National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

June 23, 1997


DIVISION I

Basketball Attendance

It depends on how such a ranking is compiled. If you simply use average attendance, the winner is the University of Kentucky, with an average of 13,751. But that figure is heavily influenced by the Wildcats' large men's attendance and a limited women's home schedule (10 games).




In measuring which programs have high relative attendance in both men's and women's basketball, a better indicator may be to add the two ranks together. Using that method, the top program in overall attendance for 1996-97 would be the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, which ranked No. 1 in women's basketball attendance and No. 11 in men's.

Comb. ranks -- Men's att./games -- Men's rank -- Women's att./games -- Women's rank

1. Tennessee -- 12 -- 228,710 (16) -- 11 -- 167,992 (16) -- 1

2. New Mexico -- 17 -- 309,122 (18) -- 6 -- 63,222 (13) -- 11

3. Iowa -- 20 -- 233,370 (16) -- 10 -- 59,349 (11) -- 10

4. Purdue -- 21 -- 168,521 (12) -- 15 -- 73,286 (10) -- 6

5. Texas -- 22 -- 180,845 (13) -- 17 -- 111,998 (15) -- 5


BASKETBALL


Men's attendance declines but still exceeds 27 million

Attendance in men's basketball in 1996-97 dropped from the previous year in all three divisions.

Nationally, in games involving a Division I team, a total of 23,190,856 people attended -- the ninth consecutive year that attendance top-ped the 23 million mark. Average Division I attendance, however, was down about 103 fans per game.

The decline was not the largest of the 1990s. In 1993, attendance dropped more than 570,000 from the record level of the previous year.

In all three NCAA divisions combined, 27,738,284 fans saw NCAA men's college basketball games in 1996-97. That figure is 487,068 fewer spectators from the year before and a drop of 55 per game. The all-divisions combined record also was set in 1992 with 29,378,161 spectators.

Staff contact: Gary R. Johnson.


WOMEN'S ATHLETICS


Women's committee seeks clarification on 'NCAA Sports'

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athlet-ics has received clarification that the "NCAA Sports" promotional and marketing campaign applies to all NCAA sports.

The committee, which met June 9-11, also believes that the focus of the fall promotional campaign should be a women's sport -- such as volleyball.

NCAA Sports actually is a cooperative marketing effort that has four parts -- NCAA Football USA, NCAA Basketball, NCAA Women's Sports and NCAA Olympic Sports. It was un-veiled in February.

Joyce A. Myers -- president of Host's Women's Sports Division, which is handling the women's sports portion of the campaign -- told the committee that its concerns would be addressed as the fall campaign is prepared.

Staff contact: Janet M. Justus (Women's Issues) and Alfred B. White (Marketing).

PRESIDENTS COMMISSION


Varied agenda planned for final meeting of Commission

At its final meeting before the switch is made to the new structure, the NCAA Presidents Commission will address some final details re-lating to restructuring.

The agenda for the full Commission also includes a report on Project 2000 (the NCAA national office location initiative), the final report of the Special Committee on Agents and Amateurism, information on accommodations for students with learning disabilities, and the federal relations report.

Staff contact: Stephen R. Morgan (Division I), Nancy L. Mitchell (Division II) and Daniel T. Dutcher (Division III).

ICE HOCKEY


Hockey committee considers common championship site

The Divisions II and III Men's Ice Hockey Committee has agreed to survey Division III athletics directors and coaches at institutions that sponsor men's ice hockey regarding a combined-site for the Divisions I and III championships beginning in 2000.

The proposal, if approved by the athletics directors and coaches, would have to be approved by the Division III Championships Committee and the Division I Championships/ Competition Cabinet.

Staff contact: Phillip A. Buttafuoco (Division I) and Carl E. Daniels (Divisions II and III).