After the first month of the college football season, Arizona was ranked No. 59 of the 68 Power 4 football schools in average attendance capacity at 79.2%, or 40,271 per game.
The nine teams that ranked below Arizona aren't an impressive bunch: UCLA, 35%; Duke, 54%; Stanford, 55%; Pitt, 64%; Cal, 70%; Houston, 72%; Boston College, 74%; Rutgers, 76%; Louisville, 78%.
Late starting times, dictated by the Big 12 and its television partners, are at the root of Arizona's low attendance.
“Just when I became annoyed at the Cincinnati game starting at 8 p.m., I now see the TCU game will start at 8:15 p.m.,” long-time UA season ticket holder Joseph Ballantyne, a prominent Tucson financial advisor, told me. “It is absolutely infuriating.
“I've been a football season ticket holder for 30 years. I've been a basketball season ticket holder for 40 years. I am a UA alumnus. I am a donor.”
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Before TV and former Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott became insensitive about late starting times — the Pac-12 widely advertised “Pac-12 After Dark” games as if it was a good thing — Arizona played most home night games at 6:30 or 7 p.m. The upper deck seats on the east side were often full. Now? Almost empty.
Said Ballantyne: “Cincinnati fans got to turn on (Saturday's) game at 10 p.m. TCU fans in a few weeks will turn on the Arizona game at 10:15 p.m. Crazy.”
Yes. That's a good word, Mr. Ballantyne.
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