Which MLS teams do UCSB and Cal Poly outdraw on a regular basis? Here's Poly's home schedule and crowds: 09/09/2012..Valparaiso............1,424 09/14/2012..Temple................1,510 09/16/2012..Army..................1,250 09/21/2012..Harvard...............3,592 09/23/2012..UCLA..................2,895 10/05/2012..Cal State Northridge..1,826 10/07/2012..Cal Irvine..............922 10/16/2012..Cal Davis.............1,050 10/27/2012..Sacramento State......1,573 11/03/2012..UC Santa Barbara.....11,075 TOTAL.....27,117 AVERAGE....2,712 And here's UCSB's: 08/20/2012..Westmont...............3,074 08/27/2012..Seattle................2,555 09/09/2012..West Virginia..........3,136 09/11/2012..Villanova..............2,461 09/23/2012..San Diego.............13,772 09/25/2012..Sacramento State.......3,552 10/01/2012..UC Irvine..............5,417 10/05/2012..Akron..................4,340 10/11/2012..Cal State Fullerton....2,643 10/22/2012..UC Riverside...........4,972 10/26/2012..UC Davis...............2,456 11/04/2012..Cal Poly..............13,822 11/09/2012..UC Davis...............1,725 11/20/2012..Providence.............1,311 TOTAL.....65,236 AVERAGE....4,660 UCSB's game against Poly (their biggest crowd of the year) was bigger than 77 MLS crowds this year, but smaller than 246 MLS crowds. That, the San Diego game and Poly's game against UCSB were the only games these two had that were bigger than any MLS crowds this year. Every single one of the rest were smaller than the smallest MLS crowd this year (6,149 for Colorado at New England on May 2). So those games outdrew some MLS games. Those teams don't outdraw MLS teams. If UCSB and Poly were in the NASL, they'd rank 2nd and 8th (out of what would then be 10), respectively, in the attendance chart. Both outdraw Puerto Rico and Edmonton on an average basis. But neither outdraws San Antonio, and Atlanta, Carolina, Fort Lauderdale and Minnesota all outdraw Poly. If UCSB and Poly were in USL Pro, they'd rank 3rd and 6th (out of what would then be 13), respectively. Orlando and Rochester outdraw both, and Wilmington and Charleston outdraw Poly. Those very few games draw very well, for proximity and rivalry reasons. How many times would they play each other in the PDL? How would each draw when the Southern California Seahorses came to town in mid-June? You mean when school's not in session (for the most part - fewer students on campus during the summer)? BYU averaged 879 fans per game in 2012, with a high of 2,026. That was 10th in the PDL. So the fact that, ten years on, no one has followed BYU's lead doesn't even remotely make you think, "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it wouldn't be a positive for college players to play against other college players during the summer instead of the fall?" Whether the NCAA is "for" or "against" it doesn't matter. BYU's team doesn't compete in the NCAA. Anyone who left to have their complete team play in the PDL would also have to leave the NCAA. Which would be their choice, but, again, ten years on, nobody has said, "We need to follow BYU's model, it can only be a positive for attendance, skills and team cohesion." (PDL teams, by the way, play 16 regular-season games. Poly and UCSB played 19 total games this year, each. More games. Awesome.) Again...during the summer? You see the difference between what you can do when students are actually on campus during the fall and you're "sure" they could do that exact same thing with half (or less) of those students on campus in the summer? Really? UCSB would lead the PDL in average attendance if they could get those same crowds in the summer, which I don't believe they would. Poly would be behind Fresno and Portland, too. IF they could get their fall numbers in the summer, with reduced enrollment. Do you not see that students on campus drives college soccer attendance?
Its not really a big deal as it was just a thought and not really worth debating. Also because its been so long since that initial post, I kind of forgot ever mentioning it.... I thank you for your figures, keep up the good work!