IS THE FOAM DOME TOO BIG? THE CU EVENTS CENTER AND THE BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE PROBLEM

Being a contributor to a new blog is tough work. Case in point: on Monday, I was busy celebrating @Bowen St. Buff’s birthday at Kuper Wine Bar in Longmont (shoutout to Doug and Julie Oldfield and the incredible staff at Kuper) when I was asked to cover the CU/KU tilt at The Can.

So, I did what any self-respecting, wine-loving, last-minute blogger would do—I finished my incredible glass of Flanagan’s Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (shoutout to Flanagan’s Winery, Riley’s Rows, and former Boulderite-turned-vintner Riley Flanagan for making incredible, accessible stuff: RileysRows.com), and had my son drive us to Boulder just in time for the 9 p.m. tip-off.

While Chip’s Corral was lively, the arena itself felt… lukewarm at best. The crowd was 70% full, with the top half of the student section (Sections 14-16) nearly empty, and the sides 90% full, thanks in part to a strong showing from Rock Chalk Nation.

Now, I’m a realist. I’ve lived through Tom Miller, Joe Harrington, non-Chauncey Ricardo Patton, and even Jeff Bzdelik. So, I get it—an 11-17 Buffs team with only two conference wins doesn’t exactly inspire a sellout.

But still—CU should always pack the house for a 9 p.m., nationally televised game against Kansas. On this night—when the crowd could have made a difference—the Buff faithful were polite. And as the old adage goes, “Polite never won the Big 12.”

On the drive home, Bowen St. Buffs and I debated the reasons for the lackluster crowd when he asked a question I’ve been wondering for years:

👉 Is The Can just too big?
👉 Should CU tarp off the top half of Sections 14-16 and push students closer to the action?
👉 How does The Can’s capacity compare to basketball powerhouses?

So, I did what any good, slightly buzzed blogger would do—I dug into the data. And the answer? It depends.

Capacity vs. School Enrollment

CU Boulder has 38,428 students, meaning The Can’s 11,064-seat capacity represents 29% of enrollment. That’s on the lower end compared to major basketball schools:

* Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium holds 58% of its student body.

* Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse holds 58%.

* Indiana’s Assembly Hall holds 40%.

* Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center, a much larger school (64,390 enrollment), holds 30%.

Takeaway: CU’s arena is already smaller than most elite basketball schools relative to enrollment. Downsizing further could limit future growth and prestige.

Capacity vs. Town Population

Boulder has 108,250 residents, and The Can’s capacity represents 10% of the city’s population. Yes, CU draws fans from the Denver metro area, but including Denver in this analysis distorts the comparison.

Relative to other basketball powerhouses, The Can sits in the middle:

🔹 Lower than basketball-first cities:

* Louisville (3%)

* Columbus, OH (2%)

* Washington, D.C. (3%)

🔹 But also smaller than traditional college towns where basketball is king:

* Bloomington, IN (20%)

* Fayetteville, AR (21%)

* West Lafayette, IN (28%)

🔹 Takeaway: The Can’s size is reasonable, but the Boulder community isn’t fully engaged in supporting CU basketball.

Attendance Trends: Growth Followed by a Hiccup

From 2020 to 2024, CU basketball saw steady attendance growth, including a 12% increase in 2024. But this year? Attendance has dropped 14% per game.

The student section, once a game-changing force, has become… uninspiring. Sure, the C-Unit faithful still fill the first few rows, but beyond that? It depends on the day and time.

People often say, “This is Colorado, and it’s ski season—of course, kids prioritize other stuff!” And that could be true.

But here’s the kicker:

* Snowfall totals are down.

* EPIC Pass purchases are down.

* Fewer students claim to have skied 20+ days this season.

So if students aren’t skiing and aren’t showing up at The Can, then CU basketball simply isn’t capturing their attention like it used to.

Should CU Down-Size the CU Events Center?

🔹 Would reducing capacity make The Can louder? Maybe.
🔹 Would it force a sellout atmosphere every night? Possibly.
🔹 Would it address the real issue of fan engagement? No.

