[Sport fan]

I got a lot of feedback on my last question so I thought I would post another one to see the feedback I get from it.

If McMaster Athletics were free (all of them from Football to Basketball and Volleyball) would you attend more games? If you're going to comment would you please also indicate if you have ever been to a McMaster sporting event.

Thanks for all your help

[Ownaginatios]

Originally Posted by Sport fan

If McMaster Athletics were free (all of them from Football to Basketball and Volleyball) would you attend more games? If you're going to comment would you please also indicate if you have ever been to a McMaster sporting event.

No and no.

[rrtt]

No and yes.

Money isn’t the reason I don’t attend games. It's more my lack of interest. I am not a huge sports person.

[JEFF_CHAN]

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

No and no.

This..

[jo87]

No, and No. I don't care about the money, I just find sports boring.

[Souldier]

No and no, I'm pretty sure most people that go to watch McMaster's sports teams play have friends on the team.

[temptingf8]

No and yes.

I've been once, but that was because I was part of a team running an event next to the football field.

[Tailsnake]

No and Yes, The only game I went to this year was to support a few girls on my floor that play so ticket price wasn't a real issue.

[Serene]

I prefer to participate in sports rather than watching them, makes me feel lazy in a way.

So no. And like the others mentioned, I don't think money is the issue here.

[Kathy2]

Yes. I go to football games whenever I can, but it's annoying to spend $10 every time. It really adds up, especially when I have to drive to watch the away games. If they were free, I would go to way more. Sometimes I don't go just because it costs a lot of money.

I don't know about volleyball or anything else though. I'm really only interested in our football team.

[Marlowe]

Originally Posted by Sport fan

I got a lot of feedback on my last question so I thought I would post another one to see the feedback I get from it.

If McMaster Athletics were free (all of them from Football to Basketball and Volleyball) would you attend more games? If you're going to comment would you please also indicate if you have ever been to a McMaster sporting event.

Thanks for all your help

I would not attend more games if they were free.

I have been to a McMaster sporting event before.

[Katy]

I would go to ALOT more then I already do, and I go to quite a few. I think for the most part, unless its alumni, family, or friends that get dragged out to the games the majority of MAC students who attend games are fellow varsity athletes who are supporting their school. Just saying from a varsity athletes perspective.

[Taunton]

If you want more people to come out to games, it has nothing to do with money. It's a cultural issue.

Start studying how things work in the US - right from kindergarten, the school spirit/jock worship starts, and it is a deeply ingrained part of the culture. More people regularly attend high school football games in the states than the average university event in Canada.

As for answers to the questions - free games would not get me out more often, and yes, I've attended plenty of games in my time here.

[Kareko]

I would say no and no as well, though in first year I considered going to one becasue our CA seemed really enthusiastic and was completely turned off by the fact it was charged.

I think if you allowed ppl a few home games for free it might help with later turnout (maybe)

[huzaifa47]

Mens/Women's Soccer & Rugby are completely free but have much much lower attendance then the big 3 aka Football, Volleyball & Basketball.

Paradoxically the former two sports(more specifically) Rugby have also been very successful over the past few years. Men's Soccer won OUA Men's Division this year while Men's Rugby has won 5 OUA Gold's in the last 7 years or something.

Hence I guess it comes down to Taunton's point about culture, I have been playing competitive soccer since I was 10 so I guess it was natural for me to have an affinity for the Soccer team. I also attended alot of Rugby games because I like it much more then Football.

As much as I try I will never be able to enjoy or associate myself with Football, BasketBall or Volleyball the same way because those are not sports I grew up with.

But at the same time it is my major beef with a few organizations responsible for promoting sports on campus(athrec & maroons) that its usually the Big 3 that get all the attention and not Soccer for example that a has a massive minority following on campus. The minorities for example aren't familiar with the nuances of Volleyball or Football the same way traditionally Canadian culture is more focused on Football & not Soccer or Rugby. Hence they will usually not attend these sports in my opinion unless they are following their friends/housemates/floormates or have friends on the team etc.

If we have to promote sports ticket prices aren't the end and all solution, a lot of it is the culture shift that needs to be enacted. People need to build a connection with their teams, by connection I mean a point where they recognize player names and styles from a distance and start personally feeling good/bad at a win/loss.

Like in USA even college teams have some diehard fans who can openly be seen crying at a playoff loss! It is not that hard for us to reach that point if we try hard enough, I feel as if it is basic human nature to develop natural loyalty towards a "Group"(In this case a team).

UWO has free attendance so maybe you should start using them for cross analysis?

There was also this survey at Dalhousie that I can't that asked people why they attend or not attend games. I'll see if I can relocate it