not they were intended by PSU "leaders" is an argument for a different post. What cannot be argued is that the attendance declines are a disturbing trend for those of us who want the Big Beav filled (pardon the pun -- always make me laugh). It can be pointed out that the attendance problems started prior to IT, perhaps tied to STEP, and have only accelerated since.
Well, we've been told that STEP raised revenues, so it stands to figure that is exactly what PSU wanted. Of course, the unintended consequence was that at least 15,000-25,000 fewer people are coming to games (including people who are no-shows despite having tickets, since announced attendance never comes close to matching reality).
It would appear that more bleachers would be on the way out. It might start in the NEZ to match up with the SEZ. Or perhaps PSU will recognize the overpricing of the upper sideline areas and recompute the price point it'll take to put fannies in the seats. Of course, since we know PSU could care less about the budget-conscious fan sitting in those seats, it will likely try to improve things for the few high-rollers as opposed to the peons.
The dynamic pricing model for single game sales doesn't appear to be working, with swathes of WCU-WGU/ECU-EGU uninhabited above row 50-60.
I heard one of the "suggestions" at the student town hall was a restaurant. WTF? Most people are in their seats for 3.5 hours. We're famous across CFB for our tailgating prowess. Who is going hungry at these games? And why should we build a restaurant on top of the existing food options. Improving those options, sure that can be done, but a RESTAURANT?
And overselling the student section would be problematic since you never know when they'll show up. I still worry that the student section will be quite empty vs. UM due to T-giving break.
I think I understand why the rest of the stadium is seeing more empty seats. I have heard the problems the students are having about their section and re-selling their unused tickets. What I don't hear are any workable solutions to ensuring the student section is 95-100 percent full for every game. It just ain't getting there. It's about 70-80 percent with them spreading out as the game goes on. The seats under the overhang (last 10-15 rows) are not filling up, probably due to being quite cold in the late-fall shade.
I love when the Beav is rocking (he-he). I'd like for it to return to the rule, rather than the exception.
The company I work for is among the top3 consumer packaged goods juggernauts - some look at us as the best in the world at what we do ... Had a series of conferences at HQ last week where one of my colleagues gave a tremendous 45min recap of how our business/customers/consumers have changed - as we continue to migrate from a boomer-oriented marketplace (us "old-timers") to a landscape driven by Millennials... The change in the past ten years is STUNNING, and like it or not - these stinkin' Milennials are now driving the bus... Suddenly all of the goofy decisions and changes we've made as a company, and all of the new products and innovation (much of which I roll my eyes at) makes sense... And, I was immediately proud of my company and its senior- leadership (whom I have been critical of on many occasions) for identifying these trends,knowing it, owning it and modeling behaviors and the business accordingly. Now it's clear that, as a company, we are poised to kick serious ass all over the world. Then i thought about all of the game-day experience changes the pinheads in the PSU athletic dept made (piped-in music, hokey social-media call-outs, mega video boards, force-fed/non-organic gameday "traditions" etc etc etc) and suddenly it occurred to me that they, too, get it.
When demlion posts about looking around your tailgate and taking a moment to carefully note the people and how they look different now, the changes around you - he's not all loopy on bath salts. The Athletic Dept appears to have done that homework quite some time ago. Among these effects is that Millennials just won't show up for gameday as fans like me and my fellow alums would... Again - acknowledging that i have evolved into a "geddoffamylawn" late-boomer, any chance i thought there was to get rid of the piped in music et al is nil. That said - I'm still stubborn enough to think the answer in attendence woes lies in On-field success, affordability, OOC attractiveness (season ticket holders especially), pain-in-the-assiness of gameday traffic/ticketing/policies/ingress... Alas , the athletic dept has its work cut out for it in a world where us old fogies (i am less than 50) reduce the # of games we are prepared to attend...
Might have to write in to WTAJ to complain about the forecast I followed. Other than that, no complaints here. Great to see the reserves get so much action.
Pricey as usual but usually there are few or none available.At what cost?
