[winflop]

I look at basketball (where fans left in droves and all those empty seats still require large donations) and wonder about the longer term. 

Watch for the hand wringing if football ever experiences a downturn.  "How did our fanbase shrink during a period of such unprecedented success?  Can't be the high prices that discourage families, we just need to win more...."

Sorry lefty but when this happened in conjunction with the refurbishing of Maples I did not see a measurable decline in attendance and at that time I was a loyal season ticket holder.  And it was before Dawkins became HC.

The decline began about 6 years later when Dawkins' teams started showing mediocrity year after year with a brand of basketball that was not energizing or exciting.

And the sad reality is that the conference and the member schools no longer prioritize fan attendance.  They are making their money off TV.

[winflop]

I look at basketball (where fans left in droves and all those empty seats still require large donations) and wonder about the longer term. 

Watch for the hand wringing if football ever experiences a downturn.  "How did our fanbase shrink during a period of such unprecedented success?  Can't be the high prices that discourage families, we just need to win more...."

Sorry lefty but when this happened in conjunction with the refurbishing of Maples I did not see a measurable decline in attendance and at that time I was a loyal season ticket holder.  And it was before Dawkins became HC.

The decline began about 6 years later when Dawkins' teams started showing mediocrity year after year with a brand of basketball that was not energizing or exciting.

And the sad reality is that the conference and the member schools no longer prioritize fan attendance.  They are making their money off TV.