Are Texas Tech Basketball's Home Inconsistencies Tied To Low Attendance? | Giese
One thing the Texas Tech basketball team has been known for over the years is a loud, enthusiastic crowd that is sure to fill the United Supermarkets Arena.
This is one reason why Lubbock was such an attractive destination for Joe Toussaint. He remembers playing in Hub City against the West Virginia Mountaineers and how loud the Texas Tech fans were throughout the game. Toussaint wanted his fans to cheer him instead of boo him.
Even KenPom, the popular college basketball analytics website, considers Texas Tech the second best home court facility in the country.
This facility has not been implemented this season. Thursday afternoon's 77-66 victory over UT Arlington resulted in the lowest number of Red Raiders fans at home in five years.
Due to reduced crowds imposed by the 2020–21 season's Covid restrictions (technology allowed a maximum of 4,250 fans for home games), Thursday's announced crowd of 8,940 marked the first time the Red Raiders had not reached at least 10,000 spectators by December 15. . , 2018. 7,169 people flock to watch Tech play at Abilene Christian.
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Attendance at Tech's home games is generally low. In six games in the US, Tech averaged 10,761.5 fans and 12,930 in the first. This is the lowest average since the 2018-19 season (9,666.5).
Considering the timing of the last two home games played at Omaha (last day for Tech students) and at UTA (after the semester closes on a Thursday afternoon, when many are headed to vacation destinations), there are obvious reasons why these numbers are increasing. They reached less than expected.
It's hard for the typical college basketball fan — very different from the typical Texas Tech fan — to ask fans to play against major programs they've probably only heard of here or there.
McCausland's first schedule looks like the one Chris Baird and Mark Adams painted before him: win-win home games, not tough, conference games that could go either way. After all, the Big 12 is still loaded with talent and fans will show up to these games regardless.
All the big pre-Big 12 Tech games came out of Lubbock. Bringing Villanova, Michigan, Butler or Vanderbilt to the US would generate more excitement than San Jose State, Oral Roberts or Sam Houston (next week's visitors).
The crowd was not only less, but also quieter. Tech's inconsistent play at home can be attributed to many factors, but one has to include the fans' lack of energy.
"To be honest, I don't have a lot of experience in this area," McCausland said Thursday. "All I can tell you is that with our team, we have to play and be proactive on defense, be good physicality and take care of the basketball. That's all we can control."
McCausland is correct in many respects. First, the way a team plays on the field cannot be based solely on accumulated strength. Technology can't afford this luxury on the road, so production costs later.
And he can't fully control the number of fans who attend games. Texas Tech sold a record 8,500 season tickets before the program was announced, but judging by chatter on social media and crowds alone, many paying customers aren't using their tickets.
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The coach did something that could change his direction in the future. Tech announced earlier this week a home series against Texas A&M, a big name in the power conference. In theory, this ticket should be easier to sell in November.
McCausland said Wednesday that his hope is to get a few more games out of the A&M series, though much will depend on the multi-team events Tech engages in and the 20-game Big 12 conference that begins next year. .
Until Biggs comes to town, all the Red Raiders can do is keep winning — that shouldn't be a problem in their final two non-conference games — and hope to generate some sort of buzz among potential ticket applicants. Except for conference games this season.
This article originally appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech basketball attendance lowest since Final Four | jeez
