"Parking, Bathrooms & Concessions

[400SOAVE]

There's a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today about declining attendance at college football games.

Administrators spent a lot money because they thought they needed to make sure internet access was available at games.

It turns out what fans want is a good game experience and access to clean bathrooms it at the top of the list. Internet access was last in the polls submitted to fans.

I've been complaining for years (most recently this week) that there are no real bathrooms at SHU's outdoor sports venues. That must be corrected if they want to be considered a first class program. Plunking down a port-a-potty is ridiculous, embarrassing and smelly.

Moreover, there are no concessions at these soccer, baseball and softball games. Why? How difficult is it to sell coffee, tea, juice, soda, snacks and basic ballpark food?

And please- for weather purposes- cover the stands in the outfield. I guarantee you that many fans stay home if there's even a remote change it's going to rain.

Anyway, the findings are very interesting and all schools can learn from them.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/what-do-college-football-fans-today-want-1437080251

 

[Save Continental]

“Our data tells us that the most important things for fans coming to the game are parking, restrooms and concessions,” Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin said.

Gee, how shocking! I could have told them "mobile connectivity" at a game would be way down the list of importance.

 

[hallgrad80]

Let's remember that the priorities listed are for college football games which draw anywhere from 35,000 to 105,000 fans and certainly parking is a key need as is having both sufficient bathrooms and concessions to avoid long lines and long waits. You cannot apply those needs to other sports that may draw a couple of hundred fans. While I can see the need to have adequate parking and restrooms with only a few hundred or less fans having a food concession is probably not financially viable until attendance reached a higher average number.

 

[400SOAVE]

Let's remember that the priorities listed are for college football games which draw anywhere from 35,000 to 105,000 fans and certainly parking is a key need as is having both sufficient bathrooms and concessions to avoid long lines and long waits. You cannot apply those needs to other sports that may draw a couple of hundred fans. While I can see the need to have adequate parking and restrooms with only a few hundred or less fans having a food concession is probably not financially viable until attendance reached a higher average number.

Every Little League facility I've ever been to has a concession stand, and there are usually less than 50 people in attendance for each game (mostly parents and other players.)

It's not complicated. You create a convenience for fans and you make a little money for the venue. Why is that idea so difficult? SHU has a DD on campus and an full-scale cafeteria in operation. Can't they do a mini set-up with basics?

I've seen students run concessions at Walsh. I don't know, perhaps it's a contractual issue.

As for toilets, a stadium may require dozens of rest rooms with hundreds of toilets. A smaller facility such as OTC with a capacity of 1,800 may need as little as one set of restrooms for men and women. Perhaps each can have three toilets and two sinks.

The bottom line is that it's not realistic to take kids to a place where there are no toilets. It's also a big issue for senior citizens. Actually, regardless of age, everybody need facilities multiple times per day. That's why there are rest stops on highways. That's why stores such as Macy's, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble and many others have toilets in-store. You want to bring people in and keep them there.

Somewhere in the vicinity of OTC and the parking deck, there must be room for a small rest room that would serve players during games and practices, and fans. This would benefit baseball, soccer, softball and tennis.