A Look At The 2021 OHSAA State Football Championship Attendance Numbers

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It did feel REALLY late this year

I wonder how much of it has to do with the season has been over for so long for so many fans that it no longer seems like football season and instead most fans are going to basketball games. Obviously, the fans of the teams are going to go but it doesn't look they got very many people outside of the teams playing to attend.

Also, the cost of attending has gotten a bit out of control. I wonder how much it would have cost a family of 4 to attend each of Versailles six playoff games in tickets, concessions, hotel at state, etc. It's probably a pretty penny when you add up the entire playoff run.

I do think having the game not in the center of the state hurts a lot. Our volleyball team makes it to state quite often and it's a long drive from NE Ohio to Dayton. There are a lot of student, staff and community members who would go if it was in Columbus but won't go to Dayton.
 
Also you can stay home and watch whatever game you want for 10 bucks.

How much is a game ticket now?
 
BINGO!!!!

. Ask yourself, how many couples in their 50's or 60's did you see at the game that weren't there to watch anybody in particular?

Exactly.
I think with streaming the viewership goes up. College Football, Christmas Shopping, Hunting Season on Saturday hurts the casual audience but not so much if you can stream it to your house or a sports bar.

You only need a 10,000 seat stadium max for Divisions 3-7.
I understand completely a southwest hs fan not wanting to drive that far.
Would be awesome if OHSSA built a Domed 15,000 seat stadium in a cornfield close to a interstate in centerburg with plenty of parking.

But that ain’t happening.
 
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Face it.
Attendance is not going to go up substantially. There will be ebb and flow dependant on the teams. Some new blood in the finals may up the attendance from the home teams with it being something 'new and exciting'.


Does spectrum accurately know how many people are watching it? I realize they can likely figure out how many stream/purchase it but do they really know how many people watch it? Back in the day they used those Nielsan boxes I think for ratings,but I have never heard of anyone ever having one.

The OHSAA likely just looks at hte bottom line.....$$ and that is all they care about.
 
We are also living during a time where instant gratification is desired by our society, especially when it comes to entertainment. Young ones today, and even some not so young ones, prefer playing video games and streaming content on their smartphones, tablets, 70 in TV's, etc... in the comfort of their homes. Entertainment is tremendously more easily assessable today than it was even 10 - 15 years ago. Shoot, I cannot tell you how many individuals I saw at the state finals games that had their noses stuck in their phones for the majority of the game with the live action going on right in front of them.
 
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What else should they care about?
$$ is a very important factor, some think the most important. In some aspects, yes. In others, not so much. One has to take into account the amount of customers partaking in the product, and in this case, HS football playoffs/championships.

Attendance is a small amount, but one most poeple look at. I just wish they would come out with how many people they believe are watching/streaming so we, as a public, know if the product is still attracting eyes or not.

Not that they owe it to us i guess.
 
$$ is a very important factor, some think the most important. In some aspects, yes. In others, not so much. One has to take into account the amount of customers partaking in the product, and in this case, HS football playoffs/championships.

Attendance is a small amount, but one most poeple look at. I just wish they would come out with how many people they believe are watching/streaming so we, as a public, know if the product is still attracting eyes or not.

Not that they owe it to us i guess.
The reality is, the games being on Spectrum/streamed is a win for the OHSAA no matter how you look at it. The money they get from Spectrum is an astronomical number. Spectrum then distributes those games out to people, so those who couldn't make it to Canton/didn't want to make it to Canton can still view the games, which is still the best case scenario for the OHSAA.
 
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TV will never pay more than the money lost from ticket sales. It's an impossibility that enough fans watch the games to make a sizable dent in the lost revenue of the fans who would go that won't go because they can watch on TV.

There's a lot of reasons:

1. In the advent of smart-everything, Friday nights aren't the big deal they were for social interaction. This snowballs into the playoffs. If they don't come for the regular season, it's doubtful you'll see those same no-shows in the playoffs or title games.
2. Over the past 30 years the OHSAA and other state associations have done a great job of browbeating 'fans' from being fans. There is no attempt to 'market' high school football in any aspect. Radio and newspapers have dwindled to nothing in terms of coverage from what we all remember even back in the 90s. And a few minutes on TV does nothing.
3. TV is a HUGE deterrent to live attendance. The better the quality video gets the more willing to stay home. Which combines together for...
4. The aging fanbase is a problem. Without gaining newer, younger, family-starting fans who are just fans, they're not replacing the elderly ones lost to the grave OR the ones simply unable to for health, comfort, or financial reasons able to attend games. Especially playoff games far from home.


It used to be a big deal to go to a game on Friday night. It isn't any more. And many schools are entirely happy with that.

In Texas, the HS game is still ENTERTAINMENT in each town. Even in major cities and suburbs. Regular season tickets regularly cost $10 at the major schools. Why? People are willing to pay it because they want to see the game. It is still the event we remember it was.
 
Also you can stay home and watch whatever game you want for 10 bucks.

How much is a game ticket now?
Round 1 and 2 if I recall was $10. After that they were $12. The finals I bought a day pass for Friday and all 3 games for $38. Or people bought single games for the finals for $15.
 
Round 1 and 2 if I recall was $10. After that they were $12. The finals I bought a day pass for Friday and all 3 games for $38. Or people bought single games for the finals for $15.
Tickets for regional games were 10. Semi and state finals were more expensive
 
Massillon has played in the state championship game at Benson twice since the games were moved back to Canton and the stadium has not been close to selling out. Mapfre at over 19,000 seats or the new crew stadium at over 20,000 would be plenty of capacity
So does Mapfre also have enough volunteers PLUS extra $$$ for the OHSAA Board Members wives to go shopping, winded and dined ? Just asking as that is a part of the agreement as well.
 
