Bad hoops season costing Georgia Tech big bucks

Georgia Tech estimates the men’s basketball program has lost $275,000 this season because of a lack of sellouts, the empty seats blamed on losing and the economic crisis.

After four consecutive years of sellouts, the Yellow Jackets have drawn an average of 7,448 people to 14 home games at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, which holds 9,191. It’s the smallest average attendance since Tech drew 6,190 in 2001-02.

With three home dates left, Duke (9,035), Wake Forest (8,853) and Georgia (8,368) have attracted the biggest crowds to AMC.

“It’s been hit or miss this year,” associate director of athletics Wayne Hogan said. “The excitement and exuberance have not hit the peak we’re used to.”

Tech fell 1,100 short of selling out its 7,500 season tickets before the season, the first time in five years Tech didn’t sell its allotment.

And the Jackets’ performance hasn’t helped single-game sales. The team has plunged to last place in the ACC with a series of close losses.

Just 7,183 fans saw last week’s loss to Maryland, the second- smallest home crowd Tech has had for an ACC game this year.

“Our fans have been terrific this year,” said coach Paul Hewitt, who also surmised that the attendance drop stems from his team’s record and the economy. “Walking off the court after Boston College (80-76 OT loss) and Maryland (57-56 loss), I was thinking, ‘If these people wanted to throw rotten food at me right now, I probably wouldn’t blame them.”

As frustrated as coaches and players are, Hewitt added, “it’s equally frustrating for [fans] and I’m appreciative of how supportive they are.”

The Jackets (10-13, 1-9) host N.C. State (13-9, 3-6) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $30, and plenty are available.

Season-ticket holder Gordon Pfeiffer said he had trouble finding a family member to accompany him to the Jan. 31 game against then-No. 6 Wake Forest.

“My wife was like, ‘Nah, I don’t want to go.’ My son didn’t want to go, either,” said Pfeiffer, 49, a database administrator and Tech alum. “My daughter, a sophomore at Mercer, was home that weekend and she was the same way. I couldn’t give the ticket away.”

Pfeiffer ended up taking a friend who’s a Wake Forest alum. His family, and a couple hundred others, missed seeing Tech win 76-74 at the buzzer.

Dick Eskew, another longtime season-ticket holder, said some of his friends’ seats have gone unused this year.

“There’s definitely a reduced enthusiasm,” said Eskew, 51, a construction project manager and Tech alum. “Guys have other things to do and it’s not that important. It used to be every game you wanted to be there.”

If the product doesn’t improve soon, Pfeiffer said, he might give up his season tickets.

“We have that recruiting class and it will be interesting to see, but all three of us [who share season tickets] are really disappointed,” Pfeiffer said. “I think we have better talent than we show. The thing that disappoints me the most is we’re not improving.”