I wrote back on May 16 about lagging UVA Football season-ticket sales, with the number as of that day being at 14,915, down nearly a third from the recent high-water mark from back in 2019, and nearly 60 percent off the all-time from way back in 2004.
I just got back the latest numbers from a fresh public-records request, and they’re not good.
Since that May 16 report, the ticket office has sold an additional 475 season tickets.
As of this morning, here on the last day of July, a month out from the Aug. 31 season opener with Richmond, we’re at 15,390 season tickets sold.
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The recent high – 21,982 – dates to 2019, on the heels of back-to-back bowl appearances, with a home schedule that included Florida State and Virginia Tech.
The all-time high from back in 2004, on the heels of back-to-back bowl wins, with a team that would spend a few weeks in the Top 10, is 39,123 season tickets sold.
The forced departure of Bronco Mendenhall after the 2021 season – remember how the issue then was just that he wouldn’t replace his defensive coordinator? – has not played well at the box office.
Heading into the 2021 season, which, again, remember, that was with COVID still fresh in our minds, the season-ticket-sales number was 21,093.
The number for 2022, Year 1 of the Tony Elliott era, was down to 18,732, and after a 3-7 finish to that 2022 season, the sales number dropped to 16,926 for 2023.
Maybe we can get back there in the next four weeks, with people coming back around to the idea that the football season is almost here, but 475 new season tickets going out the door in two and a half months doesn’t seem to signal momentum.
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Chris Graham
