Total attendance for last week’s St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls Sweet 16 at Northern Kentucky University’s BB&T Arena was 31,947, down nearly 17 percent from the mark of 38,489 that attended the 2015 event at Western Kentucky University’s E.A. Diddle Arena.
Kentucky High School Athletic Association commissioner Julian Tackett said attendance is only one factor used in determining the success of a venue.
“It’s about, ‘Do the girls feel special about playing in a venue that’s built for basketball?’” Tackett said. “Obviously it’s a gorgeous arena.”
This was the first year of a two-year deal the KHSAA made with NKU – located in Highland Heights – after Bowling Green hosted the event from 2001-15.
There were signs of hope for the NKU venue, as 6,056 fans attended Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal session and 5,697 attended Wednesday night’s first-round session. Those two numbers — boosted by fans from local schools Campbell County and Holmes — were better than the top-attended session (5,521) from the 2015 tournament.
But attendance last week was down when local teams weren’t playing. Attendance for Sunday’s championship game between Butler and Franklin County was 3,444. The 2015 final drew 5,335, buoyed by fans from nearby finalist Allen County-Scottsville.
“The girls tournament attendance has always been a function of the draw,” Tackett said. “Last year we had a great year, but we had Allen County-Scottsville for four days. That has to be weighed in there somehow. If Campbell County stays around this year, you don’t know.”
Tackett said the KHSAA won’t begin looking at bids for the 2018 Girls Sweet 16 until after the 2017 tournament is completed. Along with NKU, Tackett mentioned Bowling Green, Richmond and Lexington as possible future sites. Rupp Arena could be a possibility, depending on whether it lands NCAA Tournament events.
“We have to give ourselves and the (NKU) arena a fair trial,” Tackett said. “You couldn’t just come in after one year. … Is Rupp an option down the road. Who knows?”