Contact CU Independent Sports Staff Writer Olivia Butrymovich at Olivia.Butrymovich@colorado.edu
It is no question that attendance at the Coors Events Center has been spotty for the University of Colorado men’s basketball games this season. The Buffaloes have already hosted nine games prior to the start of spring semester, with only three games reaching above 8,000 fans in attendance.
Coors is able to hold a capacity of 11,064 people; the closest the crowd has gotten to that mark this season was against Brigham Young University with an overall attendance of 8,900. CU maintained an eight-game home win streak before losing to the Utah Utes last Friday.
Colorado is currently 12-4, and could easily have a better record if close losses to Iowa State and Utah had gone the Buffaloes’ way. With so much success so far this season, it’s astounding to many on campus, including Head Coach Tad Boyle, as to why we cannot simply pack the keg.
Student section, I’m looking at you.
The CU Independent took to the University Memorial Center to get to the heart of the issue and ask, simply, why haven’t we been able to sellout Coors? And let’s just say Buffs, you did not make it easy. In the attempts I made to get students to respond, standing awkwardly in front of the stairs of the UMC, many of you just simply stated that you did not like basketball, or that you and your friends are just simply “football fans.”
Well, get into the basketball spirit Buffs, because as of Monday night, college football is over.
After many failed attempts of trying to uncover fans, and multiple relocations within the UMC, I finally found a true CU basketball admirer, senior Jack Green. Green has attended at least three games this season, which is three more than the next five people I talked to who claimed they were fans.
“I think before break, the season kind of starts with, you know, non-conference teams, and we’re in the middle of finals and getting ready for the end of semester and stuff, now I think it’s the beginning of the semester and it’s conference teams so it should sellout more,” Green said.
Freshman Hannah Spodick agreed.
“It’s the weekday thing.”
Out of the nine home games, five have been on weekdays, during times that could be better used to do homework and focus on classes.
The truth is, it may have been a little too much for the team and Coach Boyle to expect fans to show up in swarms in December. Let’s face it — as much as I’d love to tell my professors that I’d rather watch basketball instead of studying for their finals, it’s just not going to happen. Now that the semester has reset and everyone has started fresh, there are no more excuses.
Selling out Coors Events Center also becomes an issue of when exactly the games are scheduled.
“They need to make basketball games more known; I don’t know the schedule and when they are,” said freshman Robert Reid. “If I knew more, I’d go.”
In an attempt to draw in students to Wednesday night’s game against Oregon State, the athletic department is offering $1 tickets as well as a student tailgate to celebrate syllabus week. With fall semester’s finals week far in the rear-view mirror and $1 tickets a universally affordable price, Buffs fans’ excuses have run dry for tonight’s matchup with the Beavers.
It’s time to see if these supposed fans can fill the keg for a Pac-12 showdown!
