Does attendance at Hornets home games affect the team?
Tied for second in arguably the toughest division in the NBA, the Hornets have gone 15-5 outside New Orleans to boast the second best road-record next to the Boston Celtics.
But at the New Orleans Arena, or “The Hive,” the Hornets have recorded a subpar 10-7 home record, placing them among the ranks of Milwaukee (15-22) and Sacramento (14-21).
After the Jan. 11 win over the Miami Heat, the Hornets have the second-worst attendance levels in the NBA with an average of 12,341 seats filled per game out of the 18,500 seats available at the Arena. Although their home vs. away record reflects the repercussions on the court, new agreements between the team and the State of Louisiana make home-game attendance all the more important.
After 10 months of deliberations, on Jan. 9 the Hornets reached an agreement with the state to extend the team’s lease. The state was relieved of having to pay for a new practice arena, estimated in the $20 million range, but will continue to provide subsidies based on ticket sales.
The Hornets’ new lease keeps them in town through the 2014 season; however, the team may opt out of the agreement after the 2008-09 season if set attendance benchmarks are not achieved.
To prevent an ownership opt-out, the Hornets must average 14,735 per game through next season, beginning with the Dallas Mavericks game last Dec. 1. That number represents pre-Katrina attendance levels and roughly 80% capacity for The Hive.
What is the likelihood that fans will meet this benchmark? According to ESPN.com, the Hornets have averaged 12,946 per game since this December. With 24 home games remaining this season – not including the playoffs – the Hornets need an average of 14,809 to meet the quota. In the last two games since the agreement, the arena housed some 15,605 against one of the NBA’s best, the L.A. Lakers, and 16,133 against the second-worst ranked Miami Heat.
The Hornets have struggled with attendance since moving back to New Orleans from Oklahoma City last year. The population has dropped significantly, hurting season ticket sales. And a dispute between Cox Cable and Charter Cable has withheld televised games to about 250,000 upper-middle class fans in St. Tammany Parish – a prime target for ticket sales.
During the 2004-05 season attendance levels slumped below 14,000 during the winter months before rising to 14,388 in March and 15,722 in April. But that was the same season the Hornets finished last in their new conference with an 18-64 record. Currently, they share the second standing with last year’s champions.
If attendance levels fail to meet the benchmarks and owners decide to move the team, the Times-Picayune estimates the cost will exceed $100 million in relocation fees and penalties to the state.
Hornets owner George Shinn told the Times-Picayune that he intends to keep the Hornets in Louisiana. However, a number of U.S. cities, including Kansas City, San Jose and Las Vegas, have expressed interest and have even built arenas for an NHL or NBA team.
New Orleans’ hosting of the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 9 may draw attention, especially with Chris Paul expected to make the bench lineup for the West.
Maybe by then, people will be buzzing in the hive again.
Steve Heath can be reached at [email protected].
