Usually when you lose your first 10 baseball games and 15 of the first 16 to start a season, the thud in the standings is exceeded only by the resounding one at the box office.
Except at the University of Hawaii, apparently, where a 16-35 season can actually raise the average revenue per game.
Remarkably, even in the disappointment that was the 2013 season, the Rainbows, thanks to an enduring fan following, still found plenty to take to the bank
The ’Bows averaged more in per-game ticket revenue in 2013 than in 2012, when they finished 30-25, according to a response to an information request released by the school.
UH took in approximately $13,000 per game in ticket revenue this season compared with $11,590 in 2012. UH played five fewer games in 2013 due to two rainouts and a smaller conference schedule that came with the move to the Big West.
Meanwhile, UH is expected to finish in the top 20 nationally when the NCAA releases its final crowd figures. The ’Bows were No. 13 in average tickets distributed per game (3,357) and No. 18 in season total (97,355), tops among West Coast schools, as of last Tuesday, according to a national study made available Monday by the Big West office.
“I’m not that surprised,” athletic director Ben Jay said. “Considering the season we had, it just shows you the depth of the loyalty of our fans. They are an extremely loyal group and we saw that throughout this season.”
Indeed, it is one thing to put fans in the seats when you are on a roll. It makes for another, more impressive demonstration when the home team is the one getting rolled.
There is a lesson to be noted in all of this, of course. Give fans a track record of good entertainment and value for their dollars and it is possible to ride out even the deepest of drops. “It is absolutely awesome the way our fans have stayed with us,” said associate AD Carl Clapp.
The reason they have is because baseball has some of the most reasonable ticket prices and packages among the so-called “admission” sports at UH, the kind that make it possible, even with parking, to take a family of four to a game without having to take out a loan on the abode. The average individual game ticket was purchased for $7.99.
Which is why it has come to appeal to more families and a more diverse audience than is found at a lot of events. Once a lure to a predominantly older generation, ’Bows baseball has cultivated and captured a following that cuts across age groups. “I think it has become all about the (game) experience,” said associate athletic director John McNamara.
The combination of that, a traditionally competitive schedule and exciting, for the most part, games allowed the ’Bows to survive the trials of 2013.
“We’re not going to have another year like this (in the standings),” pledged head coach Mike Trapasso. “So, I just see it getting better and better and have a great vision for the future when it comes to our fans.”
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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
