COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Athletics has seen a significant increase in its overall and student attendance for the 2022 football season and for the nonconference portion of the 2022-23 men’s and women’s basketball seasons.
Overall fan attendance at football games jumped to an average of nearly 55,000 fans per game (54,525), a 17-percent increase from 2021 attendance, leading the Southeastern Conference in year-over-year growth.
Men’s basketball has seen a 24 percent increase in overall attendance through its first seven games with nearly a 117 percent gain in single-game ticket sales. Women’s basketball has a smaller sample size with only five home games but has increased its attendance by more than 12 percent.
A new priority points initiative, which will determine student eligibility for tickets to the Border Showdown against Kansas, has resulted in a 121 percent increase in student ticket scans for home basketball games.
“You cannot replicate the energy of a full Faurot Field or Mizzou Arena,” Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois said. “That feeling impacts games and these increases are a testament to the dedication of our fans and supporters, the hard work and innovation of our athletics staff and the trust and participation of our teams. We tried a lot of new initiatives, some worked better than others, but we are appreciative of everyone’s willingness to be innovative and put in the extra efforts to bring people back home to Columbia and make our games engaging and fun. There’s still a lot to do but we will continue to listen to our fans and work to improve the gameday experience.”
Mizzou launched a first-of-its-kind program in 2022 which provided every student and student-athlete with the opportunity to become ticket sellers and benefit from the reach of their own online platforms. Participating students receive a 20% commission for any single-game tickets sold for athletics events, including home football and basketball games.
Throughout 2021 and early 2022, the Department of Athletics surveyed thousands of fans who expressed significant interest in having a night game at Faurot for the first time in several years. Athletics worked with ESPN, the Southeastern Conference and six other schools to flip a road game at Middle Tennessee State into a Thursday-night home game against Louisiana Tech.
Among other changes during the 2022 football season, visiting-team fans were moved to the corner and upper deck of the stadium, opening prime 50-yard line space behind the visiting team for season ticket holders, block seating and groups. Working alongside the band and spirit groups, the department revamped the pregame show, including the critical last fifteen minutes before kickoff with all new videos and pregame elements – like the Tiger Lights show through Mizzou Tigers app. Other videos included a historical Mizzou Athletics reel with voiceovers from alums John Anderson, Kris Budden, Tom Hart and Michael Kim and a fiery countdown to kickoff video featuring Sean Witherspoon. In-game, field-level sponsor signs were eliminated, videoboard elements received new animations and more interactive elements were added through the Mizzou Tigers app, including predictive gaming and a 50/50 raffle.
“Our fans were awesome this year,” Quarterback Brady Cook said. “Being able to feel that energy when we came out of the tunnel – especially in the Georgia game – it really got us going. Seeing that student section full all season and hearing them create that atmosphere in the stadium is something I will always remember.”
A new focus on group sales and a return of block seating for student organizations – based on student feedback – resulted in 27,121 group tickets sold in 2022.
Athletics hired Sammy Swiger away from a minor league baseball team in early 2022 to lead the department’s ticket sales efforts and he built out a tickets-sales team and strategy to increase attendance.
“Mizzou Athletics has prioritized reengaging with the Mid-Missouri community by offering new season, group, and single ticket packages that are tailored for everyone,” Swiger said. “We also created and offered special group packages for Mizzou faculty, churches, youth sports, scouts, healthcare workers, teachers, youth cheerleaders, and the agriculture communities. Our goal is to always have an option for every fan, from those in premium seats to those buying walk-up tickets on the hill on gameday.”
Over the spring and summer, Reed-Francois and the Department launched a 25-stop, 7,500-mile trek across the state of Missouri and beyond – the 2022 Come Home Tour. Athletics went to the fans in their home areas, from St. Louis to Kansas City, from Dallas to Chicago, from Springfield to Kirksville and from Mexico to the Bootheel, the Tigers engaged with more than 5,000 fans.
The Tigers also went out in the community and held 20-straight days of events on campus, involving student-athletes and coaches from the fall – and later winter – sports. The message was simple – buy an All-Sport Pass and come to a game – regardless of the sport. Mizzou students heeded the call to action with a 25.5 percent increase in All-Sport Passes for a record total of more than 9,000 sold. The impact of the student section on gamedays has been noted throughout the year by Reed-Francois, Head Football Coach Eliah Drinkwitz, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Dennis Gates and Head Women’s Basketball Coach Robin Pingeton.
“It makes our gameday better,” Drinkwitz said. “It’s a tribute to our student section and we appreciate them coming out and supporting our athletic teams. They stayed with us all year long, were loud and engaged and made an impact on the outcomes. I remember running out of the tunnel for the Georgia game and just feeling the energy inside Faurot Field which was special.”
The men’s basketball game for the HyVee Border Showdown against Kansas has already sold out, but senior guard/forward Kobe Brown has already seen the difference in the student section on game days.
“It’s fun when the student section shows up like they have,” Brown said. “When they are here, we are better, so I am glad they come out like that. Things are so different now … all the events that we do on campus like where we are shooting hoops outside the campus center, there is so much engagement that we have with students and even fans of the adult age. There is really a buzz going on in Columbia and I love it.”
Tickets for all Mizzou Athletics events can be purchased online or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS.
