Enjoyed your recent articles on the UVA Football gameday experience. Here’s my two cents:
It has lost the fun. It’s too expensive. The announcer is too loud. The flashing colored lights are annoying. The new scoreboard is too big. They blast too much rock and roll music sometimes even when play has resumed. The concessions are overpriced.
The parking is difficult. It’s on TV anyway.
The baseball games are fun. Ditto lacrosse and soccer. It’s all about the game with those. Young people playing a sport.
With football it seems hyper-commercialized and a little hard to watch with all.the hoopla. They lost me after one game this year.
– Jeremy
My first time emailing you. Congrats on the article of October 13th. It’s great to know there are still serious journalists among the living. Your connecting the cost of a UVA education to the financial mismanagement of the athletic department is brilliant and long overdue.
My concern for some time now extends well into the University itself. Loading costs onto the students so that administrators and senior faculty can feel good about themselves and their favorite causes has been going on way too long.
– Fred
I enjoy reading your articles about the lack of attendance at UVA Football games. Why not donate tickets to our veterans, current military members, protective service workers, teachers, underprivileged kids, Make-a-Wish Foundation, or even give them away to a radio station so they can give them away in a contest?
Keep up the good work on asking questions that other media outlets are afraid to or do not want to ask.
My family of three personally stopped attending years ago due to the cost to go, concession stand costs, and time constraints. Also, parking became more difficult to find due to building on spots that used to be for parking. Why go when you can watch it at home on TV and take care of chores while doing it? Saving money and time especially if they lose. Plus, no winning culture for a long time until this year.
– Kara
Scott German tried to say something about the sad attendance at Scott Stadium last Saturday but you already covered it. German did hit one fact that should be the subject of a whole series of articles. Yep, it’s the loss of any connection between the team and the University.
How can anyone see this group of athletes as anything more than employees playing ball for money? The Good Old Song means nothing. The great academics and the magical atmosphere on grounds is nonexistent. It’s just less than mediocre football in a lousy atmosphere.
– JM
I was at the game on Saturday. There was no doubt to the huge amount of empty seats. Not only that, but the hot dogs were definitely terrible!
I am, however, perplexed by the entirety of some of the attendance statistics you cite. I bought two 100 level seats for my wife and I for $50 each. Perhaps a little steep for the quality of football. When I went online to buy the tickets, the availability of seats was somewhat tragic, the graphics showing that most of the seats were sold. How could that be? At game time there were rows and rows of seats around me that were empty.
So, what kind of game are they playing with the ticket sales. Why show a lack of availability? Or is the online vendor only able to access a certain number of seats?
– Dennis
I just wanted to reach out and tell you how much I enjoy your writing. You tell it like it is, from the obvious perspective of an alumnus who really loves UVA and clearly wants those in positions of power to love it too and do right by fans, students and players. Sports needs more honest voices like yours. Thank you for your work.
– Michael
Really enjoyed reading your article on low UVA Football attendance. I have been wondering for many weeks just what was up with the UVA Football program, and low fan turnout. I attended two Big Ten schools. On TV, I see packed stadiums at Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State. The only Big Ten programs that have low fan attendance are Rutgers and Maryland. Makes me wonder if the issue is the East Coast just not into football.
Anyway, aside from sports, living in Charlottesville, I would like to attend some UVA student concerts. Problem being the ticket cost is too high for a state-sponsored school. To me UVA is a greedy institution. Meaning the administration forces the public to pay for student music concerts that should have a very nominal fee, or are free to the public. So, I will not attend. I feel sorry for the lower-income folks in town that might want to go to an event, but cannot afford the horrid ticket price for their family.
Would love to see investigation of the other UVA ticket pricing events.
– Rick
You are so right about bad leadership and financial planning at UVA Football. I attended grad school at Virginia and follow them religiously despite living most of my life elsewhere. I hope your article has a measurable impact on future decisions.
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