Hoop Attendance

[Dane Pound]

The NCAA released the attendance figures for 2004. We were at 1193 a game, up marginally from the year before at 1168. I really don' t think those numbers are terrible considering the year we had. Here they are from the last few years:

2004-1193 a game

2003-1168 a game

2002-1649

2001-1148

2000-1290

[reeder]

Why was attendance so high in 2002?

 

With the talent this year, I expect 1.500 / game and over 4k at the BPG.

[Dane Pound]

In 2002 we hosted Syracuse at the Pepsi. I don't remember what that drew but it was pretty high. I would imagine if you took that game out of the equation if would pretty similar to the other years.

We had a 5-16 record going into the BPG two years ago against Maine. That game drew just over 3900. Depending on the opponent, if we're .500 or so I'd like to think we could sell out the RACC. Probably not realistic unless the game is against Stony Brook.

[olddog71]

If I remember correctly, the attendance at the Pepsi Arena, as reported by the

Times Union, was around 9,000.

 

Unfortunately, there were so many Syracuse fans there that I felt it was more like one of their home games.

[DaneFan2k3]

Attendance was 8,200 for the Syracuse game. The old schedules and boxscores going back to 1999-2000 are on the UA website.

 

We had 12 home games in 2001-02, multiplied by 1649 is a total attendance of 19,788. So if you took out the 8,200 fans for that game, the rest of the season for 2001-02 saw 11,588 over 11 home dates, or an average of only 1,053.

 

People will call my a hater again, but it's pretty sad that we wouldn't have cracked the Top 30 in Division II and would have barely cracked the Top 30 in Division III.

 

America East as a whole is pretty low at 28th out of 31 conferences. Although attendance did increase an average of 291 fans leaguewide.

[olddog71]

Dane2K3,

 

Thanks for the actual figures for the Syracuse game from an old UAlbany program.

 

I won't be a Dane2k3 hater. I think your comments are right on the mark.

 

Our attendance has not been that great. As close as many students are to the game sites, few of them attend. I think in order for attendance to improve, the school will have to make a new tradition of support for UAlbany basketball.

 

That improvement will come only after the team has been successful in terms of W's and L's. One season may not be enough to turn attendance around. We will probably have to experience back-to-back seasons for the turnaround to occur.

 

The most successful season that I remember regarding high attendance had to be back in the Division III years. It must have been somewhere between 1972 and 1974 where the campus hit its stride. When the team was on a 25-game home winning streak, the gym -- obviously in the old building -- sold out several games in a row when we stunned Brockport to win our 24th in a row and beat Potsdam with Mike Deane for the 25th and tried to beat Buffalo (the only DI team on our schedule). The old gym literally rocked with fan support.

 

Hopefully, we can sell out the new gym for the BPG this year and start the tradition then.

[UAalum72]

The most successful season that I remember regarding high attendance had to be back in the Division III years. It must have been somewhere between 1972 and 1974 where the campus hit its stride. When the team was on a 25-game home winning streak, the gym -- obviously in the old building -- sold out several games in a row when we stunned Brockport to win our 24th in a row and beat Potsdam with Mike Deane for the 25th and tried to beat Buffalo (the only DI team on our schedule). The old gym literally rocked with fan support.

Yes, I remember that those games were followed by a $iena game, so we drew about 12,000 for four games in a two-week period. But in the following years came cable TV, easier transport home on weekends (I think more students have cars now) and attendance went in the crapper and hasn't recovered since, except for brief periods for NCAA runs.