Here’s What CU Should Do Instead:

In addition to John’s findings during his roadtrip, CU should take the following steps:

PUSHING TOWARDS A GREAT BASKETBALL ENVIRONMENT — THOUGHTS ON THE CU HOOPS EXPERIENCE AFTER A BASKETBALL ROADTRIP

✅ Fill the GA section by leveraging promotions for elementary students and seniors. Take a page from the ski resorts—get them while they’re young (and old). When my kids were in elementary school, I was amazed at how well ski areas targeted families. Resorts like Eldora and Loveland practically let kids ski for free, and guess what? That’s how they got me.

Let’s do the same with Buffs games:

* Elementary students: Offer free GA tickets to students in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley School Districts and subsidize parent tickets to make it a family event.

* Seniors: Give them an easy, affordable way to attend. Once inside, they’ll grab a hotdog, a Ms. Peggy Pilsner (which should absolutely exist), and maybe even a new Buffs sweatshirt.

The bottom line? More fans, more energy, more long-term supporters.

✅ Build back the CUnit with better student incentives and promotions. Former CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn was successful at growing CUnit — he counted student attedance and gave prizes, including a trip to the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas, to CUnit members that attended the most games during the season. More of this, please.

✅ Move the students to the first five rows behind the benches in Sections 7-11. This does two things: it injects energy into The Can and relocates the cantankerous donors who scold fans for standing during big moments. Give the “get off my lawn” crowd prime loge seating, where they can enjoy front-row views in comfort, and give the students the chance to change the game. [Check out John’s article and suggestions about importing a Michigan Maize Rage-like section to the CU Events Center]

(And yes, if you’re wondering, we had a run-in with these guys the other night… but don’t worry, we patched things up after the game.)

✅ Improve the overall game-day experience.

* Student Shuttles. Make it too easy for students to get to the game. Run direct shuttles from Williams Village and other key spots so there’s no excuse to miss out.

 * Bar Shuttles. Back in the day, we’d grab beers at the Barrelhouse (RIP) and catch a bar-sponsored shuttle to the game. That doesn’t seem to happen as much anymore—why not? Is it a demand issue, or just something that fell by the wayside?

 * Parking. The current setup is solid—free and generally available. But for seniors and anyone who struggles with the walk, why not run golf carts back and forth? Small effort, big impact.

* Chip’s Corral…For Students. I love Chip’s Corral. The food is solid, the full bar is appreciated (especially with Laws’ Ralphie Reserve Bourbon on the menu), but let’s be honest—students don’t go. Maybe it’s because college kids are chronically late to everything, but what if we offered food and drink discounts? There’s still margin in it, and it could drive interest. Or, better yet, set up a student-only version of Chip’s Corral behind the student section—think The Rooftop at Coors Field, which sold 60,000+ tickets last year.

 * Elevated Platform and Role for In-House DJ. I respect a good tuba as much as the next person, and the basketball band’s Mr. Brightside is elite, but beyond that, the gameday experience needs some juice. Let’s put a DJ above the student section and turn it into a full-on party. Who knows, maybe we’ll even get the old guys to snap their fingers.

* More of the dancing grandmas from the retirement village and more frisbee dogs. Also, sell tradition. More banners and retired jerseys hanging near the scoreboard.

Right now, the problem isn’t the size of The Can—it’s that CU isn’t filling the seats it already has. And shrinking the arena won’t magically fix that.

Final Verdict – The Can is the Right Size, But CU Needs to Earn the Sellouts

If CU basketball wants to be a must-watch event, the Buffs need both a better product on the floor and a better game-day experience.

The school shouldn’t shrink The Can—it should focus on packing it. And if that means bringing students closer to the action, offering better promotions, and rekindling the energy of past years, then that’s what needs to happen.  Side note:The idea of “rounding up for NIL” is brilliant. I’ve heard plenty of people complain about tipping screens on self-serve beer kiosks—so why not let them tip to support CU’s athletes instead?

Because if CU truly wants a home-court advantage, the answer isn’t less space—it’s more passion.

Would love to hear your thoughts! Should CU make changes to The Can? Drop your take in the comments below. 👇