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The men's basketball took on Southern Connecticut on Saturday Feb. 9, claiming a 48-54 win. (Photo by Jeff McLaughlin) |
As the winter season progresses, the St. Michael’s women’s basketball team continues to play hard. However, even though the women have a better record than the men’s team, the men still hold a 450 to 205 advantage in the average number of fans at home games, according to St. Michael’s sports information statistics.
So far this season, the women have a record of 12-9 and find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Northeast-10 Conference. The men’s basketball team, on the other hand, continues to struggle with a record of 6-14. Although they seem to be performing better, there still remains a lack of fan support for the women.
All ball and no fans
“The difference is quite noticeable,” sophomore starter Michelle Otey says. “There’s really not a lot of fans at all.”
“It’s frustrating because the women’s team is so fun to watch,” associate athletic director Chris Kenny says. “There’s a lot of action on the floor. It’s very physical.”
“The men have a much longer history which could lead to a stronger fan base,” sports information director Seth Cole says. “Slowly, more and more people are going to the girl’s games.”
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The women added another win after playing Southern Connecticut on Feb. 9. (Photo by Jeff McLaughlin) |
From a player’s standpoint, Otey tries not to focus too much on the stands, she says.
“In general it‘s a little frustrating, but it doesn‘t bother us much at all,” Otey says. “We’re taught not to pay any attention. At away games no one will cheer for you either.”
Another explanation for the lop-sided attendance could be the times games are scheduled to start, Kenny says.
“A 5:30 start time is difficult,” Kenny says. “Students are finishing up classes and getting something to eat.”
Other sports at St. Michael’s don’t experience as much of a difference in fan support, Cole says. The way in which the game is played could be a factor as well. Men’s and women’s soccer is essentially the same sport, but there are different rules according to gender when it comes to sports like lacrosse and hockey. The physical contact in men’s sports may be more exciting for some people, he adds.
Measuring up
St. Michael’s is not the only Northeast-10 college where difference in attendance between men’s and women’s sports is noticeable.
Dana Skinner, athletic director at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, says there are differences there as well, and offers alternative explanations for the inconsistency.
“It‘s an interest issue,” Skinner says. “I think there’s an attraction to men’s games that hasn’t caught on. The girls are slowly closing the gap, but they’re not quite there yet.”
At the College of St. Rose, in Albany, N.Y. there is a regular crowd at each of the basketball games says Catherine Cummings Haker, director of athletics and recreation. The women play at 5:30 p.m. and the men follow at 7:30 p.m. As the night progresses, the stands become more and more full. Students tend to be caught up with dinner and classes, and eventually make their way over to the gym towards the end of the women’s games and stay for the duration of the men’s games, she says.
Schools such as Merrimack College and Stonehill College see attendance rise and fall in relation to how well the team is doing.
“Gender basing isn’t very true at our school,” says Brad Davis, sports information director at Merrimack. “The attendance is pretty standard for students. It really depends on how good the team is doing and how big the game is.”
“The trend would be which team is doing well at the time,” Nick Smith, assistant director of athletics at Stonehill, says. “It also depends on which team is outgoing on campus. If they are outgoing around the campus, people tend to support them more.”
Other schools such as St. Anselm College see increasing interest in women’s fan support and are excited about the growing attendance.
“We’ve noticed a jump in attendance since years past,” Ken Johnson Jr. says, director of sports information at St. Anselm, about women’s basketball. “It has evened out a lot more. The women are becoming more competitive.”
A personal preference
The student section at St. Michael’s is a crucial part of the fan support at basketball games. This is where students from all classes come together to cheer their fellow classmates toward a victory. However, the student section is essentially empty during the women’s games, while the section is full during men’s games.
Some students feel as though the way the game is played is different between genders, which directly affects their interest levels.
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St. Michael's students fill the fan section at the men's basketball game against Southern Connecticut. |
“It’s a different game,” senior fan John Kunkel says, speaking about the men's team. “It’s a little bit faster paced.”
“Everything’s too relaxed at girls’ games,” junior Bret Saulnier says. “The guys’ games are more intense and fun to watch.”
The childhood of the current generation of students also plays a role in what they choose to watch, and the events they choose to attend at the college level, Kunkel says.
“People are brought up watching men’s sports, so the interest level is a lot higher,” Kunkel says.
Junio Willy Bulys says, “I always watched the NBA while I was growing up. I never watched any girls’ sports. I only concerned myself with men’s sports.”