It's not independence. it's not BYU, it's not even the product on the field. College football game attendance is dropping for every team across the country from the SEC (I'm looking at you Alabama) to the ACC. Why? it's very simple and it's one word.

TV.

Stay in your living room, watch in your underwear. get the best views of the game in stunning 72" HD picture with surround sound. Get commentary and a thousands instant replays. Get DVR and no commercials and then you can do your own replays. Stay warm, stay dry, eat cheap food from Costco instead of $9 gross stadium hotdogs. No traffic, no parking problems. No driving, and no annoying fans from another team threatening your life or actually beating you up. No beer stains. and did I mention the rising cost of tickets? it's EXPENSIVE to go to games and you want to take your whole family? What about families and kids? it's CHEAP to get directTV.

TV has become so ubiquitous and on demand from any device and the costs and hassle of game attendance has only increased. You start to lose some of those marginal fans. and then you get some of the younger generation who are lazy and poor. And then you get others who attend in some bad weather who realize that standing outdoors in 5 degree weather and a driving snow for several hours in fact ISN"T their idea of fun. And you get a "better product" at home anyways.

So as school get more and more money from their lavish TV deals, they're losing on the ticket side because their fans are actually choosing to stay home and watch those amazing productions. This is not a BYU problem and it's not an Independence or ROC or Bronco or Tom or Provo problem. it's a TV problem and it's nation-wide.