Survey Process

Mid-Season Survey was created via Qualtrics. Survey was emailed directly to anyone that held a ticket over the for a men's basketball game from the start of the season thru the game vs. ODU on 12/13/25 as well as promoted via social media. Any respondent that completed the survey would receive the opportunity to claim up to 2 tickets to the January 3^rd MBB game vs. URI.  374 Respondents with 376 basketball tickets claimed.
 
 

Overview

1. Initial Findings
2. Net Promoter Score
3. Demographic Data
4. Ticketing
5. Pre-Game
6. In-Game
7. Appendix

 
 

Findings Summary

Overall, NPS score indicates an exceptional experience for most fan which can be attributed to the strong on-court experience, high emotional connection to the program and a game-day experience that exceeds expectations.  Bottom line, fans aren't just satisfied, they are active promoters for George Mason Basketball.  Key Takeaway – how do we tap into this to GROW the fan base rather than maintain?

• Demographics
  • Slightly younger demographic: 59% are 45 years of age or older.
    • Relatively even distribution of respondents age ranges.  Opportunity to engage with the 35-44 age range with young families/disclosable income (also graduated during the Final Four run).
    • Highest concentration of respondents in Prince William County were in the 35-44 age bracket.   Opportunity to target for family promotions.
  • Fairfax County accounted for over 60% of respondents.
  • Government, Education & Technology are the most prevalent industries respondents were affiliated with. 
• Ticketing
  • 44% of respondents indicated they purchased single game tickets compared to 41% were season ticket holders.  For the majority of respondents to be single game buyers, indicates there is a strong connection to George Mason Basketball but not fully committed to season tickets or potentially Patriot Club.  This can be viewed as a great opportunity. 
  • Price & Seat location was overwhelmingly the top of the decision-making process when purchasing tickets.  Flexibility was ranked last. 
  • Strong adoption to mobile tickets – review FAQs and any customer service features like automated emails, but overall strong. 
• Pre-Game
  • 73% of fans arrive 30-60 minutes prior to tip off. 
  • 77% of respondents participated in either the gold or green rooms.
    • NPS scores were asked only if the respondent had indicated they went to either the green or gold rooms. 
      • Green Room NPS: 12.24
      • Gold Room NPS: -27.28
        • Dive deeper into the open-ended responses for additional feedback.
        • Evaluate: Pricing, Expectation, Execution
• In-Game
  • See appendix for sponsor mentions.  McKay Chevrolet is major winner. 
  • 62% of all respondents indicated Concessions was area in most need of attention (compared to Promotions & Timeout Entertainment which finished 2^nd & 3^rd with 28% and 21% respectively).
    • When ranking Quality, Variety, Location & Flow, Wait Times and Price – nothing averaged above a 3.26 out of 5.   Wait Times & Price both scored below 3.
    • Concessions should be considered a high priority for evaluation.  Open ended feedback included on attached document. 
    • Further research how concessions impacted NPS and the likelihood to return. 
  • Ease of Entry, Parking & Staff Helpfulness all averaged above a 4.5 rating.  
  • Activations, Crowd Energy and Halftime Entertainment scored below a 4.0 rating.  The overall NPS score shows that we are doing a lot of things well but still may not be riding momentum throughout the game as well as we can. 
    • Dive further into the variance in scoring based on age range. 
    • Green Machine scored very well overall but stronger from the 35-64 age bracket, however, sees a noticeable drop in scoring average for respondents below the age of 34.

 
Overall Takeaway: This survey confirms that fans genuinely love George Mason Basketball and feel a strong connection to the program within Northern Virginia. However, the next step is translating that affinity into measurable growth, increased revenue, and active advocacy. By addressing the clearly identified areas for improvement, we can strengthen trust with our fan base and empower our most passionate supporters to serve as true promoters in the marketplace, ultimately accelerating the growth of the George Mason Basketball brand.
 

Net Promoter Score

The Net Promoter Score measures the likelihood of someone recommending a product, service or event to a friend or colleague based on a 1-10 scale. Respondents registering a 0-6 score are Detractors, 7-8 are
Passives and 9-10 are Promoters. The NPS score is determined by taking the percentage of Detractors and subtracting from the percentage of Passives. This score will be calculated overtime to see improvements in fan experience.
 
Survey was conducted following a win over Old Dominion, bringing the team record to 10-1 to start the season.  Overall, the net promoter score indicates an excellent experience for most fans.  A score of 60.28 is well above average for sports events, suggesting solid fan engagement and satisfaction. Top tier collegiate basketball programs might have an NPS of 50-70, particularly for programs with in-season success, strong traditions and large, engaged fan bases. Lower-performing or rebuilding programs often see NPS in the 20-40 range, as fan satisfaction correlates with team success and overall experience.
 
 
 


 

Respondent Demographic Data

 

Ticketing Experience

When deciding to purchase tickets to a George Mason basketball game, please rank the following factors in order of importance: (drag-and drop ranking)

Pre-Game Experience

In-Game Experience

Promotions

 







All respondents who requested to be contacted from this survey will be called or emailed by our ticket sales team.  List has been shared and will be separated out amongst reps at the time of this report.   
 
 
Appendix


Demographics - "Other" Industries Noted

Cross Tabs