Low attendance at sporting events can be disheartening. There has been a downward trend seen for many sports here on campus. Students at CMU appear to be less concerned about supporting athletics.
Academics are what most students come to college for. However, a common recruitment tactic for athletics is a tour of the stadium the prospective athlete would play in and an invitation to a game in order to feel the atmosphere.
When that atmosphere is a few hundred fans in a stadium that is built to house over a thousand, that could send a message that CMU is not a place with big fan atmosphere. The school’s high standings speak for themselves in many ways and that is likely what draws new athletes in.
Low sports attendance could be attributed to a more introverted student population. A student who enjoys movies and staying in whenever possible isn’t just going to magically start attending sporting events for the fun of it.
According to the National Library of Medicine, social introversion rates have risen an estimated 89% since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic which could contribute to low attendance. Introverted COVID teenagers are currently the biggest population of college students.
Less popular sports feel this most. Women’s lacrosse averaged 177.5 fans last year. They finished 11-6 and made it to the RMAC Championship. Sports such as wrestling, men’s tennis and swim and dive do not have attendance numbers listed.
Women’s basketball is 25-1, ranked fourth in national polls for DII, and is in the midst of a 22-game win streak. Average attendance for the women’s games so far has been about 300 less than the men’s average of 984. Many fans arrive early for the men’s games to cheer for the women’s team towards the end of the game.
“As a coach, I don’t notice what happens in the crowd as the game is going on, but we can definitely feel the energy as a team when the gym fills up,” women’s basketball Head Coach Taylor Wagner said.
Basketball is the most visible demonstration of low fan attendance; however, it can be seen in other sports. The football team plays in Stocker Stadium, which has a listed capacity of about 8,000. Yet the average attendance was 3,640 during the fall semester.
Last season, the baseball finished 42-14 leading the RMAC. They averaged about 500 fans of a 1500 person capacity.
There are many athletic events every week on campus, and they are all free for students. Attendance from supporters is important for school culture and sports performance.
“We love the support and passion of our student body. Students bring a different type of energy and can really help impact games,” Coach Wagner said, “We have a few more games this year at home and would love for everyone to show out and support us.”
