[82lsju]

The ESPN story on the sub-sticker tix also noted that the 2016 CFP semi between Alabama and Clemson (and Clemson's first post-season trip) in Glendale, AZ was also at or below sticker price, further confirming the geographic disadvantages PAC-12 football territory faces.

I posted this quite a while back in one of our earlier threads bemoaning the state of the PAC, but during the 2016 football season the average PAC-12 team had to travel a combined 8,471 miles to reach its away games. Compare that to 6,188 for the ACC, 5,549 for the Big 12, 4,465 for the Big Ten, and a mere 4,152 for the SEC. That's right, the average SEC team travels half the distance our teams do.

https://www.allmysportsteamssuck.com/201...l-in-2016/

Now think about a fan who is considering trying to attend their team's away games. Do they really want to travel 8,471 miles over 9-10 weeks just to watch a few football games?

of course SEC teams seem to only play 5 away games a year so they have fewer games to travel to

in 2018 the # of away games in the regular season

- Alabama - 5 (includes one neutral site game in Orlando vs Louisville)
- Arkansas - 5
- Auburn - 5 (includes one neutral site game in Atlanta vs UW)
- Florida - 5 (include the Georgia game in Jacksonville)
- Georgia - 5 (includes the Florida game in Jacksonville)
- Kentucky - 5
- LSU - 5 (includes one neutral site game in Arlington TX vs Miami)
- Ole Miss - 5
- Miss St - 5
- Missouri - 5
- SC - 5
- Tenn - 5
- TX A&M - 5 (includes a game in Arlington TX vs Arkansas)
- Vanderbilt - 5


http://a.espncdn.com/sec/football/2018/2...20Grid.pdf

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I think there are a few other reasons why this game is going to be less well-attended:
1. Travel cost. Hotels in this area are ridiculous even when there is no major event going on.
2. Distance from schools. A lot of SEC & ACC fans travel by RV, in part to save on hotel costs. Too far for that.
3. Weather. Gametime weather will likely be in the 40s with a good chance of rain.
4. Traffic. It's bad on a normal evening commute.

These are also reasons why the Pac-12 CCG has done so poorly at Levi's - other than #2.

I'd add

5. the two teams have played each other in the CFP each of the last four years, this will be the 3rd time in the finals. some fans may have gone to previous games and decided now they can watch on TV.  

Maybe not to different from my observation of our recent Rose Bowl trips

2013 - for more hard core fans, oh my god, I have to go we may never go again, for more casual fans not so much, we got 20+ tickets together in a great location

2014 - for those who missed in 2013, oh my god I have to go since I missed 2013 and my friends had a great time - we got 20+ tickets together is a lesser location

2016 - what, another Rose Bowl - we got 8 tickets together in the best location of the three trips, sure part of the getting a better location was fewer tickets but I don't think that was the sole determinant

[82lsju]

The ESPN story on the sub-sticker tix also noted that the 2016 CFP semi between Alabama and Clemson (and Clemson's first post-season trip) in Glendale, AZ was also at or below sticker price, further confirming the geographic disadvantages PAC-12 football territory faces.

I posted this quite a while back in one of our earlier threads bemoaning the state of the PAC, but during the 2016 football season the average PAC-12 team had to travel a combined 8,471 miles to reach its away games. Compare that to 6,188 for the ACC, 5,549 for the Big 12, 4,465 for the Big Ten, and a mere 4,152 for the SEC. That's right, the average SEC team travels half the distance our teams do.

https://www.allmysportsteamssuck.com/201...l-in-2016/

Now think about a fan who is considering trying to attend their team's away games. Do they really want to travel 8,471 miles over 9-10 weeks just to watch a few football games?

of course SEC teams seem to only play 5 away games a year so they have fewer games to travel to

in 2018 the # of away games in the regular season

- Alabama - 5 (includes one neutral site game in Orlando vs Louisville)
- Arkansas - 5
- Auburn - 5 (includes one neutral site game in Atlanta vs UW)
- Florida - 5 (include the Georgia game in Jacksonville)
- Georgia - 5 (includes the Florida game in Jacksonville)
- Kentucky - 5
- LSU - 5 (includes one neutral site game in Arlington TX vs Miami)
- Ole Miss - 5
- Miss St - 5
- Missouri - 5
- SC - 5
- Tenn - 5
- TX A&M - 5 (includes a game in Arlington TX vs Arkansas)
- Vanderbilt - 5


http://a.espncdn.com/sec/football/2018/2...20Grid.pdf

---

I think there are a few other reasons why this game is going to be less well-attended:
1. Travel cost. Hotels in this area are ridiculous even when there is no major event going on.
2. Distance from schools. A lot of SEC & ACC fans travel by RV, in part to save on hotel costs. Too far for that.
3. Weather. Gametime weather will likely be in the 40s with a good chance of rain.
4. Traffic. It's bad on a normal evening commute.

These are also reasons why the Pac-12 CCG has done so poorly at Levi's - other than #2.

I'd add

5. the two teams have played each other in the CFP each of the last four years, this will be the 3rd time in the finals. some fans may have gone to previous games and decided now they can watch on TV.  

Maybe not to different from my observation of our recent Rose Bowl trips

2013 - for more hard core fans, oh my god, I have to go we may never go again, for more casual fans not so much, we got 20+ tickets together in a great location

2014 - for those who missed in 2013, oh my god I have to go since I missed 2013 and my friends had a great time - we got 20+ tickets together is a lesser location

2016 - what, another Rose Bowl - we got 8 tickets together in the best location of the three trips, sure part of the getting a better location was fewer tickets but I don't think that was the sole determinant