No Power Five conference has "experienced a more dramatic decrease" in football attendance than the Pac-12 between '13-18, according to Jon Wilner of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. Average attendance in the Pac-12 dropped by 13.3% over that period, which is "more than twice the decline" of any other Power Five conference. From '11-18, the Pac-12 average attendance fell from 52,249 to 46,442. From '17-18, the drop was 6.3%, "approximately half the overall decline." This is due in part because in '17, the Pac-12 "produced the worst bowl record in major college history," with just one victory in eight games. The conference "followed that with a forgettable regular season in the fall of '18." The "overall product wasn't up to standards, the headlines were bad" and a "malaise seemed to engulf the conference." The quest to "engage fans, especially young fans, is unfolding across college sports," not just in the Pac-12. But it is "reasonable to assume that the quality of the product matters -- that a winning team will fill more seats than a losing team, that a ranked opponent will generate more interest than an unranked opponent" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 11/7).
POWER FIVE AVERAGE FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE |
CONFERENCE |
'13 AVERAGE |
'18 AVERAGE |
TOTAL DECLINE |
PERCENTAGE DECLINE |
ACC |
49,982 |
48,820 |
1,162 |
2.3% |
Big 12 |
58,899 |
56,986 |
1,913 |
3.2% |
Big Ten |
70,431 |
65,376 |
5,055 |
7.1% |
Pac-12 |
53,619 |
46,442 |
7,177 |
13.3% |
SEC |
75,674 |
73,994 |
1,680 |
2.2% |
