Post by Commissioner on Apr 6, 2015 19:18:32 GMT -5
Here are the Horizon average home attendance numbers for 2014-15, with national rank (out of 351) and percentage increase or decrease:
1. Wright State 4510 (114) +9.5%
2. Green Bay 3581 (134) -10.0%
3. Milwaukee 3134 (150) +10.1%
4. Valparaiso 3066 (152) +8.2%
5. UIC 2913 (156) -3.2%%
6. Detroit 2539 (176) +2.7%
7. Oakland 2273 (184) - 1.0
8. Youngstown State 2039 (199) -12.3%-5.1%
9. Cleveland State 1996 (204) -10.7%
Overall, the Horizon averaged 2858 per home game this year, down from 2900 last year, a drop of 1.4%. Given that college attendance has been dropping for several years now, that's not too bad, relative to most conferences. Moreover, the decline in overall attendance, which includes conference tournament games, is entirely due to about 6300 fewer people showing up for the conference semi-finals and finals, which is basically due to the small size of Valparaiso's ARC vs. the Resch Center in Green Bay and the Nutter Center in Dayton, where last year's semis and finals were played. Last year Horizon attendance was up 6.2%, so it is still about 2.7% higher than two years ago, the first season without Butler.
Here are attendance numbers for conference regular season games only (not including Horizon League Tournament games) and percentage change:
1. Wright State 4718 (+7.8%)
2. Green Bay 3964 (+4.0%)
3. Valparaiso 3286 (-1.3%)
4. Milwaukee 3030 (-6.4%)
5. UIC 2903 (+10.8%)
6. Oakland 2756 (+0.6%)
7. Detroit 2711 (-3.4%)
8. Cleveland State 2590 (+3.0%)
9. Youngstown State 2428 (-21.0%)
Note that a lot of these changes have clear attributions. For example, Milwaukee's overall average is down by a fair amount but for their home game against Wisconsin. Green Bay's overall attendance is virtually the same if you take out last year's home game against Wisconsin, and it is actually considerably better if you also take out last year's home game against Virginia and it's Horizon Tournament semi-final. Detroit's overall average attendance would be down about 1.5% if Wichita State were removed from the Titans' home schedule. So big games do matter and account for a fair amount of movement. An exception is YSU, where the non-conference draw was about the same but the bottom fell out of conference attendance.
Here are the 25 best attended games, with conference games marked with an asterisk:
1. Wisconsin @ Milwaukee, 10,120
*2. Valparaiso @ Wright State, 7664
*3. Oakland @ Detroit, 6522
*4. Oakland @ Green Bay, 6019
*5. Valparaiso @ UIC, 5731
6. Western Illinois @ UIC, 5575
7. Loyola @ UIC, 5449
8. Belmont @ Wright State, 5437
*9. Wright State @ Valparaiso, 5050
*10. Youngstown State @ Wright State 5005
*11. Green Bay @ Valparaiso, 4920
*12. Valparaiso @ Green Bay, 4916
*13. Cleveland State @ Wright State, 4891
*14. Detroit @ Wright State, 4755
*15. Green Bay @ Valparaiso, 4713 (Horizon League Tournament final)
*16. Milwaukee @ Green Bay, 4693
17. George Mason @ Wright State 4685
*18. Cleveland State @ Green Bay 4674
*19. MIlwaukee @ Youngstown State, 4382
20. Georgia State @ Green Bay 4267
*20. Oakland @ Valparaiso, 4267
22. New Mexico @ Valparaiso, 4227
*23. UIC @ Wright State, 4216
*24. Cleveland State @ Valparaiso, 4155
*25. Valparaiso @ Cleveland State, 4133
And here are the 25 worst attended home games, conference games with an asterisk, non-DI games in italics:
*1. Cleveland State @ UIC, 717
2. Goshen @ Valparaiso, 1014
3. Trinity International @ Valparaiso, 1044
4. Thiel @ Youngstown State, 1122
5. Jacksonville State @ Cleveland State, 1153
6. Eastern Illinois @ Cleveland State, 1169
7. Mount Vernon Nazarene @ Cleveland State, 1171
8. UMKC @ Youngstown State, 1177
9. Western Illinois @ Cleveland State 1187
*10. Wright State @ Youngstown State, 1215
11. Kennesaw State @ Youngstown State, 1229
12. Rochester @ Oakland, 1272
13. San Francisco @ Cleveland State, 1289
14. Oberlin @ Youngstown State, 1353
15. Chicago State @ Oakland 1377
16. Northern Kentucky @ Youngstown State, 1396
17. Toledo @ Oakland, 1482
18. Aquinas @ Detroit, 1497
*19. Oakland @ Youngstown State, 1512
20. Georgia State @ Oakland, 1527
21. Tiffin @ Cleveland State, 1529
*22. Oakland @ Cleveland State, 1593
23. Tennessee-Martin @ UIC, 1599
*24. Wright State @ UIC, 1611 (Horizon Tournament)
25. Western Carolina @ Oakland, 1631
You can see how the non-DI games drag down average attendance.