I can say from my perspective, although my Alma mater made it to the final, I was off put by the prices of tickets and that they were online only with fees added in on top.

I would rather go do something else than support a blatant money grab like that.
 
I also think the war on football has taken a toll. Not to get political, but think about it. Many people are being trained not to like the violence of football etc... by the media. Numbers of kids coming out for the football team has also decreased after the concussion push a couple years ago. By the way, since the china virus hit, I have noticed decreased coverage of the affects of concussions. Remember a few years ago every team had a kid or two out every week with a concussion. I bet that did not happen the last couple years at most places.
 
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I also think the war on football has taken a toll. Not to get political, but think about it. Many people are being trained not to like the violence of football etc... by the media. Numbers of kids coming out for the football team has also decreased after the concussion push a couple years ago. By the way, since the china virus hit, I have noticed decreased coverage of the affects of concussions. Remember a few years ago every team had a kid or two out every week with a concussion. I bet that did not happen the last couple years at most places.
Living in MAC land what are concussions (is that when you get your bell rung) and what the heck is this thing called covid.
 
I can only speak for myself, and I did go to Canton this year. However, I am old and my time on earth is dwindling do I travel 3.5 hrs. (7 hrs. roundtrip more if I stop and eat somewhere) or watch the game at home and get other things accomplished that day. I believe some other people where I live feel the same way. If the Championship games were less than an hr. away, I would never miss a state championship game. Personally, I think Canton and the surrounding area does a lousy job of supporting the games. Definitely believe if they moved at least the lower divisions to a site like Piqua (not necessarily Piqua) attendance would be 1500 - 2000 fans more per game but OHSAA will never do that.
 
I also think the war on football has taken a toll. Not to get political, but think about it. Many people are being trained not to like the violence of football etc... by the media. Numbers of kids coming out for the football team has also decreased after the concussion push a couple years ago. By the way, since the china virus hit, I have noticed decreased coverage of the affects of concussions. Remember a few years ago every team had a kid or two out every week with a concussion. I bet that did not happen the last couple years at most places.
??NEW FRONT RUNNER FOR YAPPI'S DUMBEST POST OF THE YEAR! ??
 
I can tell you this from going to the soccer finals in downtown Columbus. What a stadium and what a great location. The crowd noise was unreal in an enclosed environment.
 
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TV will never pay more than the money lost from ticket sales. It's an impossibility that enough fans watch the games to make a sizable dent in the lost revenue of the fans who would go that won't go because they can watch on TV.

There's a lot of reasons:

1. In the advent of smart-everything, Friday nights aren't the big deal they were for social interaction. This snowballs into the playoffs. If they don't come for the regular season, it's doubtful you'll see those same no-shows in the playoffs or title games.
2. Over the past 30 years the OHSAA and other state associations have done a great job of browbeating 'fans' from being fans. There is no attempt to 'market' high school football in any aspect. Radio and newspapers have dwindled to nothing in terms of coverage from what we all remember even back in the 90s. And a few minutes on TV does nothing.
3. TV is a HUGE deterrent to live attendance. The better the quality video gets the more willing to stay home. Which combines together for...
4. The aging fanbase is a problem. Without gaining newer, younger, family-starting fans who are just fans, they're not replacing the elderly ones lost to the grave OR the ones simply unable to for health, comfort, or financial reasons able to attend games. Especially playoff games far from home.


It used to be a big deal to go to a game on Friday night. It isn't any more. And many schools are entirely happy with that.

In Texas, the HS game is still ENTERTAINMENT in each town. Even in major cities and suburbs. Regular season tickets regularly cost $10 at the major schools. Why? People are willing to pay it because they want to see the game. It is still the event we remember it was.
A lot of what you say is quite true. Attending HS games doesn't have nearly the social currency it once did. Some students would much rather drive 30 miles one way out of town to go watch a movie, and spend double the cost in the process, vs staying at home and driving a few miles into the school to buy a game ticket. That makes no sense to me.
 
TV will never pay more than the money lost from ticket sales. It's an impossibility that enough fans watch the games to make a sizable dent in the lost revenue of the fans who would go that won't go because they can watch on TV.
It is an absolute fact that Spectrum pays more money than the OHSAA loses from ticket sales. An absolute fact.
 
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It is an absolute fact that Spectrum pays more money than the OHSAA loses from ticket sales. An absolute fact.
Can you share a link to this or is this just something you know for other reasons? Not agreeing or disagreeing just wanting to see the numbers on my on.
 
Can you share a link to this or is this just something you know for other reasons? Not agreeing or disagreeing just wanting to see the numbers on my on.
I know how much Spectrum pays the OHSAA for the rights to the football and basketball tournaments, before any streaming dollars are collected. And it's much more than you'd think it is. MUCH more.
 
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I know how much Spectrum pays the OHSAA for the rights to the football and basketball tournaments, before any streaming dollars are collected. And it's much more than you'd think it is. MUCH more.
I have never thought about it until I spotted your post talking about it.
 
I know how much Spectrum pays the OHSAA for the rights to the football and basketball tournaments, before any streaming dollars are collected. And it's much more than you'd think it is. MUCH more.
That’s interesting, because I also know how much Spectrum pays for that, and I don’t consider it that much. Not in relation to other sports media deals.

certainly more than they “lose” in unsold tickets , you’re 100% right about that.
 
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