Illustrator: Benjamin Marra
The Unravelling of College Football Starts With All These Empty Stadiums
Low attendance threatens today’s ticket revenue and tomorrow’s alumni donations.
The business model of college football, long a financial boon to universities, is breaking down. A weeklong look at the pressures of rising costs, falling revenue and what, if anything, universities can do about it. Read the rest of the series here.
On a warm November Saturday in Boca Raton, 5,843 people turned out to see Florida Atlantic University play its final home football game of the year. With 80 percent of the seats empty, it was the Owls’ smallest audience since the team jumped to college football’s top division in 2005.