In a lot of ways, the UCLA Bruins are catching up to the juggernaut programs of UConn and South Carolina women’s basketball, but there’s one area where the Bruins are lagging behind significantly: attendance.
Cori Close has put together as talented of a roster as any Southern California basketball fan could hope for. The Bruins are 18-1 and have outclassed the Big Ten through the team’s first eight conference eight games, but it hasn’t been enough to bring out the fans.
UCLA has averaged a home attendance of 5,596, that number is dwarfed by UConn who’s at 11,823 and South Carolina at 15,756. It’s true that UConn’s and South Carolina’s run of dominance has lasted much longer than the Bruins recent surge but we’re looking at over double the attendance number for a comparable product on the court.
The Bruins even have stars. UCLA doesn’t have a Caitlin Clark-level star but Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice are both established women’s college basketball stars who have helped shape UCLA into the program it is today. UCLA Wire writer Matt Zemek wrote about the Bruins underwhelming attendance figures.
“This is what excellence looks like. This should be what Los Angeles sports fans show up for, especially with USC’s two basketball teams struggling and the UCLA men having a difficult season as well,” Zemek wrote. “Is there a sense that UCLA women’s basketball is so good there won’t be any drama on a given game night? Since when should that prevent fans from attending? That would never be the case for any pro team. The Dodgers beating the Rockies 10-1 isn’t boring; it’s fun as heck. The Lakers steamrolling NBA opponents by 30 wouldn’t be considered boring; that was Showtime (or Shaq and Kobe) back in the day. Fans couldn’t get enough of that.”
Perhaps with a national championship run, the Los Angeles area will make more of an effort to get out to Pauley Pavilion to watch the Bruins but until then UCLA will continue to play terrific basketball in front of a half-empty gymnasium.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA’s attendance numbers fall well short of other elite programs
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
