Louisville men's basketball has averaged 15,816 fans per game this season with a new coaching staffGETTY IMAGES
Attendance at Univ. of Louisville men's basketball games is in "steep decline," two years after Rick Pitino's last team "averaged announced crowds of 20,846 at home," according to Tim Sullivan of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. UL coach Chris Mack's first season has "produced an average of 15,816 through 10 home games." UL AD Vince Tyra has been on a "search for answers," and fans have responded with a variety of ideas, complaints and concerns, many of which "center on pricing." Prices have "risen, in part because of a facility fee imposed" to cover the cost of KFC Yum! Center's lease concessions. Season tickets that cost $880 for a 19-game schedule in '15-16 ($46.31 per game) were "priced at $1,042 for this season's 20-game home schedule ($52.10 per game)." UL Senior Associate AD/SID Kenny Klein said that fan feedback "indicates the attendance issues are largely attributable to temporary conditions like tax reform and scandal fatigue and that culture changes, fan outreach and reviving the basketball program's competitiveness should lead to larger crowds." A Cards Rewards loyalty program "encourages repeat business with prizes and in-game experiences." Fans who have tickets "scanned to at least 15 home games are also eligible for rewards and discounts on future season ticket packages." To eliminate the "need for in-person transactions, a GO CARDS application enables fans to sell, transfer or donate tickets from a cell phone" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 1/16).
