Measurements and player surveys of crowd noise levels during college hockey ames

Abstract

Measuring crowd noise in football stadiums has become popularized by the media in recent years, as teams have vied for the right to claim to have the “loudest stadium.” Many fans believe that the louder they cheer, the more likely their team will win. While cheering gives players mental support, the extraneous noise could also be detrimental to effective communications on the field. Based on Barnard’s previous study of crowd noise at outdoor football games (2011), the present study focuses on hockey arenas which, unlike football stadiums, typically have roofs that can add more surface area for sound to amplify. Measurements of the crowd noise levels and surveys of hockey players have been taken during four college hockey games within a closed-roof stadium. Results will be presented and discussed, with focus on determining the loudest section, if there is noise interference on the ice, and if there is correlation between noise level and goals acquired by the home team.