Through the hype, emotions and many adjustments involved in Loyola moving to the Missouri Valley Conference, a key component of competitiveness has obviously been neglected. Home attendance has plummeted. Some of it can be chalked up to some nasty winter weather, and quite a lot to one of the least engaging home non-conference schedules in recent memory. But it’s an embarrassing way to make a debut into a new conference.
Through its first nine home games in the 2013-14 season, Loyola is averaging only 1531 fans per game. That’s down 34% from last year’s average of 2335, and less than half the next lowest team in the MVC. In a league where attendance, game day atmosphere, and energetic rivalries are not only a point of pride, but a real source of strength for recruiting, fiscal stability, and personnel retention, Loyola’s rotten attendance has become a running joke and source of ridicule throughout the conference.
Loyola has always had mediocre or below average attendance. It’s a constant struggle to command attention and get turnout in a large urban market with an abundance of professional and college sports, culture, nightlife, and other distractions. But it has never been this bad. Never.
