Unraveling the Mystery of Memphis Basketball's Home Attendance Drop
Reasons for the Attendance Drop
Perhaps one of the factors contributing to the lower home attendance is the relatively lower-profile opponents. So far, the only power conference program Memphis has hosted is Missouri on November 4. This lack of high-profile matchups might be deterring some fans from coming to the games. Hardaway, during his weekly radio show on Monday, even considered the possibility that perhaps more fans have become disenchanted with him.
Another aspect to consider is the overall atmosphere within the arena. As Hardaway himself pointed out, "… the building, to me, it’s empty. It’s not as packed as it has been in the past." This could potentially impact the fan experience and lead to a decrease in attendance. However, it's important to note that Memphis has put together a strong campaign so far, racking up five Quad 1 wins, more than any other team in the country except Auburn.
Critical Home Games on the Horizon
The Tigers have some critical home games just around the corner. They go to Virginia (6-4) for a game on Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPN2), then return home to face Mississippi State on Saturday (11:30 a.m., CBS), and then Ole Miss on December 28 (1 p.m, ESPN2). The Bulldogs are 25th in this week’s coaches’ poll, while the Rebels are 16th. Hardaway is hoping that these games will bring back the packed house and restore the home-court advantage.
Looking back at last season's game at FedExForum, Clemson coach Brad Brownell made some interesting comments. Memphis won 79-77 in front of an announced crowd of 15,052, and Brownell indicated that the atmosphere had something to do with it. "Yeah, it’s really good," Brownell said. "We have some of those same atmospheres in the ACC. It’s outstanding. It’s a fun place to play. And the crowd gets behind their guys and, you know, the band’s up there playing and singing and dancing afterwards. These are the kind of games players want to play in (and) coaches want to coach in. It’s what you would expect from Memphis basketball."
The Importance of Home-Court Advantage
Hardaway firmly believes in the power of home-court advantage. "That energy helps us. It also intimidates the other team," he said. "When we go to buildings and they’re jam-packed in there, it’s a different level, man. The other team, they build off that energy." He is hoping that the fans will come out in full force and create an electric atmosphere that will benefit the team.
As the season progresses, it remains to be seen whether Memphis can turn around the trend of declining home attendance. With critical games on the horizon and the potential to regain the home-court advantage, the Tigers will be looking to the fans to show their support and fill up the arena.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com, follow him @munzly on X, and sign up for the Memphis Basketball Insider text group.