“A 1/2 empty Huntsman Center…”. REALLY!
I’ve been to every home game this year and while the fact that the crowd is spread out all over the arena tends to make it look more full, I’ll wager average “ACTUAL BUTTS IN SEATS” is aound 4000. At the typical game, if the entire crowd moved down to fill all the seats nearest the court, I cannot image we would fill more than about 2/3 of the lower bowl.
In fact, they should close the curtain above the concourse, it would create a better crowd feel. This season, I recall only two games, the BYU game, and probably the Minnesota game that would have actually required any seats in the upper bowl.
I have season tickets, center court, about 12 rows back. When I started buying tickets, several decases ago, I could not PURCHASE lower bowl tickets. i eventually got down into the upper rows of the lower bowl and about 15 years ago finally worked my way into these seat. There are a lot of empty seats around me, and have have been for years. The difference is that for years someone owned them, paid for them, renewed them, and only showed up for the best games. This was true during all of the Giac and Boylen years and the first few years of Coack K. Now, i’m pretty sure no one buys any of those seats. My wife and I are often the only people on our row in our section.
As I’ve said many times here this year, I’m giving this program one more year. If we can’t retain our major talent this off season, and if the incoming (highly ranked) class, added to these returning players cannot get us into the top 3 of the league and the NCAA tournament, i’ll be letting mine go the way of all the others.
I’ll be doing it sadly, but If I add up the 10s of 1000’s of dollars that I’ve paid for these great seats, to watch some pretty sad (historically) basketball most of the last 15-20 years, and if there is no sign of change on the horizon, I’d be a fool to keep buying.
If that happens, a few years from now, i’ll be able to get these same seats for providing a canned food donation, and wearing red.
I like Coach K, and I hope he pulls it out. But really, how long is it reasonable to expect me to be patient? I’ve done way more than my part.
Utah @ 
Baylor 
.
