Home Friday night football games tend to draw many crazed, excited student fans, while home basketball games, played in the winter, draw much smaller student crowds.
Football only has five home games this year, while basketball has twelve home games. Fewer games can affect football’s attendance since there are fewer chances to attend the games without a lot of travel to other stadiums. Basketball could play two or three home games a week, so there are many more opportunities to catch the games.
“I think because there are so many more home games for basketball, there are much more games and less students come out,” said Jeff Smouse, head football coach. “More people come to football games when there are only a few home games a year.”
Zach Bender, junior, played on both the football and basketball teams last year. He is returning to both teams this year.
“I think football has larger crowds because more people are on football teams than basketball, so there are many more parents and siblings in the crowds,” said Bender.
The day of the week also could factor into the attendance. Football games are played on Friday nights when students will not have to worry about getting much sleep or studying for school the next day. Basketball games can be played on any week day, often times Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Football games are more of a social thing,” said Smouse. “The games are on Fridays, so many kids can come to have fun with their friends.”
Football is also one of the first sports of the year. It starts in the summer, in result the games can start before the school year starts. Basketball starts in late November and carries through the winter, when many students often have to worry about the end of semester tests and exams.
“Football is played closer to the start of the school year and is on Friday nights, so many students come out to support the team, but also a big part of it is that football games are a place to hang out with your friends,” said Bender.
The basketball team is returning from one of the best seasons in school history, finishing last season with a 22-6 record. This increase in wins may lead to more students coming out to support the Jag’s basketball team.
“Historically, Athens has been better at football than basketball, but last year basketball had a great season,” said Bender. “I think the attendance will increase for basketball in the future because we are winning more games.”
The venue can also be a factor in the attendance for the two sports. Football plays at the stadium, which can fit upwards of 2,500 people. Basketball plays in the much smaller indoor gym, which can fit around 1,000 people. There is much more space for students and parents to support the Jags at the football games then at the basketball games.
“I appreciate all the fans that come to support the team, but I do not really notice the crowds too much,” said Smouse. “I would not be able to tell the difference if there were 1,000 fans or 11,000 fans.