Division I College Football Premium Seating: An Analysis of the Power Five and Group of Five, Clientele, and Luxury Suite Prices

Abstract

In Division I college football, sustainability concerns exist from the growing financial divide between the Power Five and Group of Five conferences. Athletic departments can become more financially viable through generation of additional attendance revenue in the higher priced area of premium seating, but little research has been conducted on the topic. As the first premium seating study across all of Division I, results indicated the Power Five and Group of Five did not significantly differ on their available premium seating options with luxury suites, club seats, and loge boxes. Also, suite consumers were mainly half individuals/families and half corporate for both classifications. Further, the regression models explained approximately 60% of suite price from Conference Affiliation, Suite Capacity, Number of Suites, County Population, Facility Age, Non-Gameday Rental, and Private/Public Institution variables. Altogether, results highlighted the uniqueness of the college football market and its distinctiveness from professional sport.