TURNKEY Sports Poll

Turnkey Sports & Entertainment owns the Turnkey Sports Poll, the industry’s continuing survey of senior-level executives and owners which probes the hottest issues inside sports. The results of the poll appear weekly in the SportsBusiness Journal.

May 2008
Sports facilities, the NACDA/AD of the Year awards and issues in college athletics, the wireless industry in sports, and sports hospitality

Which element of a sports facility affecting the fan experience will see the MOST innovation in design during the next 5 years?                      

  • Audio/visual systems – 50.24%
  • Premium spaces – 28.91%
  • Seating configuration - 9.48%
  • Facility exterior - 5.69%
  • Other - 3.32%

No response/not sure – 2.37%

Do you feel that sports facilities should be publicly funded?       

  • Yes – 47.87%
  • No – 41.23%

No response/not sure – 10.90%

What do you see as the trend for the number of publicly financed facilities over the next 5 years?           

  • Amount will decrease – 49.77%
  • Amount will stay the same – 32.39%
  • Amount will increase – 14.55%

No response/not sure – 3.29%

Which of the following AD's would get your vote for SportsBusiness Journal's “Athletic Director of the Year” award?                       

  • Gene Smith, Ohio State University – 20.29%
  • Lew Perkins, University of Kansas – 18.36%
  • Ron Wellman, Wake Forest University – 11.11%
  • Jeff Hathaway, University of Connecticut – 8.21%

No response/not sure – 42.03%

Which background gives a person the best training to lead a major collegiate athletic department?                                               

  • Consumer marketing – 17.39%
  • Sponsorship – 13.53%
  • Legal – 11.59%
  • Coaching – 9.18%
  • Facilities – 7.73%
  • Ticket sales – 4.35%
  • Media – 3.86%
  • Other – 20.29%

No response/not sure – 12.08%

Five years ago, Vanderbilt University restructured its athletic department and eliminated the position of Athletic Director. They have continued to successfully compete in the SEC; however, no other schools have followed their lead.

Can Vanderbilt continue to be successful athletically with their current model?                       

  • Yes – 65.22%
  • No – 17.87%

No response/not sure – 16.91%

The Bowl Championship Series committee met this week and elected not to create a 4-team playoff to determine the national champion for Division I college football. Did the BCS make the right decision?                                   

  • No – 66.18%
  • Yes – 27.54%

No response/not sure – 6.28%

What best sums up your feeling about using wireless technology at a sporting event? (Select all that apply)                                   

  • Good way to stay in touch with other games – 43.69%
  • Good way to stay in touch with work – 36.41%
  • Good way to order concessions – 34.95%
  • Good way to stay in touch with friends, family – 32.04%
  • Put the thing away and watch the game! – 26.70%

No response/not sure – 2.43%

How frequently do you look at your cell phone when attending a live sporting event?                       

  • Once in a while – 68.60%
  • Every few minutes – 18.36%
  • Not at all – 11.11%

No response/not sure – 1.94%

When you are at a sporting event, which activities do you feel comfortable performing on your handheld wireless device? (Select all that apply)                                   

  • E-mail – 71.98%
  • Text – 61.35%
  • Surfing the Internet – 35.75%
  • None of the above – 10.63%

No response/not sure – 3.38%

Which wireless provider has the best sports marketing strategy?                                   

  • Sprint – 25.24%
  • AT&T – 20.39%
  • Verizon – 19.90%
  • T-Mobile – 9.71%
  • Boost Mobile – 1.46%
  • Alltel - 0.97%
  • Virgin Mobile - 0.49%

No response/not sure – 21.84%

How would you grade the sports industry's use of wireless technology to enhance the fan experience at live events?                                   

  • C – 54.11%
  • D – 18.35%
  • B – 17.87%
  • F - 4.35%
  • A - 1.45%
No opinion – 3.87%           

What do you think is the BEST way for a sports organization to retain a premium seating customer?                                   

  • No gadgets/tricks, just build a close relationship with them – 42.16%
  • Give them face-to-face contact with players – 33.82%
  • Give them face-to-face contact with coaches/management – 8.82%
  • Send them on a team related trip – 7.84%
  • Give them autographed merchandise – 2.94%
  • Give them a special golf outing – 1.47%

No response/not sure – 2.94%

How will spending on sports hospitality be affected by the current economic downturn?                       

  • Decrease – 70.59%
  • No Change – 26.96%
  • Increase - 1.47%

No response/not sure – 0.98%

Which of the following types of sports hospitality inventory will be MOST negatively affected by the current economic downturn?                                  

  • Suite Sales – 34.80%
  • Season Ticket Sales – 25.00%
  • Individual Ticket Sales – 17.65%
  • Club Ticket Sales – 12.75%
  • Group Event Sales – 6.86%

No response/not sure – 2.94%

What is your perception of which event offers the best VALUE for hospitality?                       

  • Super Bowl – 26.47%
  • The Masters – 15.20%
  • Daytona 500 – 10.78%
  • MLB All-Star Game – 6.86%
  • NCAA Final Four – 6.86%
  • US Open (Golf) – 4.90%
  • US Open (Tennis) – 4.41%
  • NBA All-Star Game – 3.92%
  • The Kentucky Derby – 3.92%
  • PGA Championship – 2.94%
  • NHL All-Star Game - 1.47%
  • BCS Championship Game - 0.49%
  • Indy 500 – 0.49%
  • Other – 1.96%

No response/not sure – 9.31%

Thinking about your own particular business, what best describes your confidence level regarding the next 12 months for your own business?                

  • 5 - Somewhat Optimistic - 41.38%
  • 6 - Very Optimistic - 23.15%
  • 3 - Somewhat Pessimistic - 11.33%
  • 7 - Extremely Optimistic – 10.84%
  • 4 - Neither Optimistic nor Pessimistic - 9.36%
  • 1 - Extremely Pessimistic - 1.97%     
  • 2 - Very Pessimistic – 0.99%

No response/not sure – 0.99%
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