The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- December 21, 1998

Football attendance skyrockets to all-time record of 37.5 million

BY RICHARD M. CAMPBELL
NCAA STATISTICS COORDINATOR

Perhaps buoyed by interest in the Bowl Championship Series, college football attendance in 1998 soared over the 37 million mark for the first time.

The primary increase occurred in Division I-A.

Home-game attendance totals for 1998 were 37,491,078 for the four divisions and subdivisions, a jump of more than 600,000 fans from 1997. Division I-A totaled a record 27,674,217 fans, an average of 42,510 per game and a jump of more than 100,000 in total attendance from the previous mark set last year.

The 595 NCAA teams saw a jump of 633,229 from last season in overall attendance and surpassed the previous record total of 36,857,849 set in 1997.

Division I-A home-game attendance accounted for almost 75 percent of the 1998 national totals.

The NCAA Statistics Service began compiling national football attendance in 1948. Since 1978, only NCAA teams have been included in attendance figures.

One reason for the continuing climb in Division I-A attendance is the expansion of stadiums by several prominent programs over the last few years. Both Notre Dame and Tennessee expanded their capacities before the 1997 season and Michigan expanded the "Big House" before 1998.

Another reason may be increased marketing efforts in college football. Also, the proliferation of televised college football games -- sometimes cited as a detriment to actual attendance -- may be leading to increased fan support and recognition.

Michigan rebounds

The Michigan Wolverines, bolstered by a stadium expansion, rebounded from last year's second-place finish to take the attendance title from Tennessee in 1998. In finishing first, Michigan became the only college football team to average more than 110,000 for its home games.

The Wolverines averaged 110,965 for their six home games while Tennessee was second with 106,914, the second-best figure in NCAA history. Penn State, averaging 96,532, finished third for the fourth year in a row. Ohio State (93,502) and Georgia (85,618) rounded out the top five.

The Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences had nine of the top 10 teams in home attendance as the two battled once again for the conference attendance title. The SEC averaged 69,309, an all-time per-game norm, to become the conference champion for the first time since 1992.

Total attendance records were set in Division I-A by the SEC, the Big 12 Conference, the Big East Conference and Conference USA.

South Florida in I-AA

South Florida captured its first Division I-AA attendance title by averaging 27,143 in only its second varsity football season. Southern University was second at 22,713 and Princeton, benefiting from a new stadium, was third at 22,221.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference won its 21st consecutive Division I-AA conference attendance title, averaging 13,580. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference was next at 11,389.

Divisions II and III

Tuskegee, last year's runner-up, took its first Division II attendance crown, averaging 13,269. Morehouse was second at 11,883 and last year's winner, North Dakota State, was third at 11,589.

In Division III, St. John's (Minnesota) won its fourth attendance title in the past six years, averaging 6,562 to edge last year's winner, Emory & Henry, which averaged 6,179 fans.