UCLA this year will finish with its lowest average attendance in 54 seasons at Pauley PavilionGETTY IMAGES
UCLA men's basketball this season is "assured of setting a record low for attendance in Pauley Pavilion" despite having a shot at the regular-season Pac-12 title, according to Ben Bolch of the L.A. TIMES. Even with sellouts against Arizona State tonight and Arizona on Saturday, UCLA will "finish with the lowest average attendance during their 54 seasons" in the venue. UCLA has averaged 6,187 spectators in 15 home games, ranking seventh in the Pac-12. UCLA sold out one game, last month against USC. Even if Pauley Pavilion was "jammed up to its national championship banner-lined rafters and it averaged capacity crowds of 13,800 over the final two home games, the Bruins would finish the season with an average of 7,082 spectators per game, below the previous low of 7,711" during the '14-15 season. Tickets for tonight's game were "being sold for less than $30, one of several promotions intended to boost attendance." The first 400 students who show up tonight will "receive a T-shirt and laptop stickers, with a complimentary nacho bar stationed outside the student entrance before the game." On Saturday, the first 1,000 students "will get T-shirts and pizza" (L.A. TIMES, 2/27).
NOT ANY BETTER ACROSS TOWN: L.A. is on the verge of becoming a college basketball wasteland. In addition to UCLA's historic drop at the gate, USC's average crowd this season is 3,787. That actually is up year-over-year for a Trojans team that is 19-9 (Michael Smith, SBJ College).
