A new era is on the horizon for the University of Memphis' men’s basketball team, and the amount of anticipation around the team that they could lead to sold-out games at FedEx Forum. It was not that long ago when fans were filling up the seats to see the University of Memphis men's basketball team play when the Tigers made tournament runs when John Calipari held the reins.
FedEx Forum has a maximum capacity of 18,119 people, and last year, the announced attendance of home games only averaged 6,225, which was its lowest since the 1969-1970 season when head coach Moe Iba’s Tigers had a 6-20 record. The lowest actual physical attendance was only 4,583 fans which is barely one-third of FedEx Forum’s seats.
The attendance had a significant drop from the previous year, which was 9,622, and new head coach Penny Hardaway emphasized that the crowd was a vital role for the team when he played for sold out crowds in the Pyramid in the 90’s.
“That was our sixth man,” Hardaway said. "The crowd kind of gave us the extra energy, and then it just depletes the other team.”
Hardaway also has incentives in his three-year, $4.3 million contract that relates to the home game attendance. If the average physical attendance for the year is at least 12,000 fans, he will receive a $300,000 bonus. Also, if the season ticket sales exceed $5 million at any point in his three year period, Hardaway will receive a $50,000 bonus.
The U of M reached maximum attendance in 2008-2009, which was a year after they lost the national title, with 16,933 fans per game, and it has decreased every year since then with the exception of 2010-2011. That’s 10,708 fans in just a 10-year span.
Doneal Mack, former shooting guard from 2006-2010, talked how games sold out in the years he played alongside star players. Also he wasn't that shocked when fans didn't show up downtown.
"Every home game was sold out the year Derrick Rose played and almost the same thing the next year when Tyreke Evans was there," Mack said," But at the end of the day, the fanbase won't be there if we're not winning."
Dwight Boyd, the director of player personnel for the men's basketball team, knows how helpful a strong crowd is for the team as he played for the Tigers from 1984-1988.
“It makes all the difference in the world,” Boyd said. "The main thing is to come out and support these guys.”
Not only does it make a difference on the court, but it also affects the entire university financially. The Memphis Grizzlies, the professional basketball team that plays in the arena, has a lease agreement with U of M that will pay the school $800,000 if the average season home game physical attendance is at least 10,000 fans. If the numbers decline to 6,000-10,000, the university will receive a reduced payment according to the actual turnout. For example, in the 2016-2017 season, they earned $368,449 because less than 10,000 people in attendance that year. If the attendance is less than 6,000 fans a year, no money will be given to the U of M by the Grizzlies.
Last year, for the first time since the team made the agreement back when the FedEx Forum opened in 2004, the team did not earn they money.
Last season, the lowest actual attendance was on Jan. 16 against UConn with 2,130 people showing up, and the season high was on Jan. 27 against Cincinnati with 9,536 fans, though it should be noted the athletic department gave away 2,000 tickets for this game.
Season ticket sales also took a toll when they decreased to 4,115 last season. An issue U of M president M. David Rudd noted earlier in the year when Hardaway was introduced as head coach.
“(It was) the lowest in modern history for Tiger basketball,” Rudd said.
There is much excitement this year with the new additions of local highly-rated recruits such as Alex Lomax, Tyler Harris and Hardaway’s son, Jayden Hardaway to the team. Jayden Hardaway expects the crowd to show up this year.
“We’re expecting the crowd this year to be much larger than last year,” Jayden Haradaway said. "We’re trying to put on a show for these people.”
Though the culture has shifted in previous years from basketball to football, Hardaway could bring it back to basketball if all this excitement translates to wins and larger crowds. Harris said hopes the crowd will show up at FedEx Forum.
“I think the fans are going to come out this year, that’s how it goes,” Harris said. "Definitely want to change the culture of Memphis basketball this year.”
