NCAA college football achieved its second-highest home attendance total in 2000 by attracting more than 39 million fans for only the second time in history.

The 606 NCAA teams totaled 39,147,114 fans for all three divisions, trailing only the all-time record of 39,482,657 set in 1999. The 1999 total was the biggest one-year jump since 1978.

Even though the 2000 sum was a near record, it was the first time since 1995 that college football had not posted a gain in total attendance.

Division I-A totaled 28,839,284 fans in 2000, a drop of 193,689 from the high-water mark of more than 29 million in 1999. Division I-AA also dropped 227,238 from last year with a 5,722,107 total in 2000.

Division II was the only division to post an increase in total attendance at 2,512,290, up 8,172 from a year ago. Division III dropped 10,677 from 1999 with a total of 1,985,544 this season.

Home-game attendance in Division I-A accounted for 74 percent of the 2000 national totals.

Michigan No. 1 again

The Michigan Wolverines took the home attendance title for the third consecutive year, averaging 110,822 at each of its six home contests in 2000. Tennessee was second for the third year in a row, posting an all-time school high of 107,595 per game.

Ohio State was third for the first time since 1990 with a 97,757 average, edging Penn State, which was fourth at 95,543. LSU was fifth, averaging 87,815.

The Southeastern and Big Ten Conferences combined for nine of the top 10 teams in home attendance. The SEC captured the conference attendance title with a record 72,448 per game to outdistance the Big Ten, which finished with a conference-best average of 68,525.

Total attendance records were set in Division I-A by the Big 12, Atlantic Coast and Big East Conferences. The SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big East also set per-game records.

Southern University captured its first Division I-AA attendance title since 1992 by averaging 27,190 per game to outdistance second-place South Florida's 26,414. Yale was third at 23,142, Delaware fourth at 21,154 and Florida A&M fifth at 20,337.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference won its 23rd straight Division I-AA attendance crown, averaging 11,502 per contest. The Ivy Group was next at 11,408 and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference was third at 10,620.

Divisions II and III

North Dakota State took its fourth Division II attendance title and its first since 1997 with an average of 12,723. Morehouse was second at 11,883, followed by last year's champion, Tuskegee, at 10,960. North Dakota was fourth with 8,658 and Albany State (Georgia) fifth at 8,449. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference took its ninth straight Division II conference attendance title, averaging 7,405 fans per game.

In Division III, Emory & Henry won its second crown (the first was 1997) with an average of 6,263 to outdistance Mississippi College at 5,146. Hope was third at 5,019 and Trinity (Connecticut) was fourth at 4,544. Last year's champion, Mount Union, was fifth at 4,437. The Old Dominion Athletic Conference captured its 12th consecutive Division III conference attendance crown, averaging 3,486 per game.

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

The figures for the 2000 attendance compilation were submitted by sports information departments and ticket offices, and some are not considered official audited attendance. Official audited attendance for 2000 will be requested later by other NCAA departments.