OSU's announced attendance last fall remained among the highest in the nation but fell to 101,947getty images
Season ticket sales for Ohio State football games have "seen the largest drop-off in at least a decade," according to Joey Kaufman of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. OSU sold 50,868 non-student season tickets for this season, a 4.3% "decrease from last season when it sold 53,151." OSU's announced attendance last fall "remained among the highest in the nation but fell to 101,947, its lowest mark" since '00. Season ticket sales have "largely dropped over this decade," with a 7.4% decline since Urban Meyer's first season in '12. For the latest drop, OSU Deputy AD Diana Sabau "pointed to the absence of Michigan on the home schedule as the biggest factor, among other nationwide trends." OSU also "sold partial season tickets for the first time" this season. Sabau said that the school sold "about 6,000 partial season tickets and planned to introduce more options in the future" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 8/30).
NATIONWIDE TREND: Univ. of New Mexico Deputy AD/External Affairs David Williams said that for the second straight year, football season tickets are "down with 6,213 sold as of Wednesday." In Albuquerque, Steve Virgen notes Williams and the school's marketing staff have "intensified efforts" ahead of the football season opener against Sam Houston State on Saturday. They have "made special offers available to sell more season tickets and/or five- and four-game packages" (ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, 8/30).
