Fears for SEC Championship game’s future after worrying amount of empty seats spotted at Texas-Georgia
There were an alarming number of vacant seats at the SEC Championship game over the weekend.
In overtime, the SEC’s Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Texas Longhorns.
When compared to other leagues, the SEC usually draws astronomical crowds to Atlanta.
Although 74,916 people were expected to attend the SEC Championship, Mercedez-Benz Stadium didn’t seem to be full when Texas and Georgia’s game began.
Zach Klein, the local sports director for Atlanta, shared a video of the stadium on social media that seemed to show hundreds of vacant seats “minutes” before the game began.
“RIP SEC Championship game… used to be one of the 2 best yearly events I had the privilege to cover (Masters is the other)” he posted to X.
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“The building is dead and there is no buzz only minutes before the kick.
“No playoff atmosphere.”
In response to the video, fans expressed their concerns about the future of the SEC Championship. One fan wrote, “College football could be dead.”
Georgia would win the game in thrilling overtime.
Kirby Smart, the head coach, won the conference for the third time.
The 48-year-old acknowledged, nevertheless, that there was less congestion within the facility prior to the competition.
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“I hate to say it, but in pregame, I didn’t think the game had the same juice and atmosphere I’ve seen it before,” Smart remarked following the loss.
The logic? Both clubs are already in the playoffs, and conference titles are less significant in the new 12-team postseason.
According to The Athletic, just about 20% of the crowd at Saturday’s game, which was also local for Georgia, were Texas supporters.
Low attendance numbers were also reported for other conference championship games.
Attendance for the Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Iowa State Cyclones Big 12 Championship Game was not very impressive.
The game was played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and the crowd arrived late.
On X, a fan commented, “There is no one here,” regarding the game.
“If Colorado was playing people would actually go – no one cares about this game or these teams,” said another fan.
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The game drew 55,889 spectators, the fewest in the event’s 28-year history, and Arizona State triumphed 45-19.
With a crowd of 67,469, the Oregon Ducks vs. Penn State Nittany Lions Big Ten Championship was not a sellout.
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