Iowa basketball tickets scanned data displays fan disinterest
Following a rather disappointing 2024-25 regular season for Iowa basketball (16-15, 7-13 Big Ten), the ticket scanned data gathered from the program's 19 games played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena showcases a concerning trend regarding overall fan turnout.
According to data obtained by The Gazette via an open records request, Fran McCaffery's program averaged just 5,045 tickets scanned in its 18 regular season games and one exhibition game inside Carver during the 2024-25 campaign.
With Carver-Hawkeye Arena holding a capacity of 14,998, this scanned ticket average makes up only 33.6% of the total available seats.
What makes this data even more alarming is that those figures are down 12.1 percent from 2023-24, when Iowa men's basketball averaged 5,742 tickets scanned per game, equating to 38.3 percent of the arena's capacity.
The average for Iowa's 10 Big Ten home games was 5,710 tickets scanned, equating to 38.1 percent of Carver-Hawkeye Arena's capacity. The day of the week in this metric was a major factor as Iowa averaged 8,172 tickets scanned during its three Big Ten home games on Saturdays versus 4,655 on all other days during conference play.
Only four games—Dec. 12 against Iowa State (10,696), Feb. 8 against Wisconsin (8,929), Jan. 11 against Indiana (7,905) and Feb. 22 against Washington (7,683)—had more than 7,000 tickets scanned.
With this glaring metric, a key differentiator must be explained regarding the difference between listed attendance and tickets scanned.
While Iowa's officially listed attendance was 9,161 fans per game, tickets scanned data measures how many fans actually entered the arena on a given night rather than how many tickets were sold.
'There's work to do certainly,' deputy athletics director Matt Henderson said regarding student engagement during the university's Presidential Committee on Athletics meeting in February. 'We're not afraid to admit that we got to do some work and roll up our sleeves and figure it out. Because you can see when they're there, what the environment's like.'
While the on-court product was not as desirable for fans this season, Iowa hopes their incoming talent, mixed with the current roster talents, can reinvigorate fan interest next fall.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball tickets scanned data displays fan disinterest
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 2026 3-star DE Matthew Nelson
Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 2026 3-star DE Matthew Nelson The Oklahoma Sooners added another intriguing defensive prospect in the 2026 recruiting class with the commitment of defensive end Matthew Nelson. Nelson is the eighth player committed to the Sooners 2026 class and the fourth player on the defensive side of the ball. Just a few weeks ago, Brent Venables and the Sooners didn't have a player committed on defense. Venables and Jim Nagy have the ball rolling. Nelson received his Oklahoma offer back at the beginning of May, and not long after that, the Bryant, Arkansas product picked up offers from Mississippi State and Missouri. But the Sooners made a strong first impression and had him on campus this past weekend for his official visit. Despite an official visit with Tulane coming next week, he's pulled the trigger on committing to the Oklahoma Sooners. "After long and careful consideration, I'm officially shutting down my recruiting process," Nelson said on social media. "I have been blessed to be able to experience it, and I wouldn't want it to be any other way. Go Sooners!! He's the second defensive line prospect added to the class, joining four-star defensive tackle Brian Harris. After flying under the radar through his junior year, Nelson's recruitment began to heat up, and he's now considered a three-star prospect, according to Rivals. Nelson's length and his athleticism really stand out on tape. He displays fantastic effort working to the ball carrier even when the play runs away from him. Nelson displays great discipline, setting the edge. He plays with good power, showing the ability to pull offensive tackles off balance to get around them and to the quarterback. Nelson's quick off the line of scrimmage and plays with good leverage. He'll need to continue to add mass, but he has the frame to be able to bulk up and keep his athleticism and quickness. However, the Oklahoma Sooners added a good player in Matthew Nelson. More: Oklahoma Sooners 2026 recruiting commitment tracker Matthew Nelson's Highlights Watch Matthew Nelson's highlights on Hudl. Vitals Projected Position Defensive End Height 6-foot-5 Weight 215 pounds Hometown Bryant, Ark. Social Media Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
NFL Draft expert Todd McShay likes Cade Klubnik's game, gives an NFL player comp
