Colorado State’s Canvas Stadium provided some inspiration six years ago, when San Diego State began plans for Snapdragon Stadium.
SDSU’s trip to Colorado State this weekend for its Mountain West game against the Rams provides Aztecs officials with another glance at the stadium that most closely approximates their home venue.
Canvas Stadium could prove instructive once again as Snapdragon’s shine wears off.
“Every situation is a little different, but there always is a little bit of (attendance dropoff) after a new stadium opens,” said David Sietsma, Colorado State assistant athletic director for ticket sales and operations. “But there are certainly plenty of other factors that go into it as well, such as team success or weather or opponents coming into the stadium.”
SDSU (3-6, 1-4 MW) and Colorado State (3-6, 1-4) take the field Saturday with identical records.
It is the most disappointing season in more than a decade for the Aztecs.
It is more of the same for the Rams, who are in the midst of their sixth straight losing season. They haven’t posted a winning record since going 7-6 in 2017, the year Canvas Stadium opened.
Coincidentally, that’s exactly what SDSU’s record was last year in Snapdragon Stadium’s debut.
Another coincidence: Both schools sold about 16,000 season tickets the first year in their new venues.
Sietsma said Colorado State has averaged 10,000 to 14,000 in season-ticket sales in the six years since.
“Certainly, winning and losing is undeniably a factor,” Sietsma said. “We have not been successful. We’re coming off a three-win season, haven’t had much success, really, since our stadium has opened. So we are lucky in the sense that (fans) are coming back. We are doing well in terms of overall conference attendance, especially relative to our record.”
Colorado State has averaged 29,225 fans per game — highlighted by 34,901 for the Boise State game — through four home games this season at the 36,500-seat venue.
That attendance figure is tickets distributed. Sietsma estimated the turnstile count at 80 percent of that, or 23,380 a game.
SDSU sold 10,718 season tickets coming into the 2023 season opener. Announced attendance for SDSU’s five home games this season has averaged 25,763 (tickets distributed) at the 32,500-seat venue. The turnstile count is 69 1/2 percent of that figure, or 17,601 a game.
Both schools provide a significant number of free tickets to students (who are indirectly charged through student registration fees).
Sietsma estimated that student tickets average 10,000 a game. SDSU has distributed 6,000 to 8,000 student tickets each game this season.
Sietsma, who has worked at Colorado State the past five years, said one of the most important things they’ve learned is making game day an event.
“You want to make it more than a game,” he said. “You want to make it a full day, tailgating and, for us, being on campus and your affinity toward Colorado State.”
Canvas Stadium benefits from being located at the edge of the Colorado State campus.
Snapdragon Stadium is a couple miles northwest of SDSU, though the campus is coming to the stadium as the SDSU Mission Valley property develops over the remainder of the next decade.
Despite a string of losing seasons, Colorado State has not had to lower ticket prices in order to keep fans coming out.
“If anything, we have had a couple of increases,” Sietsma said. “Very marginal increases as inflation and costs increased.
“It’s very tricky. I don’t know too much about the situation (at SDSU), so I don’t want to talk too much, but you’ve got to be very, very careful.
“Once you price it, it’s very hard to pull those back.”
SDSU learned that last year, when it received significant criticism from season ticket holders after slashing ticket prices 50 percent for the season’s three remaining home games.
The Aztecs recently offered two complimentary tickets to season ticket holders for the 2023 season finale Nov. 25 against Fresno State.
Colorado State and SDSU both price single-game tickets in three tiers based on the opponent.
For instance, both schools price most Mountain West games in the middle tier.
Sietsma said Saturday’s game against the Aztecs has a get-in price of $38.
He estimated the average ticket price at $50. Seats on the 50-yard line are $75.
For SDSU’s final home game Nov. 25 against Fresno State, the get-in price is $40. Seats on the 50-yard line are $150 and $225, depending on the row.
Parking at Canvas Stadium costs $30-50, which is similar to the prices charged at Snapdragon Stadium.
Colorado State already is advertising 2024 season tickets, which range in price from $270 in the end zone and upper sections to $1,825 in the premium club seats. Mid-level pricing is $450-$600 for the seven-game home schedule.
SDSU typically begins selling season tickets in the first quarter of the new year.
Season ticket pricing for Aztecs games during the 2023 season ranged from $350 in the end zone and upper sections to $3,000 in the priority seating areas. Mid-level pricing was $1,100-$1,600 for the seven-game schedule.
Tickets included a “stadium excellence gift” (payable over 1-3 years) that ranged from $100 to $1,500, depending on seat location.
