2015 MVC Attendance: It's bad.

[Rlh04d]

So I spent the last two hours putting together the 2015 attendance for Valley schools. I'll throw this data in here a few ways for everyone to check out.

Here's the TL;DR version up front:

• The 2015 Valley attendance is the lowest in the last 30 years (as far back as I was willing to go).
• The 2015 Valley attendance is ~533 fans a game less than the previous lowest of the last 30 years ... 2014.
• Four schools (Bradley, Drake, Evansville, and Loyola) all had their lowest attendance of the last 30 years.
• Six Valley schools have all had their lowest attendance mark of the last 30 years within the last five seasons.
• Only two Valley schools had attendance over their 30 year average: Wichita State and UNI.

[Rlh04d]

2015 MVC attendance:

	Bradley	Drake	Evansville	Loyola	Illinois St	Indiana St	Missouri St	North Iowa	Southern Ill	Wichita St
1	5,469	3,362	4,238	1,570	4,921	4,348	6,004	3,716	4,302	10,506
2	5,086	3,108	3,291	913	4,095	3,721	5,089	3,127	5,142	10,506
3	6,039	3,162	3,889	1,378	7,142	N/A	5,207	3,220	4,328	10,506
4	5,507	2,555	5,083	1,163	4,037	5,528	5,013	3,081	4,222	15,004
5	4,204	3,239	3,610	N/A	4,108	3,561	5,327	4,525	4,485	10,506
6	5,325	4,170	3,861	1,119	4,093	3,571	5,821	6,333	5,511	10,506
7	5,343	4,780	4,329	1,889	5,372	3,578	5,224	5,111	4,760	10,506
8	6,035	3,283	5,151	4,058	3,809	3,948	5,097	3,910	4,758	10,506
9	5,614	2,886	4,321	1,572	9,627	3,677	8,674	4,941	4,874	10,506
10	5,129	4,120	7,015	1,278	6,118	4,335	6,324	6,205	4,792	10,506
11	6,059	3,180	5,521	3,256	4,177	5,496	3,218	7,050	5,267	10,506
12	5,431	3,146	4,054	2,292	4,352	4,389	5,452	6,650	4,885	10,506
13	6,707	3,656	4,106	2,136	9,345	4,595	3,297	6,103	5,265	10,506
14	5,825	3,271	3,502	1,725	6,406	4,250	4,454	6,650	5,358	10,506
15	7,349		3,418	1,989	5,188	4,289		6,935	5,512	10,506
16	6,492		5,491	1,105		6,169
17			1,826	1,225
18			3,008	1,265
19			4,549	N/A
Average:	5,726	3,423	4,224	1,761	5,519	4,364	5,300	5,170	4,897	10,806
Total:	91,614	47,918	80,263	29,933	82,790	65,455	74,201	77,557	73,461	162,088

[Rlh04d]

2015 MVC attendance averages without WSU included, versus their WSU games, and the net change:

	Bradley	Drake	Evansville	Loyola	Illinois St	Indiana St	Missouri St	North Iowa	Southern Ill
Season Avg	5,660	3,365	4,069	1,617	5,246	4,235	5,041	5,036	4,865
WSU Att	6,707	4,170	7,015	4,058	9,345	6,169	8,674	7,050	5,358
WSU +	1,047	805	2,946	2,441	4,099	1,934	3,633	2,014	494

Note: WSU was the highest attended game for all but Bradley, Drake, Illinois State, and Southern Illinois, and second for each of those. Bradley/IllState games still draw well.

[Shock Top]

Why do Bardo and Sexton want to stay in the MVC again?

[Shock Top]