My wife and I get a big kick out of him too. We agree that he's a likable goober.Ha. This is a source of a lot of good laughs at the Bell house. Mrs. Bell says Joe has the "Wheel-o-Weather" and gives it a spin before every broadcast. Have you ever seen Joe driving the golf cart at Beaver shuttling ADA patrons up the ramps? He's a hoot. I'm sure he's the nicest guy in the world but we have fun giving him a good natured jab. I know a lot of the on-air talent does a lot of things for charity and so forth at that station. I'm sure he's running the cart to donate his time, but he is funny.
My apologies for the length:
This is not a post on ripping the students not showing up (or alumni/non-alum fans). I'm trying to figure out why the Beav is only about 75-80 percent full for most games anymore, and only 90-95 percent for the marquee games as well. (And I, too, don't mind the extra room, but I also like being wedged into a raucous crowd determined to impact the game more than the extra room.)
There are several reasons, IMO:
1) Penn State football is not a national power anymore. It may return (I fervently hope), and perhaps crowds will as well.
2) HDTV. It ain't just us seeing empty seats, it's most of CFB, especially those with massive stadiums.
3) Helluva lot more options to CFB -- not just students but alums, too. (Perhaps Halloween games always had poor attendance and I just didn't notice.)
4) Rising costs, plus mismanagement at the administrative level. I personally wonder where all the money has gone. Heck, 10 years ago BTN didn't exist. Now, almost 10 years later revenues are rolling in. Since it wasn't budgeted 10 years ago, WHERE, EXACTLY did it go.
5) IT, and the subsequent efforts to destroy the program. Whether or not they were intended by PSU "leaders" is an argument for a different post. What cannot be argued is that the attendance declines are a disturbing trend for those of us who want the Big Beav filled (pardon the pun -- always make me laugh). It can be pointed out that the attendance problems started prior to IT, perhaps tied to STEP, and have only accelerated since.
Well, we've been told that STEP raised revenues, so it stands to figure that is exactly what PSU wanted. Of course, the unintended consequence was that at least 15,000-25,000 fewer people are coming to games (including people who are no-shows despite having tickets, since announced attendance never comes close to matching reality).
It would appear that more bleachers would be on the way out. It might start in the NEZ to match up with the SEZ. Or perhaps PSU will recognize the overpricing of the upper sideline areas and recompute the price point it'll take to put fannies in the seats. Of course, since we know PSU could care less about the budget-conscious fan sitting in those seats, it will likely try to improve things for the few high-rollers as opposed to the peons.
The dynamic pricing model for single game sales doesn't appear to be working, with swathes of WCU-WGU/ECU-EGU uninhabited above row 50-60.
I heard one of the "suggestions" at the student town hall was a restaurant. WTF? Most people are in their seats for 3.5 hours. We're famous across CFB for our tailgating prowess. Who is going hungry at these games? And why should we build a restaurant on top of the existing food options. Improving those options, sure that can be done, but a RESTAURANT?
And overselling the student section would be problematic since you never know when they'll show up. I still worry that the student section will be quite empty vs. UM due to T-giving break.
I think I understand why the rest of the stadium is seeing more empty seats. I have heard the problems the students are having about their section and re-selling their unused tickets. What I don't hear are any workable solutions to ensuring the student section is 95-100 percent full for every game. It just ain't getting there. It's about 70-80 percent with them spreading out as the game goes on. The seats under the overhang (last 10-15 rows) are not filling up, probably due to being quite cold in the late-fall shade.
I love when the Beav is rocking (he-he). I'd like for it to return to the rule, rather than the exception.
Halloween meant a no go for me.Time for the AD to get a bigger stadium with more seats.
He drives the cart so he doesn't have to pay to get in the game.Ha. This is a source of a lot of good laughs at the Bell house. Mrs. Bell says Joe has the "Wheel-o-Weather" and gives it a spin before every broadcast. Have you ever seen Joe driving the golf cart at Beaver shuttling ADA patrons up the ramps? He's a hoot. I'm sure he's the nicest guy in the world but we have fun giving him a good natured jab. I know a lot of the on-air talent does a lot of things for charity and so forth at that station. I'm sure he's running the cart to donate his time, but he is funny.
