Loss of sports pride at MC: decrease in intersport engagement and homegame turnout
Maryville College campus is home to 19 NCAA Division III varsity teams, spanning more than 20 different sports. On top of that, 30-40% of the student population are athletes. And yet, attendance and sports pride at MC are dwindling with each passing game.
“For an average volleyball game, our stands are usually only filled with parents,” volleyball player and SGA Athletic Representative Izzy Freeman (‘28) said. “Every home game that the volleyball team is not actively trying to promote and force a crowd, our stands have very few people. On the off chance that we do have some other teams show up, they usually leave after the first set if they are not required to attend.”
Katelyn Eldred (‘29) serving at a home game. Photo courtesy of Gina Fiene
Sporting events are rarely featured on MC Today, and instead are advertised on social media, said Lauren Sutton, athletics communications assistant.
“Each sport is good at posting about their own games on their sport-specific social media, and our main athletic accounts will post game schedule graphics prior to a season starting,” Sutton said. “We also highlight events if it is a ‘special game,’ such as homecoming or senior day, on our main account. Outside of social media, we put a story out on our website if there are games that day, and we post on our TVs throughout Cooper.”
To stay updated on upcoming athletic events, Sutton encourages students to follow the main social media accounts, as well as the sport-specific social media accounts, to see when teams are playing.
“Students can peek at our athletics website and check out any of our ‘Today in Maryville Athletics’ stories to see if any teams are hosting for the day,” Sutton said. “On the same website, we have an “All Sports Schedule” tab that lays out all Maryville games in a monthly calendar, regardless of competition site and opponent.
Sutton said that typically, at most institutions, men’s football and basketball are the biggest sports when it comes to attendance and revenue.
“I do, in fact, see a large attendance at each of MC’s home football games,” offensive line MC football player Tyler Green (‘29) said. “I would say that we have a devoted fan base that prides itself in showing up for the games and cheering on the Scots.”
For athletes, this devoted fan base can be essential to a team’s success.
“I think sometimes [the crowd attendance] could be the difference between winning and losing a match,” Freeman said. “It is extremely hard to bring consistent energy while playing a game that can last hours, so having a crowd that is actively engaged and participating in cheering is a game-changer.
“The caveat is that if we have a packed stand and nobody is engaged and cheering, it doesn’t seem to help much. But when the crowd is active and loud, it is truly electric and energizing. It makes you feel like you are on top of the world, and that changes everything. So in short, it’s not necessarily about the size of the crowd, but rather, the involvement.”
As the athletic representative, Freeman hopes to boost student and faculty involvement by implementing mentorship programs that help connect students from different groups on campus or by hosting events where the different groups have to work together.
“If we had a fall orientation where all the athletes are together, not just freshman athletes, then we could close the gap of the separation between the sports, boosting intersport engagement,” Freeman said.
These ideas are still in the early stages of planning, but Freeman hopes to get something implemented by next semester at the earliest.
“I will always want more people to attend,” Green said. “I don’t think there will ever be ‘enough’ fans to come watch the games. We work so hard, week in and week out, that I feel everyone deserves to come and watch us play. While I am happy with the large number of attendees in the crowd, I will always want more.”
MC Cheerleaders show team spirit, making an “M” with their poms. Photo courtesy of McKenna Marr.