2015 MVC attendance:

	Bradley	Drake	Evansville	Loyola	Illinois St	Indiana St	Missouri St	North Iowa	Southern Ill	Wichita St
1	5,469	3,362	4,238	1,570	4,921	4,348	6,004	3,716	4,302	10,506
2	5,086	3,108	3,291	913	4,095	3,721	5,089	3,127	5,142	10,506
3	6,039	3,162	3,889	1,378	7,142	N/A	5,207	3,220	4,328	10,506
4	5,507	2,555	5,083	1,163	4,037	5,528	5,013	3,081	4,222	15,004
5	4,204	3,239	3,610	N/A	4,108	3,561	5,327	4,525	4,485	10,506
6	5,325	4,170	3,861	1,119	4,093	3,571	5,821	6,333	5,511	10,506
7	5,343	4,780	4,329	1,889	5,372	3,578	5,224	5,111	4,760	10,506
8	6,035	3,283	5,151	4,058	3,809	3,948	5,097	3,910	4,758	10,506
9	5,614	2,886	4,321	1,572	9,627	3,677	8,674	4,941	4,874	10,506
10	5,129	4,120	7,015	1,278	6,118	4,335	6,324	6,205	4,792	10,506
11	6,059	3,180	5,521	3,256	4,177	5,496	3,218	7,050	5,267	10,506
12	5,431	3,146	4,054	2,292	4,352	4,389	5,452	6,650	4,885	10,506
13	6,707	3,656	4,106	2,136	9,345	4,595	3,297	6,103	5,265	10,506
14	5,825	3,271	3,502	1,725	6,406	4,250	4,454	6,650	5,358	10,506
15	7,349		3,418	1,989	5,188	4,289		6,935	5,512	10,506
16	6,492		5,491	1,105		6,169
17			1,826	1,225
18			3,008	1,265
19			4,549	N/A
Average:	5,726	3,423	4,224	1,761	5,519	4,364	5,300	5,170	4,897	10,806
Total:	91,614	47,918	80,263	29,933	82,790	65,455	74,201	77,557	73,461	162,088

So much for capturing the Chicago market..

[Rlh04d]

(EDIT: FIXED) 31 year historical attendance numbers/averages for each Valley school:

Year	Bradley	Drake	Evansville	Loyola	Illinois St	Indiana St	Missouri St	North Iowa	Southern Ill	Wichita St
2015	5,726	3,423	4,224	1,761	5,519	4,364	5,300	5,170	4,897	10,806
2014	6,608	3,726	4,546	1,928	4,842	5,946	5,217	4,693	5,223	10,732
2013	6,557	3,926	4,463	2,278	6,541	5,726	6,080	4,249	5,007	10,312
2012	7,640	3,965	5,135	2,277	4,783	5,433	7,050	4,406	3,299	10,391
2011	8,447	4,230	4,910	2,428	4,636	5,602	7,595	4,767	4,188	10,428
2010	9,339	4,510	4,832	2,208	6,561	4,807	6,645	5,642	4,780	10,333
2009	9,110	5,101	5,863	2,270	7,118	4,009	7,147	4,212	5,892	10,095
2008	9,600	6,038	5,486	1,776	6,516	4,289	6,241	5,096	6,660	10,478
2007	9,728	5,458	5,494	2,850	5,092	4,328	7,176	6,298	7,743	10,478
2006	9,220	4,267	6,025	2,420	5,409	4,278	6,965	6,898	7,291	10,435
2005	9,337	4,810	6,318	2,451	6,450	3,781	6,573	4,692	6,730	10,325
2004	9,178	5,757	6,618	2,511	6,260	4,168	6,175	3,971	6,698	10,090
2003	9,351	3,969	6,671	3,010	6,021	4,339	6,295	3,220	6,567	8,190
2002	9,072	3,931	5,822	2,528	6,471	5,132	5,930	3,423	6,423	8,399
2001	9,112	3,731	7,148	2,247	7,047	6,056	6,700	2,537	4,483	8,114
2000	10,178	3,759	8,337	2,293	6,540	6,750	7,828	2,812	5,008	7,393
1999	9,532	4,199	8,587	2,811	7,397	6,061	7,646	2,244	3,345	7,358
1998	9,769	4,093	8,177	2,775	8,694	6,652	7,161	3,564	3,420	7,691
1997	9,625	4,352	8,348	3,222	8,472	4,895	7,722	2,709	3,566	9,449
1996	9,672	3,849	10,457	2,805	7,747	5,031	7,276	2,662	3,998	5,528
1995	9,521	4,917	10,489	2,663	7,162	5,108	6,522	3,073	6,442	7,010
1994	8,794	5,722	10,230	3,042	7,677	4,779	7,588	3,758	4,996	5,948
1993	7,271	6,288	11,740	2,708	8,302	5,210	7,798	3,332	6,575	7,779
1992	6,993	5,073	10,198	2,379	8,695	5,983	8,053	5,244	6,060	6,755
1991	7,384	4,565	10,784	1,980	8,712	5,356	8,173	5,530	6,022	8,011
1990	7,741	4,665	9,648	2,701	9,285	5,459	8,251	6,822	6,773	7,880
1989	8,918	5,266	9,280	1,918	10,829	4,087	8,249	4,100	5,699	9,906
1988	10,016	4,861	9,122	2,601	6,464	4,338	7,960	6,849	4,497	9,421
1987	8,709	5,971	7,923	3,301	6,085	3,961	7,158	2,663	3,323	8,464
1986	8,709	5,971	7,923	3,301	6,527	4,635	5,925	1,901	3,855	8,576
1985	7,542	4,453	6,245	6,186	6,840	4,947	4,372	2,963	3,793	9,731
Average:	8,658.03	4,672.44	7,453.01	2,633.19	6,925.62	5,016.44	6,928.10	4,177.43	5,266.24	8,919.54