LOL. Whatever gets you through the night. I'd scam it too if I could. I got paid to be at a game or two over the years myself.He drives the cart so he doesn't have to pay to get in the game.
The company I work for is among the top3 consumer packaged goods juggernauts - some look at us as the best in the world at what we do ... Had a series of conferences at HQ last week where one of my colleagues gave a tremendous 45min recap of how our business/customers/consumers have changed - as we continue to migrate from a boomer-oriented marketplace (us "old-timers") to a landscape driven by Millennials... The change in the past ten years is STUNNING, and like it or not - these stinkin' Milennials are now driving the bus... Suddenly all of the goofy decisions and changes we've made as a company, and all of the new products and innovation (much of which I roll my eyes at) makes sense... And, I was immediately proud of my company and its senior- leadership (whom I have been critical of on many occasions) for identifying these trends,knowing it, owning it and modeling behaviors and the business accordingly. Now it's clear that, as a company, we are poised to kick serious ass all over the world. Then i thought about all of the game-day experience changes the pinheads in the PSU athletic dept made (piped-in music, hokey social-media call-outs, mega video boards, force-fed/non-organic gameday "traditions" etc etc etc) and suddenly it occurred to me that they, too, get it.
When demlion posts about looking around your tailgate and taking a moment to carefully note the people and how they look different now, the changes around you - he's not all loopy on bath salts. The Athletic Dept appears to have done that homework quite some time ago. Among these effects is that Millennials just won't show up for gameday as fans like me and my fellow alums would... Again - acknowledging that i have evolved into a "geddoffamylawn" late-boomer, any chance i thought there was to get rid of the piped in music et al is nil. That said - I'm still stubborn enough to think the answer in attendence woes lies in On-field success, affordability, OOC attractiveness (season ticket holders especially), pain-in-the-assiness of gameday traffic/ticketing/policies/ingress... Alas , the athletic dept has its work cut out for it in a world where us old fogies (i am less than 50) reduce the # of games we are prepared to attend...
Biggest pockets I saw were student section at kickoff - par for the course for a noon game and lackluster opponent but probably got to about 80% capacity by 2nd quarter - and the returned seats that Illinois couldn't sell in the North end zone (which is more a reflection of the opponent not traveling for 2 unranked teams).
The club seats in South upper deck have been a problem since before sanctions.
I really don't know how the NLC goes about getting those seats filled but winning on the field will not hurt. You're still talking about thousands of dollars/ year so the product needs to get back to justifying the investment. So far this year there's good reason to be optimistic.
For perspective, even with conservative underestimating the attendance yesterday there will only be one stadium in the country (Kyle Field) that has more fans this weekend watching pro or college football than PSU.
Stop singing sissy songs like Sweet Caroline and people will come.
Exactly right, MM2.
In a former job/career, I had the chance to become familiar with media/marketing research and related campaigns. And, you hit the nail on the head: There's a generational shift occurring that is unique in American history.
Because of the microchip and the internet, those replacing the boomer/late boomer generation interact with their world unlike anything we've ever seen before. As their spending power rises and that of the boomer generation falls, I suspect there'll be a whole lot more "crotchety old men" around.
This shift is evidenced in every facet of life. From what many of your generation view as "hokey" promotions, to your company's efforts, to the transition of this message board and hundreds of other websites to mobile-friendly.....it's changing and won't go back.
The PSU athletic department's issues with attendance has its roots in STEP, its coming of age in the Sandusky Scandal, and its continuance with weak home scheduling. As such, revenues will need to be generated by other means because there won't be butts in the seats. Millennials don't view things like attending a football game the same way their parents did, and when they attend, they're perfectly happy being casual fans snapping Instagram photos/watching the game through a 5-inch screen.
Increasingly at Penn State, you'll see 100k-105k at one, maybe two, games per season. The rest of the games will see real figures in the 75k-90k range.