Fayetteville Forcefans often crowd the box office outside of the Crown Coliseum to pick up their hockey tickets, but the coliseum seats are usually only a third full.
"The numbers are a little saddening right now, but with high school football ending, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, the numbers are going to climb," says Norm Eberle, chief operating officer.
Besides promotional giveaways, increased advertising and a new owner, the Force still gets a cool reception from fans. The Crown Coliseum can hold more than 10,000 fans, yet the team only averages 3,500.
Brent Cart, a vendor at the coliseum, says it all boils down to popularity.
"It's not a major hockey team, and a lot of people say it might not be good because it's not a major hockey team," he says.
More than 3,800 people attended the hockey game on Friday, 300 more than their season average.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.