The struggles aren't only on the ice for the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team.
The Badgers are on pace for their lowest announced attendance average since they moved to the Kohl Center in 1998. A massive dropoff in season ticket sales after a fourth losing season out of five set up the downturn.
UW has four home games remaining in the 2022-23 season, including two against No. 1 Minnesota on Friday and Saturday that typically are among the best attended.
But they're averaging only 7,556 in announced attendance through 14 home games. The lowest on record in the first 23 seasons they played at the Kohl Center was 8,849 in 2015-16, a season whose echoes are being heard now.
UW fired coach Mike Eaves in 2016 after the team went 12-45-13 in his final two seasons and interest waned. Tony Granato, the program's third-leading goal scorer with an NHL coaching background, took over and delivered a boost in energy and, initially, performance.
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But the Badgers are 20-42-3 in two seasons since they won the 2021 Big Ten championship and attendance again has slumped.
Announced attendance doesn't reflect the number of fans in the building, a figure that has been much smaller in recent seasons. That trend appears to have continued as the Badgers have won just 10 of 28 games this season and all but guaranteed a last-place finish in the Big Ten.
Even before this season started, fan discontent was apparent in a 25% drop in season ticket sales compared to the 2021-22 campaign, according to figures released by UW through a public records request.
UW had 7,160 season tickets distributed in a system where the general public has two packages split between the first and second games of series and students have a full-season plan. That was down from 10,145 in 2021-22.
Fans watch the Badgers play Notre Dame at the Kohl Center on Jan. 6. The game had an announced attendance of 7,256.
The number of season packages distributed for suites and clubs stays relatively steady each year at just under 650 per game. Sales in other parts of the Kohl Center suffered.
There was a net loss of more than 1,300 general public season tickets between the last two seasons. The Face-Off package, typically the first game of a series, has 2,568 general public season tickets this season (down 14%) and the Slap-Shot package has 3,557 (down 20%).
The percentage drop was larger among students. There are 1,407 full-season packages for students, a 42% cut from 2021-22.
A higher percentage of the season packages are comps — 31% compared to 26% last season.
Those who have attended home games this season have seen the Badgers go 7-7, with three goals scored in an 0-4 start. That doesn't include a 6-1 loss to the U.S. Under-18 Team in an exhibition that was included in the Face-Off package.
The biggest announced crowd of the season before the Minnesota series and another against Michigan State on Feb. 17-18 has been 9,766 for a 2-0 loss to Ohio State on Jan. 21.
UW still is third in the country for NCAA men's hockey attendance behind North Dakota and Minnesota. Only seven teams average 6,000 or more in announced attendance.
It's the dropoff for the Badgers that has been stark. The average announced attendance in 2006-07, the season after UW's last NCAA championship, was 14,430.
UW decided before this season to stop selling tickets for the 300 level at the Kohl Center unless demand required the sections to be open. Some single-game tickets for the upper level were a lower price than others in previous seasons but UW restructured prices to make nonconference games cheaper than those against Big Ten foes.
A contract change last offseason gave the impression that this season was make or break for Granato's future with the Badgers. The cost for UW to buy out the rest of Granato's five-year contract was decreased to $1 million through June. The figure goes up July 1.
UW needed to return to "consistently competing at a championship level," athletic director Chris McIntosh said last spring.
UW instead needs to win its last six regular-season games and have Notre Dame lose its last four to avoid a fourth last-place finish in 10 seasons of the Big Ten hockey conference.
Photos: Cole Caufield's career with the Wisconsin Badgers
Cole Caufield reacts after scoring against Penn State during their November 2020 game at La Bahn Arena. (Amber Arnold, State Journal)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield tries to get past Penn State's Connor McMenamin during their November 2020 game at La Bahn Arena. (Amber Arnold, State Journal)
Wisconsin forward Cole Caufield breaks free from Ohio State forward Jaedon Leslie during their February 2021 game at LaBahn Arena. (Amber Arnold, State Journal)
Badgers forward Cole Caufield looks for an open teammate against Ohio State during their February 2021 game at LaBahn Arena. (Amber Arnold, State Journal)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield skates against Boston College during their October 2019 game in Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Winslow Townson, Associated Press)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield follows the puck against Boston College during their October 2019 game in Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Winslow Townson, Associated Press)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield skates against Boston College during their October 2019 game in Chestnut Hill, Mass. (Winslow Townson, Associated Press)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield outraces Arizona State's Jax Murray during their November 2020 game in Madison.
