Dwindling attendance at high school playoff events

[MTM]

An interesting read in the LA Times about how ticket sales to high school playoff events are on a decline in California, leading to a decline in revenue.

The article cites that "most of the high-profile schools play so many attractive nonleague games that the CIF championship games don’t have the same sizzle," traffic, parking and "the fact that many successful teams are made up of non-community members (which) doesn’t help inspire loyalty."

It doesn't mention that the games can be far away from campus and students who get into home games for free during the regular season must pay to attend the playoffs. It also didn't address the fact that teens today don 't seem as sports obsessed as previous generations.

Sections across California look for ways to increase revenue as playoff ticket sales decline

 

[poindexter]

Does winning a Division 9 state title really mean anything?

 

[Starman]

Top-level "high school" basketball and football in any state is nothing even remotely resembling actual high school sports --it's U20 semipro club sports.

 

[Starman]

For that matter, regular season attendance at HS sports events is dramatically down from previous decades.

I think it's still doing all right in rural, "Hickory High" communities, but in suburbs and metro areas, the bottom has dropped out.

 

[playthrough]

For that matter, regular season attendance at HS sports events is dramatically down from previous decades.

I think it's still doing all right in rural, "Hickory High" communities, but in suburbs and metro areas, the bottom has dropped out.

But a lot of those "Hickory High" communities have been consolidated, which strips away identities and ultimately takes away as much attendance from older folks as it does the younger.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Does winning a Division 9 state title really mean anything?

When your state has as many people as California, yes.

 

[TigerVols]

Are there any events anywhere for anything that aren't facing dwindling attendance?

 

[Regan MacNeil]

Are there any events anywhere for anything that aren't facing dwindling attendance?

I'm sure Megachurch attendance is as high as it's ever been.

 

[dirtybird]

Does winning a Division 9 state title really mean anything?

I mean, I used to live in a place where winning a conference title earned you nothing but a conference title. People still liked winning them. They also liked winning country tournaments.

Things mean exactly what you want them to mean. ****, Ca didn’t have state titles at all until what, 20 years ago?

 

[Alma]

I'm sure Megachurch attendance is as high as it's ever been.

No sir. Millennials are turning off the Jesus.

 

[Regan MacNeil]

No sir. Millennials are turning off the Jesus.

Good. Spirituality is awesome and powerful. Organized religion has been bringing out the worst in humanity for a millennium.

 

[Alma]

Good. Spirituality is awesome and powerful. Organized religion has been bringing out the worst in humanity for a millennium.

Spirituality is nonsense. It means nothing. It’s another word for belief relativism.

As it relates to Christianity, it’s supposed to be a church. Organized. A body of believers. Of this there is little doubt. However badly humans screw it up, faith is still not be to pursued alone. At least in Christianity.

 

[Regan MacNeil]

However badly humans screw it up

But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

 

[HanSenSE]

I know a lot of sections like to add to the big-time feel of the finals by playing the finals at a pro or major college arena, but that comes at a cost, generally, higher ticket prices. And parking ... good grief, a few years back the Southern Section played its major division finals at Honda Arena and the parking fees were darn close to what they'd charge for a Ducks game.

 

[MileHigh]

I think they've gotten away from Honda Center for the basketball finals and are all over the place now, notably Long Beach State. They've also moved out of the Big A for football finals for the friendly confines of Cerritos College.

But there's become a bigger emphasis on state tournaments instead of section. It used to be there was only state events for track, cross country and basketball. Now there's 13 divisions for state championships. And seasons are starting earlier. Used to be spring sports would start about March 1. They start next week for the Southern Section, which should have been broken up more than 30 years ago, but that's another discussion.

 

[HanSenSE]

I think they've gotten away from Honda Center for the basketball finals and are all over the place now, notably Long Beach State. They've also moved out of the Big A for football finals for the friendly confines of Cerritos College.

But there's become a bigger emphasis on state tournaments instead of section. It used to be there was only state events for track, cross country and basketball. Now there's 13 divisions for state championships. And seasons are starting earlier. Used to be spring sports would start about March 1. They start next week for the Southern Section, which should have been broken up more than 30 years ago, but that's another discussion.

About half the state football finals, in the lower divisions, are played on campus fields, the others in a common site (Cerritos last year after a few years at Sac State and, before that, StubHub). State hoop finals have been at Golden One Center and in the past have been at ARCO/Sleep Train and what's now Oracle.

Central Coast Section football and basketball finals are spread all over (the CCS is really into neutral venues), while in basketball, the Central plays at Selland Arena, which is about the right size for the event, and the Sac-Joaquin has been at UOP the last few years.

But, yeah, those early starts. Three weeks of football before Labor Day, when it's in triple digits in many areas.

 

[MTM]

I think they've gotten away from Honda Center for the basketball finals and are all over the place now, notably Long Beach State. They've also moved out of the Big A for football finals for the friendly confines of Cerritos College.

But there's become a bigger emphasis on state tournaments instead of section. It used to be there was only state events for track, cross country and basketball. Now there's 13 divisions for state championships. And seasons are starting earlier. Used to be spring sports would start about March 1. They start next week for the Southern Section, which should have been broken up more than 30 years ago, but that's another discussion.

One reason for the early start is the early end to the school year. Many districts end before June and playoffs were ending after classes were over.

 

[Cosmo]

I think most states are misjudging (outside of Texas) how popular these events are. When I lived in AZ, they'd play state title games at Sun Devil Stadium and wonder why there weren't more than 5,000 people there in a 70,000-seat stadium. I mean, no one outside of the schools cares about your state title matchup? These aren't draws for the random schmoe in Phoenix. Why do state associations try to coach it this way? Is it so cool, if you're a kid, to rush out of the tunnel at random State U. in front of no one?

 

[MileHigh]

One reason for the early start is the early end to the school year. Many districts end before June and playoffs were ending after classes were over.

Well, it's more about ending the semester before Christmas break. And many districts are now going a full week off at Thanksgiving and three weeks at Christmas. And school ending closer to Memorial Day instead of mid-June back in the day.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

I can’t speak for California, but in Texas they’re still building 18,000-seat high school stadiums and the state football finals keep setting attendance records every year. A high school game in Arkansas drew 32K last year.