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PROVO — BYU football’s recent contest with the UNLV Rebels had an announced attendance of 53,622 — well under the stadium’s capacity. While the number itself was disappointing, it is safe to say that there were not even that many fans in the stands come game time. Here are four reasons, besides mediocre play, attendance at LaVell Edwards Stadium is slipping.
Weather
Make no bones about it, it is cold in Utah in November. For the few fans that stuck it out for the whole game, the below-freezing temperatures made the game unpleasant at best. Things will not get better as the Cougars end their home schedule with a contest against Savannah State. Which brings me to my next reason attendance has dipped and may continue to dip this season.
Lackluster opponents
Perhaps the greatest difficulty BYU has had since going independent is bringing quality opponents to Provo. The Cougars have compiled some impressive schedules since going independent, and next year should be a very strong schedule. In 2015, BYU will face Nebraska, UCLA and Michigan. While this lineup of opponents is exciting, none of the games will be in Happy Valley. Until the Cougars can bring exciting opponents to Provo, particularly in the month of November, attendance is likely to continue to drop noticeably.
Bowl contracts
#Poll
When the Cougars lost to Utah State, all hopes of making a major bowl game were essentially vanquished. After that disappointing defeat, the only real drama left was to see how long it would take for BYU to become bowl eligible so that they could play in their contractual tie-in with the Miami Beach Bowl. While it took longer than most expected, the Cougars had a soft enough schedule and a good enough early start to make going to the Miami Beach Bowl almost inevitable. Such lack of mystery about where the Cougars will be playing during bowl season has led to a general lack of buzz about the program.
ESPN
Overall, BYU’s contract with ESPN has been very beneficial for the university in terms of exposure. However, the deal has had the unintended effect of providing fans an excuse to stay home (and warm) come game time. Athletic Director Tom Holmoe and the BYU administration will need to find compelling reasons for fans to make the voyage to LaVell Edwards Stadium each week.
What do you think is the main reason attendance is slipping?
Be sure to listen to “Cougar Talk” on iTunes or podbean.com as David Watkins and I talk about a variety of topics related to BYU sports.
Dylan Cannon is a regular KSL.com contributor and can be reached at DylanCannon86@gmail.com or via twitter @DylanCannon11. Listen to his weekly podcast, "Cougar Talk," on iTunes.