[Rlh04d]

31 year Valley attendance/averages:

Year	Attendance	Games	Average
2015	785,280	155	5,066.32
2014	884,659	158	5,599.11
2013	1,221,295	168	7,269.61
2012	1,158,525	164	7,064.18
2011	1,250,537	174	7,186.99
2010	1,242,638	168	7,396.65
2009	1,341,151	173	7,752.32
2008	1,323,352	168	7,877.10
2007	1,251,050	156	8,019.55
2006	1,203,771	156	7,716.48
2005	1,137,677	158	7,200.49
2004	1,093,599	150	7,290.66
2003	979,173	148	6,616.03
2002	880,460	141	6,244.40
2001	943,159	148	6,372.70
2000	963,900	145	6,647.59
1999	929,950	146	6,369.52
1998	905,418	138	6,561.00
1997	930,326	139	6,692.99
1996	969,164	155	6,252.67
1995	924,269	151	6,120.99
1994	818,475	135	6,062.78
1993	868,286	139	6,246.66
1992	900,167	140	6,429.76
1991	856,403	128	6,690.65
1990	742,591	110	6,750.83
1989	767,740	110	6,979.45
1988	783,842	119	6,586.91
1987	755,507	118	6,402.60
1986	784,430	133	5,897.97
1985	894,483	139	6,435.13

[Kung Wu]

Need more Creighton.

[ShockerPhi]

Well this is very depressing.

[Rlh04d]

Also, to refute the argument that Loyola will see a magical increase in their attendance by playing better Valley schools, the data does not show that's the case.

The last four additions to the Valley have ALL seen decreases in their attendance after joining the Valley over the years prior to joining, including Loyola, which has now had two of their worst four seasons for attendance since joining.

I counted the "pre-Valley" years back to the 31 seasons I'd grabbed data for.

	Evansville	Loyola	Missouri St	UNI
Pre-Valley:	9309.3	2687.58621	6985.833	4404
Valley:	6569.065163	1844.38235	6914.243	4111.3528

[Shock Top]

WSU NEEDS TO JUMP SHIP!!!

This is the one thing I hope @The Coach: is wrong about ;)

[ShockerPhi]

Also, to refute the argument that Loyola will see a magical increase in their attendance by playing better Valley schools, the data does not show that's the case.

The last four additions to the Valley have ALL seen decreases in their attendance after joining the Valley over the years prior to joining, including Loyola, which has now had two of their worst four seasons for attendance since joining.

I counted the "pre-Valley" years back to the 31 seasons I'd grabbed data for.

	Evansville	Loyola	Missouri St	UNI
Pre-Valley:	9309.3	2687.58621	6985.833	4404
Valley:	6569.065163	1844.38235	6914.243	4111.3528

My god that's a lot of decimal places. My engineering professor would take off points for that many numbers after the period.

Joking aside, still depressing.

Edit: To be a little more consistent, I'd say the Pre-Valley numbers should maybe be like the 10 years or so previous to joining the Valley. In Loyola's case, since they've only been here two years, maybe make their Pre-Valley numbers be the 2 or 3 years prior to joining the valley. See what the real difference is.

So Loyola's Pre-Valley average of 3 years prior to joining would be 2327.7. Not that big of difference I guess

[AZ Shocker]

Not surprising. Especially when fans across the Valley don't foresee their team competing for a conference championship. Wichita St. has way outgrown this conference and everybody knows it.

[ShockerPrez]

Northern Iowa is pretty craptastic for their greatest season ever. What is that? 1 sellout?

Bravo.

[Shox21]

Maybe Sexton and Bardo are thinking of the OTHER sports WSU has, not just basketball. Look at Creighton's example. The cost is prohibitive for them to send teams (volleyball, wbb, soccer, track and field, etc.) as far away as they have to. Not real sure the "wonderful windfall" TV revenue from Fox1 Sports is enough to offset all that expense. Plus I can't even imagine what a headache all those travel accommodations are for someone to make.