Basketball: Final 8 ticket sales dip slightly — cishoops.ca

Cishoops.ca has a post up about the "each game counting as one ticket" policy of accounting for Final 8 ticket sales at Scotiabank Place:
"The 32,000 hard tickets sold thus far is about 8,500 less than the 40,500 sold across 5 sessions/10 games last year, so there is still some work to do to match the inaugural event. With the Ottawa market's notorious tendency for being a walk-up type audience, (Scotiabank Place director of strategic development Geoff) Publow is confident that last season's numbers can be eclipsed. He expects more than 8,000 fans to attend tomorrow's evening session in which both local teams are participating plus a St. FX team with many local, loyal alumni expecta to swell the crowd even further.

"Publow also stated that the very successful Capital Hoops Classic tends to attract significantly more students than the CIS Nationals, something they are trying to improve. The certainty that a cross-town rivalry, Panda-like game brings apparently is more appealing to students and secretly some in the organizing committee are likely hoping for a Saturday night all OUA East semi-final affair which could bring out more students from both local campuses." — Mark Wacyk
Speaking as an Ottawa resident of three years standing, this is a walk-up town. As a random example, last Sunday afternoon the 67's had a game against the Sudbury Wolves, who are not exactly a major draw. Nevertheless, perhaps thanks to the fact Daylight Savings had gone into effect the night before, there was a line snaking out the door on the Bank St. side of the building. My friend and I had to walk toward the other end for tickets and ended up missing the first five minutes of the game.

Still, some hard questions will be asked if Ottawa can't outsell last season. It's not on the schools or the media; it goes higher.
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5 comments:

  1. I aslo don't think you can blame the fans 100%.I know people from the out side say wow that all they can get.What is important to keep in mind is sports wise alone there is alot going on.I think if they could moving it to early apr would help alot and promote it big time all yar.Aslo if they treated more like how the world junior were run tons of fan stauff do do the beer tent out front the samsung lounge out back where you got a meal with your ticket.

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  2. I think one of the disappointing things about this event this year and last has bben the lack of Hoopla around it--pardon the pun.
    I would have liked to see the fan stuff such as the Samsung Lounge anon mentioned. Even a display of basketball history somewhere, After all SBP is just a few kms from where Naismih was born.
    Hopefully that famous Ottawa-walk up crowd will show up. The organizers are getting a break with ice free roads , sunny skies and mild temperatures this weekend.

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  3. I think the cis should get part of the blame for this as well.I think if they treated this much like the ncaa does with the final 4 that would help as well.Start marketing it as soon as the season start ave a ton of fan events.

    Some things i would like to see next year.

    1)Hold the baquest at the nac and open it to the public.

    2)Have a series of events durring the week where fans can meet player.

    3)Have a nassmith exhibt at the scotia bank place.

    4)Have a all star game of sorts with player of the past.

    5)Have some players go around to local school and talk to kids.

    6)Have a coaches round table that is open to fans to ask questions etc.

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  4. I suspect the event will still break last year's record for attendance. As an Ottawa native, I am also quite familiar with Ottawa's well-deserved reputation for large walk up crowds.

    Even when the 67's were averaging almost 10,000 people per game they rarely had more than 5,500 season ticket holders.

    The Rough Riders had a season ticket base that was less than half of their average attendance.

    In both cases, there were always long line-ups at the ticket windows on game day, suaully starting 90 minutes before game time.

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  5. Sure but under 9,000 for a double header with two home town teams? As recent Ottawa resident it's embarrassing. I am so glad this tourney is leaving Ottawa, and can't wait for this thing to go back to Halifax... The ravens will have to go back to winning it all in 4 provinces over, where they actually value the tourney.

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