So the year is over and was wondering if we have turned the corner on attendance. So I looked. Going back 10 years, including the Covid year, we have had a steady decline from 3086 per game all the way down to 1389 a game last year. So the good news is--We actually improved for the first time in that 10 years, averaging 1440 per game this year. That's 51 per game. Pretty pathetic, but, there is signs of improvement in that the final 4 games of the home season averaged 1756 and for the first time in a while we got over 2000 with 2065 for the Indiana State game.
Fan excitement and in particular, student excitement are on the rise. Keep putting a competitive team on the floor and good things will come.
I think the student buy in is the most significant aspect. Full bleachers on the west end is a major threat to a lot of teams and is more than a lot of valley schools can claim in terms of home environment
I know this is not directly related to attendance (but maybe in can be). If possible, Valpo should accept a birth in one of the minor postseason tourneys - especially if it can get a home game (which, I guess, would probably need to be purchased). This could only offer some further momentum.
A post season is a post season. I think there will be a conversation had this coming week. If Valpo is selected for a tournament. It would tell a whole lot about where current roster loyalties lie if the do or do not accept
I know this is not directly related to attendance (but maybe in can be). If possible, Valpo should accept a birth in one of the minor postseason tourneys - especially if it can get a home game (which, I guess, would probably need to be purchased). This could only offer some further momentum.
Another home game in a postseason tournament would be awesome, but we are in a world where that rarely occurs. Unless you are a top 16 seed in the NIT, which is quite specific, then you will not have a home postseason game. If we do get a CBI invite, then we will be playing in Daytona.
Expectations were much higher in the past. However, we are finally at the point where we can expect a .500 season in a much more competitive conference. We saw a small improvement in the number of people who actually attended the start of Arch Madness this season. Hopefully, we start seeing larger crowds again at the start of next season. Granted no one in this forum knows exactly how the attendance is truly counted. Generally, the more fans that attend games, the more fun the games are. Certainly, the students began to realize that this season, and I hope it continues.
