Why Did Thousands of Seats Stay Empty During Oregon State’s Sold-Out Game?
CORVALLIS – Oregon State claimed a sellout for its football game against San Jose State last Saturday, announcing that all 35,548 tickets had been sold. However, when game time came, the stadium didn’t look like it had reached full capacity.
Instead, several thousand seats remained visibly empty, with estimates suggesting the actual crowd size was closer to 31,000 than the announced number.
Interestingly, Oregon State reported attendance as 37,187, a figure that includes standing-room tickets.
This led many to question the discrepancy between the sellout announcement and the noticeably empty stands during the game.
Oregon State had experienced two sellouts earlier in the season: against Oregon on September 14 and Colorado State on October 5. Both of these games were expected to draw large crowds, with the Oregon game being a near-guaranteed sellout.
Leading into the San Jose State matchup, however, Oregon State was on a three-game losing streak, making the sellout for this game somewhat surprising.
According to Sara Elcano, Oregon State’s associate athletic director, the high ticket sales for the San Jose State game can be attributed to three main factors.
First, it coincided with Fall Family Weekend, a popular event that brings many students’ families to Corvallis. Second, free tickets were distributed to veterans and active military personnel in recognition of Veteran’s Day.
Lastly, ticket prices for this game were generally lower than for other November matchups, likely due to the opponent being San Jose State rather than a higher-profile team.
These elements combined to drive a surge in ticket sales in the days leading up to the game.
Despite the sellout, approximately 6,000 ticket holders didn’t attend. Free tickets, such as those given to veterans, often go unused. Some Family Weekend attendees may have chosen alternative activities.
Additionally, cheaper tickets tend to have higher no-show rates, and with Oregon State’s performance this season falling below expectations, some fans opted out of attending on what was a pleasant fall Saturday.
Oregon State’s recent success in reaching bowl games over the past three seasons has set higher expectations among its fan base.
With this season not meeting those standards, attendance enthusiasm for certain games seems to have waned, even when tickets are sold out.