Ninth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

In its inaugural season, FC Cincinnati broke every USL league attendance record, often outdrawing many MSL teams in major sporting markets. FC Cincinnati’s mediocre league and playoff performance does little to explain the continued growth of fan loyalty in the team’s second season, including a doubling of season ticket holders, new attendance records, and year-over-year gains in merchandize sales. So how does a town known more for a devotion to bats, mitts, and the oval kind of football, with a fledging soccer team in the third tier of the American professional soccer pyramid, get labeled “Soccer City, USA” by the US Soccer Federation? The answer may have nothing to do with team performance and celebrity players and everything to do with drums, smoke, tifos, and chants – the artifacts of fan devotion and sports ritual on display every home match day in the “Bailey,” a standing room only section in a university football stadium. Using event day observation and qualitative research of fanatical, devoted, and casual fans, this research explores the extent to which these fanatical fans may be considered “co-producers” of the game day experience and identifies the key components of value creation for each type of fan.