College football's attendance had "dropped six-straight years before the pandemic, and the past 18 months have changed the landscape" as venues return to full capacity for the '21 season, according to Hayes Gardner of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. Based upon other sporting events which "have been played at 100% capacity this summer, like baseball, as well as season ticket sales," it is "likely that college football ... may see a dip in its 2021 attendance -- but not by much." Some fans may "feel unsafe attending a mass gathering," and some may have "found comfort and convenience on their couch in the past year." As of Aug. 26, the Univ. of Louisville had sold 35,028 season tickets, a 13% decrease from its final number in '19 (40,242) and a "similar difference" from '18 (39,903). The Univ. of Kentucky had sold 32,200 season tickets, a 4% decrease from '19 (33,450), which UK is "very pleased with given the past year and a half." While season tickets make up "a bulk of college football attendance and are a strong predictor of crowd size," it is "difficult to predict how individual ticket sales throughout the season may go." College football attendance had been "decreasing for the past decade" prior to the pandemic. In '19, the SEC saw its "lowest attendance (with a still-sizable 72,723) since 2000," and the ACC (48,243) saw its "smallest crowds since 1999" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 8/30).
