One of life’s great pleasures is being able to watch a sporting event live instead of through a television screen. I wrote a while back about how expensive it is to attend any professional sport. It still holds true today as it did back then. So what should the typical sports fan do?
Consider a lesser scale.
My family and I recently went to a Winthrop men’s basketball game. For those who are unaware, Winthrop athletics is classified as a mid-major. Compared to larger state colleges like Clemson or South Carolina, they are Division I, but they are less expensive and have a lesser overall athletic profile.
There are thousands of minor colleges and universities in the US, and Winthrop is only one. Regardless of size, the majority of schools feature an athletic department. The department frequently operates on a shoestring budget and depends on pay-out games—those that larger schools pay to play—and the local community’s financial assistance through game attendance.
You most likely reside close to a small college or university that is accessible by car. You have a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of competitive sports at a reasonable cost. Without the advantage of lucrative Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) partnerships, the young men and women are participating in the sport they love. It is the most authentic sport that is still practiced today, yet admission is a fraction of what you would spend to watch a major university game or a professional sport.
We each paid $15 for a ticket to the Winthrop basketball game. For an extra sixteen dollars, I purchased a beer, two waters, and some popcorn. There was no charge for parking. Our family of four will spend a total of $76 to see Division I basketball at a lower level.
Contrast this with Charlotte’s professional basketball squad. Although some tickets are as inexpensive as $10, take in mind that this is the price of admission. You’ll need to spend far over $100 once you’ve paid for parking, had a few beers, and fed the family.
Attending a lower-tier women’s sport is another recommendation. Because of the success of the US Women’s Soccer Team and, most recently, Caitlin Clark, women are starting to receive the attention and publicity that men’s sports receive. Because of poor spectator interest, lower level women’s games and matches can be attended for even less money than lower level men’s sports.
These days, finding inexpensive family entertainment is becoming more and more difficult. When the weather turns chilly and the kids need extra layering to enjoy the outdoors, it can be challenging to utilize free community parks and leisure spaces. Smaller schools and universities provide a wide range of affordable ways to experience the great outdoors.
Try the tiny man in your town or the neighborhood instead of spending hundreds of dollars to take your kids to the professional squad up the road or to an indoor water park. Compared to other sports you’ve been watching, you could be shocked at how interested you get in watching sportsmen give their all on a lower financial gain. It might even bring back memories of your dad and you tossing the ball in the backyard. That is, when you didn’t think about money and sports were enjoyable.
Actually, tell me when you have some free time. My treat is that we can go to a game sometime.
But you’ll have to buy me a beer.