Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Texas Tech basketball: Numbers to know as Tech heads to Stillwater

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 04: The Texas Tech Red Raiders stand for the National Anthem before the college basketball game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on January 04, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 04: The Texas Tech Red Raiders stand for the National Anthem before the college basketball game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on January 04, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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General view of the arena from the upper level as the Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the Kansas Jayhawks at Gallagher-Iba Arena (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
General view of the arena from the upper level as the Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the Kansas Jayhawks at Gallagher-Iba Arena (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

OSU is averaging 6,281 empty seats per game this year

When it is filled to capacity, 13,611-seat Gallagher-Iba Arena can be a madhouse.  After being remodeled and expanded in the year 2000 to more than double it’s capacity, it has an extremely steep upper level making it feel as if the upper deck is right on top of the action and thus increasing the noise that opposing teams have to fight through.

But this year, fans in Stillwater are not turning out the way they have in the past.  In fact, in twelve home games, OSU has averaged just 7,330 fans, which is just 53.8% of the arena’s capacity.

To put that in perspective, consider that there is only one program in the Big 12 averaging fewer fans per game and that’s TCU, which is drawing 6,213 per game.  The difference is that Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth has a capacity that is about half of what Gallagher-Iba’s is.

Why does this matter?  Because it could impact today’s contest in a significant way.

When the Red Raiders enter what will likely be a half-empty arena, will they allow the lack of energy in the building to drain them of their intensity and aggressiveness?  That happened two years ago when Tech played in Stillwater during an ice storm that forced classes to be canceled.

In front of an announced crowd that was just over 7,000, Tech lost 79-71 to a Cowboy team that was 5-9 on the season in conference play entering that contest.  Keep in mind that there were far fewer fans on hand that night than the announced crowd of 7,000  (which is almost always a count of tickets sold).  In fact, there were so few people in the building that night that the OSU coaches and fans went around shaking hands of those in attendance after the game to thank them for braving the elements.

There might be more fans in the barn this afternoon but not many.  Expect this to be a game played in front of a sleepy crowd that might not be fully awake for the noon tipoff.

Thus, Tech is going to have to manufacture its own energy early.  The good news is that if the home team falls into a large hole in the first half, there won’t be too many fans sticking around to try to will them back into the game.

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