Three University varsity women's sports teams are currently nationally ranked in the top 10.These teams have been perennial ACC powerhouses, and have proven they can win the big games, making it deep into the postseason.Arguably, women's sports has earned a place at the University.
But despite strong performances from the University's women's athletic programs, fan attendance does not equal that of men's programs. One student speculated that the women's sports are not promoted as heavily.
Attendance numbers at women's sporting events attest to that. According to the Virginia ticket office, the women's soccer team has attracted an average of 152 students per game this season, with the highest attendance being 253 when the team played Georgia. By comparison, the men's soccer team has attracted an average of 768 students to each game this season, with the highest attendance being 1372 at the Davidson game.
"I think part of it is that women's sports don't get as much exposure as men's sports," second-year Engineering student Sarah Glendon said. "Everyone who follows sports always knows when the men play, but not the women."
One female athlete said this disparity is simply a reflection of team performance.
"I don't think [attendance] has to do with a gender thing, but more with legacy," said soccer player Shannon Foley, a fourth-year College student. "Both men's soccer and men's lacrosse have great winning legacies and so has the women's lacrosse team. Teams with a legacy get a following. I feel like the better we do, the better our attendance will be."
But Foley said women's sports don't always get the recognition they deserve.
"I do wish that we were given more of an equal opportunity," Foley said. "A lot of times, women's sports are undermined because people think we're not tough, even though we work just as hard as the men do."
Some students said they agree with this mindset.
"People don't think of women as competitive as men," second-year College student Matt Pelais said. "They think they are getting a better and more exciting game when they go to the men's events."
Some groups are attempting to change this perceived attitude toward women's sports. The revamped Hoo Crew has introduced a new system that they hope will encourage students to support their women's teams. Hoo Crew president Graham Tucker said the group has set up a calendar of sporting events that they are asking their members to go to.
"I think we have two or three volleyball games, two or three women's soccer games, and a field hockey game on our schedule," Tucker said.
By attending these games, Hoo Crew members will receive Sabre Points, which directly affect their entry time into the John Paul Jones Arena for men's basketball games later this fall.
"We are rewarding people who are the most passionate fans," Tucker said. "Why not give incentive by having people go and support other sporting events?"
Tucker added that Hoo Crew members can receive Sabre Points at all women's basketball games this year, and the Hoo Crew will give prizes to members who attend sporting events in the spring, once basketball season is over.
Some students are optimistic that the new Sabre Points system will improve attendance at women's sporting events.
"Now that you have to go to other sporting events to earn points, I think it will really change the atmosphere for women's sports," Glendon said.
Some students who go to women's games said they have had unique and exciting experiences.
"Volleyball is the event that I'm most excited about," Tucker said. "Mem Gym is an awesome place to watch a volleyball game because it's so small. My first year I went with a group of five guys and we were ridiculously obnoxious during the game. Just having five people there makes a huge impact."
Glendon, a Virginia basketball fan, said she has just as much fun watching women's basketball as men's.
"I went to the Virginia versus Maryland game last year and it was very, very exciting," Glendon said. "We went into overtime with one of the best teams in the country. The women play with as much intensity as the men do. I had so much fun."
Pelais, a member of the Cavalier Marching Band, said he has had similar experiences while playing at women's sporting events throughout the year.
The band "just played at a volleyball game and it was really exciting," Pelais said. "Our team won the first two sets, and the third set to win the match was really close. It was very intense."
Although women's sports fans said they love watching their team play, they said the games would be even better if more students came to them.
"I think there is a different atmosphere at women's basketball games because seats are filled with people from the community," Glendon said. "If students realized that women's basketball can be as much fun as men's basketball, the atmosphere would be more alive and more exciting."
Some band members said women's sports would be more fun if the band was not the only group of students there.
"I think it's sad that more people don't come to women's games," Pelais said. "The women's teams are always more thankful for the band and fans coming [than the men's teams] -- and they thank them for their support."
Glendon said enthusiasm for the sport does not hinge on the gender of the team playing.
"Whether it's men's or women's, it's still Virginia and you're excited and screaming," Glendon said. "You're happy when we win and you're sad when we lose."
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 3 days agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 5 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
