The demand for game day attendance in college football: an analysis of the 1997 Division 1-A season

This paper develops a predictive model which includes game, team and university specific factors that are likely to influence game day demand for Division 1-A college football. Attendance during the 1997 regular season is used as the dependent variable. Tobit estimates of two separate equations reveal that the quality of both teams, traditional rivalry and membership of specific conferences have a significant influence on demand. In addition, colleges with lower enrollments and a higher percentage of off-campus students attract smaller crowds. The presence of a nearby professional football team also detracts from a college team's drawing power. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.