New Basketball Venues and Attendance in Men's College Basketball: Insights for Facility Planning and Athletic Department Strategy

Authors

• Brad Stinnett, Western Kentucky UniversityFollow

Abstract

As college athletic departments continue to put considerable resources into basketball facilities, understanding the impact these venues can have on attendance has become increasingly vital. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of new basketball facilities on attendance among NCAA Division I men's basketball programs. Using a longitudinal pre-post comparative research design, 20 programs that opened new venues since the 2015-16 season served as the sample. A dataset was created using publicly available secondary archival data sources. Findings highlight attendance patterns after the opening of the new venue, facility capacity utilization, and changes in program winning percentage. Practical implications focus on capturing immediate post-opening benefits, enhancing fan engagement strategies beyond the newness effect, and broader facility planning initiatives. By recognizing influences new venues can have on various programmatic elements within an athletic program, such as attendance, practitioners can better navigate through the fluid college athletics landscape.

Recommended Citation

Stinnett, Brad (2026) "New Basketball Venues and Attendance in Men's College Basketball: Insights for Facility Planning and Athletic Department Strategy," Global Sport Business Journal: Vol. 11: Iss. 1, Article 21.
Available at: https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/gsbj/vol11/iss1/21