Eight notable stats from the NCAA’s annual attendance report
The NCAA released its entire attendance report for the 2015-16 college basketball season on Wednesday morning. Here’s a look at eight stats that stood out the most:
• Highest attendance per game: 1. Kentucky (23,361) 2. Syracuse (21,592) 3. Louisville (20,859)
Comment: Syracuse’s two-year run as average attendance leaders ended this season at the hands of the team the Orange briefly eclipsed. Before the 2013-14 season, the Wildcats finished No. 1 in 17 of the previous 18 years.
• Lowest attendance per game: 1. Bryant (436) 2. South Carolina State (439) 3. Saint Peter’s (479)
Comment: How did Bryant manage to draw smaller crowds than many high school teams last season? It had a lot to do with the product the Bulldogs put out on the floor. They went 8-23 and finished second-to-last in the Northeast Conference.
• Highest per-game attendance among non-major conference schools: 1. BYU (14,699), 2. New Mexico (13,030) 3. Dayton (12,941)
Comment: For the seventh straight season, BYU drew the largest crowds of any school in the West. The Cougars and Lobos top this list even though neither made the NCAA tournament. Third-place Dayton out-drew in-state fellow powers Ohio State, Xavier and Cincinnati.
• Lowest per game attendance among major-conference schools: 1. Washington State (2,856) 2. Boston College (3,411) 3. Stanford (4,393)
Comment: It has to be alarming for Washington State to be last for a third straight season. Under third-year coach Ernie Kent, the Cougars so far are neither making strides on the court or in the stands. USC also can’t be thrilled being fourth-to-last in a season in which it boasted a fun team that made the NCAA tournament. Andy Enfield has rebuilt the Trojans into a quality team but he has yet to restore interest in basketball at the school.
• Highest per-game attendance among non-Division I schools: 1. Northern State (3,346), 2. Augustana (2,726) 3. Hope College 2,638
Comment: The only change from last year is Division III Hope College replacing Fort Hayes State in the top three.
• Largest average attendance increase from last year: 1. Maryland (+5,169), 2. Alabama (+2,934), 3. LSU (+2,485)
Comment: Maryland’s massive jump was a product of ending its NCAA tournament drought in 2015 and bringing preseason top 10 expectations into last season. Alabama surged in anticipation of Avery Johnson’s debut season as coach, while LSU’s appearance is undoubtedly a product of the Ben Simmons effect.
• Best average attendance per conference: 1. Big Ten (12,555), 2. SEC (11,144), 3. ACC (11,131)
Comment: The Big Ten topped this category for a fifth straight year, while the SEC eclipsed the ACC for second place. The Big 12 was fourth in this category, followed by the Big East and Pac-12.
• Highest attendance in all games (home, road and neutral): 1. North Carolina (781,614), 2. Kentucky (694,871), 3. Syracuse (682,039)
Comment: North Carolina is a big draw at home and on the road. The national runner-up Tar Heels were fourth nationally in average attendance at home games behind only Kentucky, Syracuse and Louisville.
Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
