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What Memphis basketball turnstile count dip means for Tigers' bottom line

jason munz, memphis commercial appeal
·3 min read

The actual attendance for Memphis men's basketball games in 2023-24 at FedExForum took a slight hit compared to the previous season.

Penny Hardaway's Tigers — who started hot but missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021 — drew an average of 6,827 fans through the turnstiles, according to figures provided by the school to The Commercial Appeal via open records request. That number is down from the 7,458 in actual attendance in 2022-23 but higher than what the athletic department reported in 2021-22 (which was 6,483). In Hardaway's first season as coach (2018-19), by comparison, the Tigers averaged an actual attendance of 8,813.

Under the terms of the University of Memphis' FedExForum lease agreement (set to expire this year), the athletic department would have received a maximum payment of $800,000 from the Grizzlies if the Tigers averaged 10,000 or more through the turnstiles. Instead, the university will get a partial payment. The specific amount has not been determined. The university is required to disclose it in its fiscal year report to the NCAA in June.

Turnstile count refers to the actual number of tickets scanned, which often differs appreciably from announced attendance. The Tigers’ average announced attendance this season was 12,276 (up from 11,444 in 2022-23).

Counting two exhibition games, the program held 17 games at FedExForum this season. But according to an athletic department spokesperson, FedExForum officials agreed not to count the game against South Florida on Jan. 18 because a winter storm left roads icy in and around Memphis.

According to the lease agreement, if Memphis averages a turnstile count between 6,000 and 10,000, it receives a reduced payment in proportion to the shortfall. If average attendance is below 6,000, Memphis gets nothing from the Grizzlies. Since 2004, that has happened only once (in 2017-18, Tubby Smith's final season as coach). If the average turnstile count is below 6,000 for two consecutive seasons, the Grizzlies have the option to terminate the school’s lease.

The Tigers' home schedule this season featured nonconference games against Clemson, Virginia and Vanderbilt. But the AAC portion of the schedule looked dramatically different than years past. Following the departures of national powerhouse Houston, longtime rival Cincinnati and familiar foe UCF, the AAC welcomed Rice, North Texas, UTSA, Charlotte, UAB and FAU — each of which played at FedExForum this season.

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Three games (Clemson, Virginia and UAB) drew 9,000 or more, with the win over Clemson representing the high mark for the season (10,587). Last season, only the Houston (13,302) and Ole Miss (10,720) games topped 9,000.

FedExForum capacity is listed as 18,400 by the University of Memphis.

Memphis basketball 2023-24 game-by-game turnstile count

  • Lane College: 3,667*

  • LeMoyne-Owen: 3,285*

  • Jackson State: 5,370

  • Alabama State: 5,892

  • Clemson: 10,587

  • Virginia: 9,597

  • Vanderbilt: 8,900

  • Austin Peay: 6,901

  • SMU: 7,931

  • UTSA: 5,508

  • South Florida: N/A**

  • Rice: 5,825

  • Wichita State: 6,849

  • Tulane: 6,395

  • Charlotte: 4,800

  • FAU: 8,626

  • UAB: 9,091

* Exhibition game** Attendance not counted due to winter weather

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What Memphis basketball turnstile count dip means for the bottom line