Utah basketball: What can be done to get fans back in the seats?

Utah head coach Craig Smith watches the game against Manhattan at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Dec. 11, 2021. — Utah coach Craig Smith watches the game against Manhattan at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021.

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Sure, it’s been a tough season. But where have all the Ute basketball supporters gone?

Fans who have attended Runnin’ Utes’ basketball games have probably noticed that fewer and fewer people are showing up at the Huntsman Center for games this season. Actually, attendance has been slipping for several years now, along with season ticket sales, according to numbers provided by the university to the Deseret News.

What can be done to fix it?

The Deseret News’ Utes basketball beat writer Jay Drew spoke to a half-dozen or so longtime fans and/or season ticket holders to get their input, and summed up most of their advice in a lengthy article on the subject.

Numbers game

1-10: Pac-12 record of the Utah men’s basketball team.

9: Consecutive games the Runnin’ Utes have lost.

13.5: Points averaged by leading scorer Branden Carlson, who returned to action Wednesday after missing the previous five games.

From the archives

Why the Runnin’ Utes aren’t moping after their 8th straight loss (Deseret News)
Runnin’ Utes are struggling, but freshmen Gabe Madsen and Lazar Stefanovic are emerging stars (Deseret News)
Utah was tested to the extreme in a wild, wacky and crazy meet against ASU (Deseret News)
‘We gave ourselves every opportunity to win’: How beleaguered Runnin’ Utes almost upset No. 9 UCLA (Deseret News)

Fanalyst

Former Utes were in on two of the winning plays this past weekend. Matt Gay kicked the walk-off field goal to win it for the Rams, and Mitch Wishnowsky spotted and held for the Forty Niners’ winning kick. And they will face each other this coming weekend to decide the NFC Championship. How would this look. ... Gay kicks a go ahead field goal, and then Wishnowsky fumbles a snap on a punt but picks up the ball and runs sixty yards for the winning TD? One of them will be in the Super Bowl, that is certain.

— stathis

Man the Utes are trying, playing hard, just can’t make a basket when needed or within 5 feet of the basket, so many missed bunnies (USC length and jumping ability) the ball didn’t go in the hoop that’s for sure, it was good to see Madsen get some confidence in his shot, hopefully they can get healthy and win a couple more games before the season ends ... sidenote, not sure USC can win it all by the way the shoot free throws, it will catch up to them in a tight game.

— packers