2003 Attendance

[3yardsandacloud]

From Fox Sports

Attendance analysis: Who filled the seats?

If the execs at HGTV are looking for a half-hour segment between Weekend Warriors and Restore America, they'd be well advised to pack up their camera crews and head to some of college football's cathedrals.

Fueled by an increase in attendance and the inevitable erosion of edifices, universities across the nation are expanding at a rapid rate and giving much-needed facelifts to their football houses. The costly renovations are aimed at improving ticket sales and the overall experience for the players and fans. Reason No. 97 why the college game is infinitely more enjoyable than the NFL: Universities don't raze their old stadiums. They preserve, nurture and improve them.

The legions of rabid supporters from the Horseshoe in Columbus to Reser Stadium in Corvallis are at the heart of college football as the driving force for a home field advantage and an athletic department's annual revenue streams. For better or worse, the backers of many football programs continue to be the identity of that school. It also helps in the win/loss column as 16 of the 22 teams in Scalper's Paradise went bowling in 2003.

Yeah, the issue of attendance in college football is an inexact science. The next time a school gets cited for padding its figures, counting the SRO attendees or calculating paid attendance rather than the actual crowd will not be the first...or the last. Frustrating, yes. Yet, it doesn't happen so much that you can tell the houses that are full and the ones that struggle.

- Attendance data comes directly from the NCAA offices.

- Since it's not possible to attend every game and there's no auditor, there's a leap of faith assuming the attendance figures provided are accurate.

- That your school plays close to a happening city or a pristine beach is no excuse for missing some really great college football.

- These rankings are based on % of capacity rather than overall attendance for a reason. This method gives teams that play in smaller stadiums some much deserved recognition that they wouldn't receive otherwise.


Scalper's Paradise
This body of 22 programs has plenty of familiar faces.* All but four were recognized in this space last year and most will be back at the end of next season.** The common thread that runs through each is that they play in large houses, are sold out on most every Saturday and have some of the most ardent and loyal followings in the country.* In the area of college football support and attendance, they are the creme de la creme.


Grandstanding: As is the case each January, the SEC leads the way with seven representatives in the Scalper's Paradise.* The Big Ten and Big XII follow with five and four members, respectively.

- The last time Nebraska failed to sell out Memorial Stadium, the Beverly Hillbillies ruled the Nielsen ratings.* Through last year, the Huskers have sold out an NCAA record 262 consecutive games...and running.

- Tickets to NC State games have become so hot, temporary bleachers had to be added to Carter-Finley Stadium last year to accommodate the swelling support.**

- Wisconsin is in the process of expanding and giving a facelift to Camp Randall, the fourth oldest stadium in college football.* By the start of the 2005 season, total seating capacity will increase from 76,746 to 79,500.* It's been a decade since the Badgers had less than 72,000 fans for a home game.

- Four of the ten largest crowds to ever enjoy a game at Texas' Memorial Stadium occurred last fall.*

- Unusually high preseason expectations and visits from USC, Tennessee and Alabama made tickets to Jordan-Hare Stadium a very hot commodity in 2003.* Auburn had its first home season sellout since Bo Jackson was roaming the Plains.* The Tigers, Colorado and Virginia Tech are new to this year's Scalper's Paradise.

- The recent addition of 8,000 seats on the east side of Oklahoma's Memorial Stadium allowed the school to establish a new attendance record Nov. 1.* 84,027 fans reveled in the Sooners' 52-9 pounding of Oklahoma State.

- Once again, Michigan set the standard for total attendance, averaging nearly 111,000 fans per Saturday.* The Wolverines have played an unthinkable 180 consecutive games in front of more than 100,000 fans.

- The completion of a two-year, $56 million expansion project added more than 4,000 seats to Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in time for the 2003 season.* Gator fans still had no problem exceeding capacity.

- Over the last two years, more than 2,300 seats have been added to Doak Campbell Stadium.* Seminole fans still had no problem exceeding capacity.

- Other backers may get more credit, but few schools have more loyal fans than South Carolina.* Despite being the scene of a pretty sorry product most years, Williams-Brice is always packed and poised for a party.

- With the addition of 5,500 new seats before the 2003 season, Sanford Stadium became the fifth largest venue in college football behind Michigan Stadium, Neyland Stadium, Ohio Stadium and Beaver Stadium

..............................................% Of Capacity
School.................Stadium..........2003...... 2002.......2001......Avg. Attendance (2003)
Oregon................Autzen............107....... .104........110........57,701
Nebraska.............Memorial.........105........1 05........104........77,754
Texas.................Memorial..........104....... .104........103........83,339
Oklahoma...........Memorial..........103........10 3........103........83,202*
Michigan..............Michigan..........103....... .103........102........110,918*
Ohio State...........Ohio................103........102 ........108........104,870*
NC State.............Carter-Finley......103........96.........95..........53,2 74
Florida................Ben Hill Griffin....102........103........102........90,177 *
Wisconsin...........Camp Randall....102........102........102........78,486
Michigan State.....Spartan.............101........103...... ..102........72,830
Tennessee..........Neyland.............101........ 103........102........105,038*
South Carolina.....Williams-Brice....101........102........102........80,844**
Florida State........Doak Campbell..101........102........101........83,149*
Notre Dame.........Notre Dame.......100........100........100........80,795 *
Georgia...............Sanford.............100..... ...100........100........92,058*
Virginia Tech........Lane.................100........97.... .....104........65,115
Penn State..........Beaver...............99.........100 ........101........105,629
Alabama.............Bryant-Denny......99.........99.........98..........83,13 9
LSU....................Tiger..................99.. .......99.........98..........90,974*
Washington.........Husky................99........ .99.........100........71,906
Colorado.............Folsom Field.......99.........97.........91..........50,4 23*
Auburn................Jordan-Hare........99.........96.........100........85,20 3*

[gbearbuck]

Only four schools on that list that have avg. attendence over 100k... guess what OSU, PSU, and scUM are three of the four... who says all the football is in cali, Texas, and FL...??

[BuckeyeSoldier]

to further show ur point, we may point out that only one texas team made the list, there is no miami, and NO california teams.