While it was no secret that many football fans were disappointed with the Bowl Championship Series results that produced Division I-A national co-champions, the interest that accompanied the controversy likely was among factors that caused college football home attendance to soar to an all-time high of more than 46 million fans in 2003.

The regular-season excitement, coupled with the rule allowing Divisions I-A and I-AA institutions to play as many as 12 regular-season games for the second consecutive year, boosted home attendance by more than 1.5 million fans in 2003. That jump followed an increase of four million in 2002.

The 617 NCAA football teams totaled 46,144,539 fans for all divisions, surpassing the former mark of 44,556,215 set in 2002. The per-game average for all games and all divisions was 13,568, which was the best overall mark since 1984 (13,852).

Divisions I-A and I-AA institutions are allowed to play 12 contests during those years in which there are 14 Saturdays from the first permissible playing date through the last playing date in November. Unless legislative changes are made, the 2003 season will be the last one allowing 12 games until 2008 (followed by 2013, 2014 and 2019).

In 2001, without the extra games, Division I-A schools averaged 5.75 home games. In 2002, with the extra games, schools averaged 6.27 home games, leading to an increase in attendance totals. In 2003, the built-in boost continued as I-A schools played an average of 6.09 home games.

As in past years, most of the increases were attributed to Division I-A institutions, which posted an all-time total of 35,085,646, which includes neutral sites and bowl games. Division I-A teams also averaged a record 45,447 fans for all 772 games played this season, including 28 bowl games. The bowl games totaled 1,458,757, also the best in bowl history. Division I-A total attendance represented 76 percent of the 2003 total.

Division I-AA totaled 6,070,116 fans, an increase of 544,866 over last year and the second-best total in I-AA history (trailing only 6,193,989 in 1994). Division I-AA's per-game compilation of 8,684 was a jump of 791 from 2002 and the best per game since 1999 for the division.

Division II home attendance was up 189,044 from last year with a total of 2,835,856. The home total was the second highest in Division II history, surpassed only by the 1978 total of 2,871,683, and its 3,608 per-game total was the best in the division since 1994.

Division III's total of 2,152,921 was 153,258 more than last year and third best in division history.

Michigan won its sixth consecutive home attendance title, averaging 110,918 for its seven home games, the third-best average in college football history. Michigan's 2003 per-game standard was surpassed only by the Wolverines' own all-time mark of 111,175 in 1999 and the Michigan average of 110,965 in 1998.

In total attendance, Ohio State led with 838,963 in eight home games (104,870 per game), outdistancing Michigan's 776,429 in seven home games; Penn State's 739,403 in seven home games and Tennessee's 735,269 in seven home games.

Trailing Michigan in per-game were No. 2 Penn State (105,629), No. 3 Tennessee (105,038), No. 4 Ohio State (104,870) and No. 5 Georgia (92,058). It was the third time in college football history that four teams averaged more than 100,000 in home attendance (2001 and 2002).

The Southeastern Conference placed five teams in the top 10, while the Big Ten Conference placed three and the Big 12 Conference two. The SEC set national highs in both total attendance (6,146,890) and per-game (74,059). The SEC is the first conference to go over six million in total attendance. In per-game average, the SEC also has turned in five of the six season averages over 70,000 per game -- five consecutive since 1999.

Fans flock to Yale

The Yale Bulldogs made the biggest improvement of any team in 2003 to capture the I-AA attendance title for the second time in school history (also in 1985). The Bulldogs improved by more than 14,000 fans per game en route to a 6-4 season record and an attendance average of 23,578 per game to edge Montana, which averaged 23,352 per game.

Florida A&M played only three home contests but averaged 21,323 per outing to place third on the list, followed by No. 4 Southern University (19,732) and I-AA national champion Delaware (18,895).

The Southwestern Athletic Conference claimed its 26th consecutive league title by averaging 12,083 per game. The SWAC is the only conference to win a I-AA attendance crown since the NCAA began attendance leaders in 1978.

The Southern Conference placed second, averaging 10,434 per game, with No. 3 Ivy (10,279), No. 4 Gateway (10,195) and the Big Sky (10,120) rounding out the top five.

Divisions II and III

North Dakota State took its fifth overall Division II attendance crown in 2003 after a two-year absence. The Bison averaged 11,567 fans per game to edge No. 2 Miles (11,518) and No. 3 two-time defending attendance champion Tuskegee (10,964). No. 4 Grand Valley State (10,446), the reigning two-time Division II national champion, and No. 5 Pittsburg State (9,741) rounded out the top five.

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference returned after a one-year hiatus to claim the 2003 Division II league attendance title for the 11th time in the past 12 years. The SIAC averaged 6,521 per game to outdistance last year's leader North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which finished second at 6,010.

In Division III, Stillman took its first attendance title averaging 7,250 fans per game to pass defending champion St. John's (Minnesota) at 6,496. Others in the top five were Mount Union (4,936), Emory & Henry (4,767) and Wartburg (4,270).

The Ohio Athletic Conference made it two straight league attendance crowns by averaging 3,093 per game to edge the Minnesota Intercollegiate Conference (2,925).

The figures for the 2003 attendance compilation were submitted by both the sports information departments and ticket offices and are not considered official audited attendance. Official audited attendance for 2003 will be requested later by other NCAA departments. For the second year in a row, postseason attendance (bowls and championship games) was included in home attendance as long as the games were played on the school's home field. The NCAA began keeping national home football attendance in 1948 (including non-NCAA teams) and began keeping NCAA-only teams in 1978.1foot