Why I Built This

College football is the second most popular sport in the United States, both in attendance and television viewership. In 2022–23, the NCAA generated $1.3 billion in revenue. While attendance fuels massive revenue for colleges, its impact goes far beyond the game itself.

Selling out stadiums empowers universities to expand beyond athletics, funding new academic buildings, scholarships, and research initiatives. Local economies also benefit tremendously, as big games bring waves of traveling fans who fill hotels, restaurants, and gas stations.

In the end, all of this momentum depends directly on attendance.

Ticket sales are not a perfect measure of attendance. Many fans purchase tickets but never show up because of weather, travel issues, team performance, or scheduling conflicts. Others may transfer, resell, or give away their tickets, which makes the number of people in the stands unpredictable.

Student sections, complimentary tickets, and corporate blocks can also distort sales figures without accurately reflecting how full a stadium really is. Even games that are listed as sellouts sometimes show large pockets of empty seats on game day.

This is why analyzing stadium capacity, fill rate, weather, and team performance provides a more realistic picture of how many fans are actually in attendance. Ticket sales alone cannot capture the full story.

Accurate attendance predictions give universities and local communities the ability to plan smarter and save money. When schools know how many fans are likely to show up, they can right-size security, concessions, parking, and staffing, reducing unnecessary costs while keeping the fan experience smooth.

It also improves revenue opportunities. With a clearer picture of crowd size, athletic departments can adjust pricing, manage inventory for food and merchandise, and prepare promotions that match demand. Local businesses like hotels and restaurants can schedule staff and stock supplies more effectively, ensuring they capture the economic boost that game days bring.

Beyond finances, precise attendance forecasting helps with safety and logistics. Emergency services, transportation planners, and campus officials can better manage traffic, public transit, and crowd control when they have reliable numbers.

In short, accurate attendance data does more than predict who fills the stands. It streamlines operations, increases profitability, and enhances the overall experience for everyone involved.