Rivalries, Tradition, and Recession Proof Collegiate Football Attendance in El Paso

Thomas M. Fullerton, Jr., Wesley A. Miller

Abstract


This study examines potential determinants of American football game attendance for the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners program.  Time series data are utilized to analyze UTEP attendance from 1967 to 2014.  Among the more notable outcomes, ticket sales are found to follow the local business cycle and be inversely correlated with unemployment.  Demand for tickets is also found to be upward sloping.  Forecasts are generated for the 2015 season and several quantitative metrics indicate that good out-of-sample simulation performance is attained.  Replication of this study for football teams in more traditional “college towns” provides an intriguing opportunity for further research.


Keywords


College Football; Ticket Sales; Regional Business Cycles

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References


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