1. Wright State 4510 (114) +9.5%
2. Green Bay 3581 (134) -10.0%
3. Milwaukee 3134 (150) +10.1%
4. Valparaiso 3066 (152) +8.2%
5. UIC 2913 (156) -3.2%%
6. Detroit 2539 (176) +2.7%
7. Oakland 2273 (184) - 1.0
8. Youngstown State 2039 (199) -12.3%-5.1%
9. Cleveland State 1996 (204) -10.7%
Overall, the Horizon averaged 2858 per home game this year, down from 2900 last year, a drop of 1.4%. Given that college attendance has been dropping for several years now, that's not too bad, relative to most conferences. Moreover, the decline in overall attendance, which includes conference tournament games, is entirely due to about 6300 fewer people showing up for the conference semi-finals and finals, which is basically due to the small size of Valparaiso's ARC vs. the Resch Center in Green Bay and the Nutter Center in Dayton, where last year's semis and finals were played. Last year Horizon attendance was up 6.2%, so it is still about 2.7% higher than two years ago, the first season without Butler.
Here are attendance numbers for conference regular season games only (not including Horizon League Tournament games) and percentage change:
1. Wright State 4718 (+7.8%)
2. Green Bay 3964 (+4.0%)
3. Valparaiso 3286 (-1.3%)
4. Milwaukee 3030 (-6.4%)
5. UIC 2903 (+10.8%)
6. Oakland 2756 (+0.6%)
7. Detroit 2711 (-3.4%)
8. Cleveland State 2590 (+3.0%)
9. Youngstown State 2428 (-21.0%)
Note that a lot of these changes have clear attributions. For example, Milwaukee's overall average is down by a fair amount but for their home game against Wisconsin. Green Bay's overall attendance is virtually the same if you take out last year's home game against Wisconsin, and it is actually considerably better if you also take out last year's home game against Virginia and it's Horizon Tournament semi-final. Detroit's overall average attendance would be down about 1.5% if Wichita State were removed from the Titans' home schedule. So big games do matter and account for a fair amount of movement. An exception is YSU, where the non-conference draw was about the same but the bottom fell out of conference attendance.
Here are the 25 best attended games, with conference games marked with an asterisk:
1. Wisconsin @ Milwaukee, 10,120
*2. Valparaiso @ Wright State, 7664
*3. Oakland @ Detroit, 6522
*4. Oakland @ Green Bay, 6019
*5. Valparaiso @ UIC, 5731
6. Western Illinois @ UIC, 5575
7. Loyola @ UIC, 5449
8. Belmont @ Wright State, 5437
*9. Wright State @ Valparaiso, 5050
*10. Youngstown State @ Wright State 5005
*11. Green Bay @ Valparaiso, 4920
*12. Valparaiso @ Green Bay, 4916
*13. Cleveland State @ Wright State, 4891
*14. Detroit @ Wright State, 4755
*15. Green Bay @ Valparaiso, 4713 (Horizon League Tournament final)
*16. Milwaukee @ Green Bay, 4693
17. George Mason @ Wright State 4685
*18. Cleveland State @ Green Bay 4674
*19. MIlwaukee @ Youngstown State, 4382
20. Georgia State @ Green Bay 4267
*20. Oakland @ Valparaiso, 4267
22. New Mexico @ Valparaiso, 4227
*23. UIC @ Wright State, 4216
*24. Cleveland State @ Valparaiso, 4155
*25. Valparaiso @ Cleveland State, 4133
And here are the 25 worst attended home games, conference games with an asterisk, non-DI games in italics:
*1. Cleveland State @ UIC, 717
2. Goshen @ Valparaiso, 1014
3. Trinity International @ Valparaiso, 1044
4. Thiel @ Youngstown State, 1122
5. Jacksonville State @ Cleveland State, 1153
6. Eastern Illinois @ Cleveland State, 1169
7. Mount Vernon Nazarene @ Cleveland State, 1171
8. UMKC @ Youngstown State, 1177
9. Western Illinois @ Cleveland State 1187
*10. Wright State @ Youngstown State, 1215
11. Kennesaw State @ Youngstown State, 1229
12. Rochester @ Oakland, 1272
13. San Francisco @ Cleveland State, 1289
14. Oberlin @ Youngstown State, 1353
15. Chicago State @ Oakland 1377
16. Northern Kentucky @ Youngstown State, 1396
17. Toledo @ Oakland, 1482
18. Aquinas @ Detroit, 1497
*19. Oakland @ Youngstown State, 1512
20. Georgia State @ Oakland, 1527
21. Tiffin @ Cleveland State, 1529
*22. Oakland @ Cleveland State, 1593
23. Tennessee-Martin @ UIC, 1599
*24. Wright State @ UIC, 1611 (Horizon Tournament)
25. Western Carolina @ Oakland, 1631
You can see how the non-DI games drag down average attendance.