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Can college baseball be a revenue sport?

Rob KremerRob Kremer1,000+ posts
Here's a very interesting article in a local newspaper that talks about the finances of college baseball, specifically the PAC-10.

It has attendance and expense/revenue figures for most of the PAC-10 teams, and discusses whether and how college baseball can pay its own way.

I was shocked at some of the weak attendance figures. Several PAC-10 teams don't average 1000 fans a game.
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TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
2007 top 5 attendance leaders:
Arkansas 31 dates 250,759 Avg att:8089
LSU 35 dates 256,537 Avg att: 7330
Mississippi State 32 dates 217,438 Avg att: 6795
South Carolina 32 dates 159,545 Avg att: 4986
Mississippi 35 dates 173,523 Avg att: 4958

All SEC teams. What's the average baseball ticket? 8 dollars for general seating? Most programs sell out the good seats to boosters at less than that per season, just to guarantee the gate but never a profit.

We've been to some away games where even in good weather, conference and non conference very little attendance from the home crowd. At few schools, where students make up a large portion of the attendance, school is out while baseball is still being played. Sometimes, school out in May helps attendance.

Other than that, baseball is not well attended by students (unless you have a big reivalry game going on). A lot has to depend on it's alumni and booster base to usually sell seats. College baseball will never be a revenue sport. JMO.
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
quote:
Arkansas 31 dates 250,759 Avg att:8089
LSU 35 dates 256,537 Avg att: 7330
Mississippi State 32 dates 217,438 Avg att: 6795
South Carolina 32 dates 159,545 Avg att: 4986
Mississippi 35 dates 173,523 Avg att: 4958
What is it these teams don't have nearby? A MLB team! Whether people go to MLB games or watch them on TV, when they're nearby they're more connected to it. We live in the next town over from Villanova's field. I'll bet the average baseball fan doesn't know what league Nova plays in unless they are basketball fans. I'll bet they can't name one Nova baseball player. It's free baseball at a nice park and no one goes.
Rob KremerRob Kremer1,000+ posts
Yes I was at the Beavers game yesterday, along with the other 11,000+. It was held in Portland at PGE Park, so it had the advantage of the larger population base. They would never get that many in Corvallis, about an hour and a half down the road.

Papers say that it was a record for a PAC-10 baseball game.

But it was a great atmosphere, on a sunny almost warm day, and a great game!
Last edited by Rob Kremer
P PGStaff10,000+ posts
This is a list of the largest crowds in college history through 2006. If you add the 20,000+ from 2007 the Nebraska vs Creighton rivalry draws more fans than any other.

40,106 - San Diego St. vs. Houston - 3/11/04 - PETCO Park
28,836 - Georgia vs. Georgia Tech - 5/11/04 - Turner Field
27,673 - LSU vs. Tulane - 4/10/02 - Louisiana Superdome
25,175 - Long Beach St. vs. San Diego St. - 3/13/04 - PETCO Park
21,995 - Houston vs. Texas - 2/12/05 - Minute Maid Park
21,724 - LSU vs. Tulane - 4/27/04 - Louisiana Superdome
21,158 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/16/06 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
21,043 - TCU vs. Texas - 5/04/96 - Ameriquest Field
20,737 - Nebraska vs. San Diego St. - 3/14/04 - PETCO Park
20,011 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/10/05 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
19,482 - Nebraska vs. San Diego - 3/12/04 - PETCO Park
19,119 - Georgia vs. Georgia Tech - 5/11/06 - Turner Field
18,758 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/15/02 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
18,348 - Hawaii vs. UNLV - 5/19/79 - Aloha Stadium
18,319 - Tulane vs. LSU - 4/29/03 - Louisiana Superdome
15,649 - Texas vs. TCU - 4/08/97 - Ameriquest Field
15,436 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/10/00 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
15,428 - Texas vs. Houston - 2/09/02 - Minute Maid Park
14,991 - Mississippi St. vs. Flordia - 4/16/88 - Duby Noble Stadium
14,978 - Houston vs. Texas - 2/04/01 - Minute Maid Park
14,378 - Mississippi St. vs. LSU - 4/16/88 - Duby Noble Stadium
14,367 - Texas vs. TCU - 4/24/99 - Ameriquest Field
14.079 - TCU vs. Texas - 4/28/98 - Ameriquest Field
13,862 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/09/01 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
Last edited by PGStaff
BumBum1,000+ posts
PGE's location in downtown Portland makes it a great location for baseball. My son's future team (Wash. St.) is nowhere near a large population base like that. I was at the game yesterday and there were maybe 600 fans (it was sunny and cool).. but 600 enthusiastic fans.

WSU is rebuilding its reputation as a solid baseball school and it looks promising.. they're now 7-1 on the season. The Pac-10 is notoriously nuts over football and basketball but all it takes is one great season to open some eyes!
P powertoallfields1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by PGStaff:
This is a list of the largest crowds in college history through 2006. If you add the 20,000+ from 2007 the Nebraska vs Creighton rivalry draws more fans than any other.

40,106 - San Diego St. vs. Houston - 3/11/04 - PETCO Park
28,836 - Georgia vs. Georgia Tech - 5/11/04 - Turner Field
27,673 - LSU vs. Tulane - 4/10/02 - Louisiana Superdome
25,175 - Long Beach St. vs. San Diego St. - 3/13/04 - PETCO Park
21,995 - Houston vs. Texas - 2/12/05 - Minute Maid Park
21,724 - LSU vs. Tulane - 4/27/04 - Louisiana Superdome
21,158 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/16/06 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
21,043 - TCU vs. Texas - 5/04/96 - Ameriquest Field
20,737 - Nebraska vs. San Diego St. - 3/14/04 - PETCO Park
20,011 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/10/05 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
19,482 - Nebraska vs. San Diego - 3/12/04 - PETCO Park
19,119 - Georgia vs. Georgia Tech - 5/11/06 - Turner Field
18,758 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/15/02 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
18,348 - Hawaii vs. UNLV - 5/19/79 - Aloha Stadium
18,319 - Tulane vs. LSU - 4/29/03 - Louisiana Superdome
15,649 - Texas vs. TCU - 4/08/97 - Ameriquest Field
15,436 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/10/00 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM
15,428 - Texas vs. Houston - 2/09/02 - Minute Maid Park
14,991 - Mississippi St. vs. Flordia - 4/16/88 - Duby Noble Stadium
14,978 - Houston vs. Texas - 2/04/01 - Minute Maid Park
14,378 - Mississippi St. vs. LSU - 4/16/88 - Duby Noble Stadium
14,367 - Texas vs. TCU - 4/24/99 - Ameriquest Field
14.079 - TCU vs. Texas - 4/28/98 - Ameriquest Field
13,862 - NEBRASKA vs. CREIGHTON - 5/09/01 - ROSENBLATT STADIUM




I wonder what was going on at PETCO park that one week in March of 04?

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