NFL Draft expert Todd McShay likes Cade Klubnik's game, gives an NFL player comp Former ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay had high praise for Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik this week, offering a notable NFL comparison as Klubnik prepares for his senior season. On The McShay Show, McShay said Klubnik reminds him of Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, noting similarities in their feel for chaos and improvisation. 'I see a lot of Bo Nix in this kid,' McShay said. 'He's great when the play breaks down — climbing the pocket, sidestepping pressure. It's almost soothing for him. He also has that elastic arm. The ball comes out with more energy than you expect.' McShay said he underestimated Nix during his time at Auburn but came to appreciate his development at Oregon. He now sees those same traits in Klubnik — mobility, size, arm flexibility, and poise under pressure — though he made clear that the comparison was about style, not necessarily ceiling. Klubnik enters the 2025 season as a potential first-round pick and legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. In 2024, he threw for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions, while rushing for 463 yards and seven more scores. He was one of only two FBS quarterbacks to throw for over 3,500 yards and rush for more than 400. His 43 total touchdowns were second most in the country. In McShay's Way-Too-Early 2026 NFL Mock Draft, he projected Klubnik to the Cleveland Browns at No. 5 overall, calling Clemson's roster 'possibly the most talented Dabo Swinney has had in a decade.' Stephen Muench, McShay's co-host, offered a different comp: veteran NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford. 'I think both Stafford and Klubnik are very tough, very smart,' Muench said. 'He makes confident throws, gets to his third read. That's what you want to see in a next-level guy.' With both arm talent and experience, Klubnik will be a quarterback to watch closely this fall as NFL scouts continue to evaluate one of college football's most intriguing prospects. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
After a 12-year wait, UCLA is back in the Men's College World Series
Since coming to Westwood, Roch Cholowsky has had Omaha on his mind. The Big Ten Player of the Year — a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft by some analysts — turned Charles Schwab Field in Omaha into a playground during the Big Ten tournament, winning player of the tournament despite UCLA not claiming the championship. Advertisement So far, in the NCAA tournament, Cholowsky had been uncharacteristically quiet for his standards. He still made hard plays look easy as a 'premium shortstop' — as UCLA coach John Savage glowed about his defensive skills — but his bat wasn't making its usual noise. Lagging behind for Cholowsky isn't the same for the rest of Division I baseball. The Arizona-raised team captain was still hitting .333 through the regionals and super regionals entering Sunday. A big swing, however, had yet to come — Cholowsky flying out to the deep outfield on numerous occasions across the last two weeks. 'He's just trying to do too much, probably,' Savage reasoned after Game 1 of the Los Angeles Super Regional on Saturday. 'All he cares about is winning. That's all what these guys all care about. We like an average Roch. Average Roch is pretty good.' Cholowsky finally had his moment Sunday. He did a little too much, as Savage said, trying to catch Texas San Antonio's defense sleeping and got picked off at third base in the fifth. But his big swing finally arrived — a swing that helped deliver the Bruins to Omaha. Advertisement Cholowsky's RBI single in the fifth, a part of his 2-for-5 day, clinched UCLA's spot in the Men's College World Series with a 7-0 victory over UTSA. The two-game Los Angeles Super Regional sweep of the Roadrunners makes for the Bruins' sixth berth to Omaha and first since 2013, when they won it all. Cholowsky, whose trip to Omaha as a high-school senior convinced him of going to UCLA rather than becoming a likely first-round MLB draft selection, will now get his wish. The shortstop fell to the ground as Phoenix Call caught the final out in shallow right field, holding his head to the dirt. Cholowsky leapt up from the ground, his teammates already celebrating at the center of the diamond. He joined them, jumping in glee. His dreams, realized. Whereas Cholowsky may be one of the most well-known Bruins baseball players in recent memory, it was a little-playing junior who broke a scoreless game. Outfielder Toussaint Bythewood, a Harvard-Westlake alumnus, dunk a soft line drive into right field for a two-out RBI single against UTSA starting pitcher Conor Myles. Bythewood, who had started twice all season and taken just 12 at bats entering the game, provided the Bruins with their winning swing. UCLA added two insurance runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to build enough distance for its arms to pitch a little more comfortably as the Roadrunners ran out of outs. Advertisement A UTSA offense that was dominant in an Austin Regional sweep a week ago, exited with a whimper, rallying just four hits against UCLA's pitching staff. Starting pitcher Landon Stump couldn't get through the fifth, but the Bruins' relief pitchers carried the brunt of the battle to shut out the Roadrunners. Left-hander Chris Grothues tied a career high with 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, striking out two and making a nifty play to catch a popped-up bunt to end the sixth. Righties Cal Randall and August Souza bridged the gap to the ninth, where freshman closer Easton Hawk shut the door. Savage, who is in the 12th and final year of the contract extension UCLA rewarded him with after winning the 2013 national championship, will get his long-awaited chance to revisit old memories and create new ones as the Bruins attempt to win their second national championship beginning later this week in Omaha. Advertisement Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
