2008 SEC Discussion

[mross34]

Anyone have more recent statistics?

Yeah... I attached a PDF with 2007 attendance figures.

Then I made a small spreadsheet. On tab 1 is the top 92 teams. Tab 2 is probably more helpful. It is just Big 10 and SEC teams. It has their avg. capacity for the year, their avg. attendance for the year, their NCAA avg. capacity rank, and their NCAA avg. attendance rank.

If you were looking for anything else, let me know.

 

[FWBuckeye]

Attendance figures would argue otherwise. MSU consistently brings over 95% capacity, even in down years.

Iowa had a capacity crowd every game last year even though they sucked.

Just by glancing at the figures, it looks like Iowa and MSU both consistently draw better than several of the SEC schools do... Arkansas namely and Auburn and South Carolina potentially too. Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt are entrenched firmly below Purdue as well.

The SEC's average capacity is 96.27%. The Big Ten's is 89.53%. Their lowest Mississippi at 82.05%. The Big Ten has 4 schools below that, including Illinois, the team that represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl last year. SEC's average attendance last year was 75,706. The Big Ten's was 69,643. The SEC has led the nation in attendance for nine straight years. On the whole, the SEC is unquestionably more supportive of it's football programs than the Big Ten. It's no contest.

 

[mross34]

The SEC's average capacity is 96.27%. The Big Ten's is 89.53%. Their lowest Mississippi at 82.05%. The Big Ten has 4 schools below that, including Illinois, the team that represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl last year. SEC's average attendance last year was 75,706. The Big Ten's was 69,643. The SEC has led the nation in attendance for nine straight years. On the whole, the SEC is unquestionably more supportive of it's football programs than the Big Ten. It's no contest.

Yeah, my only point was there were a couple extra teams that weren't mentioned that could surprisingly hang with some middle of the pack SEC teams.

 

[BUCKYLE]

The SEC's average capacity is 96.27%. The Big Ten's is 89.53%. Their lowest Mississippi at 82.05%. The Big Ten has 4 schools below that, including Illinois, the team that represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl last year. SEC's average attendance last year was 75,706. The Big Ten's was 69,643. The SEC has led the nation in attendance for nine straight years. On the whole, the SEC is unquestionably more supportive of it's football programs than the Big Ten. It's no contest.

I'm sure weather plays no role in that.

 

[FWBuckeye]

I'm sure weather plays no role in that.

It can work the other way too. I went to an Oklahoma game in late September and a lot of people left at half time because they said it was too hot.

 

[Gatorubet]

I'm sure weather plays no role in that.

This invention lets you go to where they don't have blizzards.

 

[BUCKYLE]

It can work the other way too. I went to Oklahoma game in late September and a lot of people left at half time because they said it was too hot.

The majority of college football games in the SEC are usually played on cool days in the south. Perfect day for sitting in a stadium watching football.

The OU fans still counted towards attendance when they showed up. Doesn't matter when they left.

 

[FWBuckeye]

The majority of college football games in the SEC are usually played on cool days in the south. Perfect day for sitting in a stadium watching football.

The OU fans still counted towards attendance when they showed up. Doesn't matter when they left.

I don't really feel like doing the work to look at individual games, but I somehow doubt that Indiana, Illinois, and Northwestern draw dramatically better earlier in the season when the weather is warmer.

 

[BUCKYLE]

I don't really feel like doing the work to look at individual games, but I somehow doubt that Indiana, Illinois, and Northwestern draw dramatically better earlier in the season when the weather is warmer.

That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying the casual fan is more likely to go to a game when it's 70 degrees than 16 degrees with 25 mph winds coming off (insert Great Lake here). You don't think NW's attendance would be improved if all games were played on nice days?

 

[FWBuckeye]

That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying the casual fan is more likely to go to a game when it's 70 degrees than 16 degrees with 25 mph winds coming off (insert Great Lake here). You don't think NW's attendance would be improved if all games were played on nice days?

No, I honestly don't think there would be a dramatic difference because their fan base just doesn't care that much.

 

[FWBuckeye]

I'll use TCU as an example here. Great weather here in Fort Worth and they have produced very good football teams here throughout the decade. Their stadium holds 44,000, but they only average around 30,000-35,000. They even have a difficult time selling out when someone like Texas Tech comes to play them at home. Reason being, their fans don't care that much. Same way a lot of Big Ten schools fans don't care. Weather has little to do with it imo.

 

[BUCKYLE]

No, I honestly don't think there would be a dramatic difference because their fan base just doesn't care that much.

Agree to disagree then. I know people when I lived in GA that would see what the temp was gonna be saturday before deciding if they wanted to go to the game. Granted, it was two people, but they can't be the ONLY ones.

 

[jwinslow]

It would be interesting to see how the time of game affects the interest, atmosphere, etc.

With their warm weather (both encouraging them in september and allowing them in nov), night games seem to be a fixture of SEC football (at least that is the perception). There is an amazing statistic for LSU showing their incredible record at night, and enormous dropoff in success during daytime kickoffs. If LSU played games at noon and 3:30 like b10 teams, would it be easier to win there? Their first 5 of 6 games (home and away) were played after 7:30 pm. All three daytime kickoffs at home were losses.

Venues like Iowa or Purdue can get jacked up for night games much more than normal. Would that help improve their atmosphere, if they were able and willing to schedule night games?

Night games might buck tradition at some schools like OSU, Michigan but there's no question that the electricity is higher on average at night.

 

[FWBuckeye]

Agree to disagree then. I know people when I lived in GA that would see what the temp was gonna be saturday before deciding if they wanted to go to the game. Granted, it was two people, but they can't be the ONLY ones.

I think this might be because I went to Ohio State during our recent privileged times, but I don't know any of my friends who gave a crap what the weather was when they went to the games. We all went and sat through blowouts rain or shine, warm or freezing. Maybe it was just because we were having a lot of success on the field, but I'm of the opinion that if you are a true die hard fan, you'll go to the games and sit through them from start to finish regardless of the weather. I've sat through Ohio State games in freezing temps (hell I even wore shorts and a t-shirt to the Illinois game last year because I hate wearing jeans) and I've sat through an 18 inning Texas Rangers day game in the middle of June or July (can't remember the month) when it was 100+ degrees outside. Maybe I'm just insane, but I'm of the opinion that if a team really has a great fan base, they'll sit through the games whether their team is good or bad or through rain or shine. Browns fans are some of the most die hard I've ever seen. They watch a bad team through terrible weather. My hats off to them.

 

[Nutriaitch]

There is an amazing statistic for LSU showing their incredible record at night, and enormous dropoff in success during daytime kickoffs.

I'll have to dig that one up again.
But there is absolutely no comparison to the atmosphere for a Night game in Death Valley.
Gator was there last year, and possibly has been to a few day games there as well, so he could possibly give a less biased opinion.