How to get butts back in the seats
A companion piece to our Welcome (Back) To Fedvul: Episode 1
So Max and I attempted to have a serious debate with diehard Razorbacks fans around the question “Why Don’t Arkansas Fans Want To Attend Games?”
But it got derailed like a Wells Fargo train when attacked by the Jesse James Gang. If you missed that video, you can watch it here.
Look, Noodles at the concession stand and the Pepsi Challenge could be part of the equations, but Max and I wanted to do a deeper dive on the issue and also present some potential solutions to the problem to the Athletic Department.
Reason 1: It’s too expensive
Kyle -
So the face value of tickets isn’t crazy, but you also have to factor in the Razorback Foundation donation amount to that cost. While that has become increasingly expensive, it’s still doable for most families.
The issue is that the secondary market for tickets for sporting events and concerts post-Covid is insane. Not only are people paying $2k for Taylor Swift tickets, but I’ve sold a few of my $38 basketball tickets this year for over $400/ticket. That’s just stupid.
A family of four can’t afford to go to these games anymore. In addition to the ticket cost, concessions are very expensive too (even Noodles). A buddy of mine is doing Dry January and was shocked last week at the Ole Miss game to learn that water costs $7 (it was his first time to buy water at a game since he normally drinks beer there, which is even more expensive).
I think a solution could be following a model professional sports teams use by taking a few games a year and sell as mini packages or just family friendly nights with cheap concessions and discounted tickets. This might be to a North Carolina A&T game, but if people go and get hooked, they are more likely to pay up for future games in future seasons.
Reason 2: All the games are on TV
Kyle -
This is a weird predicament. Teams are making most of their money on massive TV contracts, but they have killed the fan experience.
So on one hand, I could go to an arena, pay for a ticket, pay for parking, pay for concessions, wait in long lines for the bathrooms, be frustrated with long timeouts and times during games where I don’t know what calls were or who is hurt.
Or I could sit in the comfort of my own home and watch the game in a crystal clear picture with replays and updates, have free snacks and drinks from my own kitchen, pause the TV for bathroom breaks, and flip around and watch other games during timeouts or if our game gets out of hand.
And what is interesting, is that every team having every game on TV has removed the regional nature of college sports. I have several friends that live in Arkansas who’s son’s favorite football team is Colorado. They love Coach Prime and Heisman winner Travis Hunter. They watch every one of their games on TV, the postgame coverage on Youtube, and buy all the team gear on the online store shipped to their house with free two-day delivery.
If Arkansas isn’t careful, this is another thing (like being too expensive) that will cause them to lose the next generation of Hogs fans.
What’s the solution? We can’t stop the ESPN/Amazon/Netflix behemoth from paying programs for content. But we can offer such a different and valuable in-game experience that it’s worth leaving the comfort of your own home to go see.
NFL teams have started having free concerts on the field with decent artists (folks you might see that are later in their career and playing at casinos instead of arenas). This helps fans justify the high ticket price and gets butts in the seats in time for kick/tip.
You could also do more contests and experiences that require you to be present. Or you could offer rewards at the end of the year based on perfect attendance (hey, it motivates elementary school kids and that’s just for a ribbon, what if it was cash or autographed memorabilia?).
Reason 3: We have an aging fanbase
Kyle -
Let’s face it, there are lot’s of Hogs fans (specifically at basketball games) that are pretty long in the tooth. They were established in their careers in their 40s and 50s when Bud Walton arena opened over 30 years ago. These older fans simply don’t get up and down the stairs as well or walk as far from the seemingly ever-sprawling parking areas.
So these fans don’t want to come to an 8 o’clock tipoff (see TV comment that drives this). They also despise the digital tickets. Until a couple of years ago, if they weren’t going to the game, they’d simply slip their tickets into a white envelope and put it in the mailbox of a friend, family member, or maybe hand to their pastor as a gift.
That doesn’t exist anymore. We expect all of our fans to manage a digital presence with the Razorbacks Foundation, to have the Razorbacks GameDay App, and to have a Seat Geek account to be able to sell tickets.
Suggestion? Simplify this for folks. Whether you use an AI assistant or hire some student interns, it seems like it would be pretty easy to communicate with these fans and make sure their tickets are used.
We could offer these fans face value back for their tickets and then resell them and give the proceeds to Arkansas EDGE NIL Collective.
Reason 4: Facilities issues
Kyle -
Look, I know Bud Walton area is known as the Basketball Palace of Mid-America, but it’s getting dated. The concourse is too tight. There aren’t any nicer concessions available. The premium seats don’t have access to private bars or any other exclusive experiences underneath the stands.
Arkansas had been planning a multi-million dollar renovation and even considered building a whole new arena closer to I-49 to serve the greater NWA area as a multi-purpose venue. But in the NIL era, all money must go to the players or the perception is bad for recruiting.
So here we are. We have a venue that needs updates and no way to fix it.
I think we could find a way to fix this with a compromise. It would take a big sponsor and some creative financing, but you could offer some revenue sharing and some joint use of the facility (for concerts and other community events that generate revenue) that might be able to fund the upgrades without alienating the players.
Reason 5: The schedule, kind of
Max-
When we play Duke in basketball in the middle of the week, fans have no problem commuting from every corner of the state. No one is driving up from Lake Village, Crossett, El Dorado, or Texarkana to watch the Hogs throttle Maryland-Eastern Shore. Even midweek games against SEC teams are tough to pack out. This one is a double-edged sword, though, because…
Reason 6: Not winning enough
Max-
Every single one of the five other reasons listed above flies out the window if Arkansas was winning at an elite level. Fans will pay anything and brave any conditions to be apart of something special in person. Right now we need to build a non conference schedule that has some cupcakes, cream puffs, and patsies to get those wins though. Catch 22. Football and basketball have been meeting historical standards in the SEC, but no one would argue they are special right now. When they are, we won’t be having this conversation anymore.
Kyle-
When my uncle was coaching youth sports he used to always remind the kids that it should be all about having fun, but then he’d end practice with “How do we spell ‘fun’? ‘W-I-N’” And he wasn’t wrong. Winning cures all.
Reason 7: Shit, Jacob might have been right. It might just be Noodles…
Well, that’s a wrap. Be sure to drop some comments and join the conversation on this pressing issue.