Cole Caufield skates during a September 2019 practice at the Kohl Center. (Amber Arnold, State Journal)
Cole Caufield poses for a photo at the Kohl Center before the 2019-20 season. (Amber Arnold, State Journal)
Cole Caufield talks with teammates Ty Pelton-Byce and Jesper Peltonen during a September 2019 practice at the Kohl Center. (Amber Arnold, State Journal)
The Caufield family — Paul, Cole, Kelly and Brock — pose with the Hobey Baker Award that Cole won with the Badgers. (Todd D. Milewski, State Journal)
Cole Caufield poses with the Hobey Baker Award after winning the award with the Badgers. (Todd D. Milewski, State Journal)
Cole Caufield, center right, smiles after being chosen by the Montreal Canadiens during the first round of the 2019 NHL draft. (Jonathan Hayward, Canadian Press)
Cole Caufield fires a shot during a November 2020 game against Michigan at LaBahn Arena. (Tom Lynn, UW Athletics)
Cole Caufield celebrates one of 30 goals he scored as a sophomore with the Badgers (Courtesy UW Athletics).
Teammates congratulate Cole Caufield on one of his two goals in the third period the Badgers' loss to Bemidji State in the 2021 NCAA Tournament. (Greg Vasil, For the State Journal)
Cole Caufield celebrates his overtime goal in the 2021 Big Ten semifinals against Penn State. (Mike Miller, Big Ten Conference)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield looks to move the puck against Minnesota during their 2021 Big Ten tournament championship game. (John Mersits, South Bend Tribune)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield celebrates his game-tying power-play goal in the third period of the Badgers' 2021 Big Ten tournament semifinal against Penn State. (Mike Miller, Big Ten Conference)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield celebrates his overtime goal past Penn State's Oskar Autio during the 2021 Big Ten Conference semifinals. (Mike Miller, Big Ten Conference)
Cole Caufield shoots against Penn State during their 2021 Big Ten Conference semifinal. (Mike Miller, Big Ten Conference)
Badgers forward Cole Caufield drives into the offensive zone while Ohio State's Layton Ahac defends during their February 2021 game at LaBahn Arena. (Paul Capobianco, UW Athletics)
The Badgers celebrate Cole Caufield's first goal against Minnesota in the first period of their Feb. 5, 2021, game in Minneapolis. (Brace Hemmelgarn, Minnesota Athletics)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield controls the puck against Penn State's Jimmy Dowd Jr. during their Nov. 24, 2020, game at LaBahn Arena. (Tom Lynn, UW Athletics)
Wisconsin's Cole Caufield pushes around Penn State's Paul DeNaples with the puck during their Oct. 31, 2019, game in State College, Pa. (Abby Drey, Centre Daily Times)
Badgers forward Cole Caufield shoots during a 2019 exhibition game against British Columbia in Vancouver. (Rich Lam, UBC Athletics)
Cole Caufield celebrates a goal in a 2019 exhibition game at British Columbia in Vancouver. (Rich Lam, UBC Athletics)
Badgers incoming freshman forward Cole Caufield speaks to the media before the 2019 NHL draft in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Jonathan Hayward, Canadian Press)
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman shakes hands with Montreal Canadiens selection Cole Caufield during the first round of the 2019 NHL draft. (Jonathan Hayward, Canadian Press)
Todd D. Milewski | Wisconsin State Journal
Todd D. Milewski has covered the University of Wisconsin hockey teams and Badgers athletics for the Wisconsin State Journal since 2016. He has covered NCAA hockey since 1997.
