In the last several years we have seen much debate on how to fill Arizona Stadium and keep the fans in their seats, and now the Pac-12 has weighed in since advertising dollars are at stake.
Of course, the surest way to fill any stadium is to have a winning program. We all look for the best bang for our buck and the best way to use what little free time we all have in between work and family schedules. So the time and money spent should be worthwhile. However, even some great Arizona football rivalry games in the heart of the season have had less than stellar attendance in recent years. This isn’t just occurring at Arizona Stadium, but also at other venues around the Pac-12.
A few years ago, Arizona Athletics awarded prizes to students in the Zona Zoo who stayed the whole game. The bribe didn’t seem to work, nor was it fair to the fans over 21 who have been dedicated football attendees for decades.
Last year, the USC Trojans came to town on a bright October afternoon and the seats were embarrassingly empty for the national television audience. In addition, the stadium announcer appeared to have misplaced his calculator. Yes, it was hot. Yes, the Wildcats were struggling. Yes, USC should be a huge draw. No, the game didn’t start at 8 PM.
One of the complaints in Tucson is the heat in September. While September temperatures in the 90s are a nice break from 110 degrees, it’s still pretty warm for some fans, especially with the length of the games. (More on that later.) Like most seasons, this upcoming September is full of home games for the Wildcats with three out of four in Tucson.
Due to the heat, the games start after dark–the season opener doesn’t start until 8 PM. Unfortunately, the heavy September home schedule makes it a challenge for some to get to all the games that month.
Arizona Wildcats Football
Many fans and alumni drive from Phoenix to Tucson for the home games, which easily add 5-6 hours to the event. Those living on the north side of Phoenix often don’t get home until 2:30 or 3 AM. While many have Sundays off work, fans still feel pretty groggy on Sunday, a day many uses to get things done around their home and for their families.
Now to the length of the games. It appears many sports are having debates about how to speed the up the games. Major League Baseball is also facing this issue. Besides the addition of challenges to calls, there seem to be more and more commercials and fluff during sports broadcasts.
The Pac-12 has decided to address this situation. Commissioner Larry Scott announced the conference will experiment with shorter half times and fewer TV timeouts for some games. He acknowledged those watching on television are flipping the channels at halftime. Why not? College football starts the season competing with tennis’ US Open and the final weeks of baseball as the MLB works towards the playoffs. And the Pac-12 competes with other great college football games being played across the country.
Fans love having the convenience of watching games on their devices when they are on the go. The Pac-12 Conference, along with ESPN and Fox Sports have apps to watch games around the country live. So why attend the local games in person? There has to be a chance of winning, a comfortable environment, and plenty of #Pac12AfterDark memories. What could compare to staying the entire game three years ago when the Wildcats stormed back in the last five minutes to beat Cal with no time left on the clock?
Next: Chuck Cecil Returns to Arizona Stadium
In a place like Tucson, Arizona Athletics is it. There are no professional teams to compete with for our time and money. That is one reason Nebraska Football is endlessly sold out. So we must come back to the product. While Arizona won the Pac-12 South in 2014, there has been no consistent success since Dick Tomey left the program. And back in those days, sports network apps didn’t exist, so we either watched on television if the games were televised or we attended. With so many options competing for our time, Arizona Football must produce to get fans to the games and in the seats for four quarters. And maybe sell beer. And for sure sell Eegees PLEASE!