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The Bearcats season ticket numbers are coming in and they look basically identical to last years.
With nine days remaining before the Sept. 6 season opener against Pittsburgh, UC has sold just over 12,000 season tickets for 2012, according to Brad Wurthman,[...] Last year at this time UC had sold 12,348 season tickets, down from an all-time high of 15,899 following the 2009 season, when the Bearcats went 12-1 and went to the Sugar Bowl.
Its not great obviously, but not entirely surprising either. The Bearcats home schedule lacks any names that would draw in any fringe fans. Virginia Tech is on the schedule yes, but the Bearcats sold that home game and moved it FedEx Field. Fiscally the move made sense because it was made at a time when Brian Kelly was desperately seeking funds, from any source, to build what became the Shaekley Complex (which was just completed). UC will make 2.8 million from this game without Bearcats buying a single ticket. If UC sells out its allotment that total jumps to 3 million dollars. That is a windfall of sorts for this Athletic Department, but there is a price.
The real price is a home slate with two FCS teams, Miami and no marquee Big East games. The only schools that even have a shot to come into Nippert with a ranking next to their name are South Florida and Rutgers, both of which have well earned reputations for collapsing before their mid November trips to Clifton.
Its sucks, but it makes sense that ticket sales stayed level. UC games are a fun time, a cheap night out and a great experience. But the experience hasn't become engrained in the locals yet to the point where they show up regardless of who the Bearcats are playing. But things could be worse, we could be Pitt.
Pitt ticket sales are hilarious. In general it is one of the funniest things going. Not just the numbers but the constant bitching by Pitt fans to each other about people not bothering to show up to games. But the actual numbers. OH MY GOD the numbers. For example Pitt returned 2,911 of their 3,000 allotted tickets for next Thursday's game. I know you guys weren't expecting a math problem but here is the solution.
Pittsburgh fans bought 89 tickets to next Thursday's game at Cincinnati.
— Mark Ennis (@Mengus22) August 29, 2012
They have clearly embraced a Duke like approach to buying Football tickets, but unlike Duke they have nothing to show in other sports for that Football apathy. Nor will they ever. They are clearly going to fit in Perfectly in the ACC where everyone outside of Blacksburg, Tallahassee and Clemson views Football the way I view cricket