MIAC leads Division III in football attendance for seventh time in eight years
http://miac-online.org/news/2013/2/18/FOOTBALL_0218134157.aspx
ST. PAUL, Minn. --
For the second season in a row and seventh time in eight years, the
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) football
enjoyed more fan support than any other conference in NCAA Division
III. The MIAC welcomed 161,870 total fans and an average of 3,372
per game through its football games in 2012, with a pair of schools
- Saint John's and Concordia - both ranking in the top five for
institutional attendance.
The MIAC enjoyed tremendous success on the field in 2012, as the
league opened the season with a collective 13-0 record against
nonconference opponents, finishing with a stellar 16-2 record
outside of league play. The conference also sent a pair of teams -
St. Thomas and Bethel - to the 2012 NCAA Division III Playoffs,
where the Royals advanced to the second round and the Tommies
represented the MIAC in the national championship game, the Stagg
Bowl.
That success was experienced by a dedicated fan base that has now
ranked first in the nation in Division
III attendance in seven of the last eight seasons, with a
second-place finish in 2010. The MIAC's nine football teams hosted
48 games in 2012, viewed by an average of 3,372 fans (161,870
total). The MIAC was the only conference in Division III to host
more than 133,000 fans and more than 3,000 fans per game. In
addition, the conference had more total fans per game than nine
Division II and two FCS conferences, and more total fans than seven
Division II conference and one FCS league.
"The MIAC would like to thank its dedicated schools, students,
fans, families and alumni for helping our conference lead Division
III in football attendance again in 2012," said Dan McKane, MIAC
Executive Director. "We're truly fortunate to have such passion and
interest throughout our conference. The MIAC is extremely grateful
to our coaches and student-athletes for putting such an excellent
product on the field, to our schools for fostering outstanding
game-day experiences, and of course to our dedicated fans who
continually make MIAC football the most-watched in Division
III."
Other than FBS Big Ten games hosted by the University of Minnesota,
the MIAC schools averaged the most fans of any other collegiate
conference with schools in Minnesota. The Division II Northern Sun
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC) averaged 2,561 fans per
game, while the Division III Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
averaged 660 fans per game.
The MIAC had nearly 4,000 more fans per game than Division III's
runner-up, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), which
finished with an average of 2,966 per game (121,609 total). The
MIAC's neighbors to the East, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (WIAC) finished third with 2,943 fans per game
(2,943). The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) had the second-most
total fans (132,867, 2,416 per game). Division III has 27 football
conferences and five independent schools.
In the Division III individual school rankings, the MIAC had the
nation's top team, two of the top five, a third in the top 15 and
five of its nine schools all ranked among the top 25. Saint John's
(press
release) claimed the Division III football attendance crown for
the 15th time in the last 20 seasons with an average of 7,948 fans
and a total of 39,741 spectators over five home games in 2012. The
runner-up, UW-Whitewater, finished with 7,552. Concordia (press
release) joined the Johnnies in the top five, as the Cobbers
welcomed 24,197 fans over five games, with an average of 4,839.
Concordia has been ranked in the top five two seasons in a row, and
in the top 10 in seven of the last eight seasons.
Bethel joined the top 15 with 19,192 fans in five home games, for
an average of 3,838 fans per game. St. Olaf checked in at No. 23
with a average of 3,416 fans per game and a total of 13,664 in five
home contests. Gustavus also joined the top 24, as the Gusties
ranked just one spot behind the Oles with an average of 3,343 fans
per game. A total of 16,713 fans attended Gustavus' five home
games.
Each of the MIAC's nine schools averaged at least 1,300 fans per
game in 2012. MIAC champion and national runner-up St. Thomas
averaged 2,809 fans per game. Carleton averaged 1,721 fans per
game, Augsburg welcomed an average of 1,544 to its home contests
and Hamline had an average attendance of 1,367.
This season, all four NCAA football divisions (FBS, FCS, II, III)
saw a total of 48,958,547 fans attend 3,569 games. The average
attendance across all divisions was 13,718 fans per game, and
overall attendance was down by 330 fans per game in 2012. Division
III had a total of 2,361,687 fans and an average of 1,952 fans at
its 1,210 games. The other NCAA conference leaders were the
Southeastern Conference (SEC) with 75,538 fans per game in FBS, the
Southwest Atlantic with 13,097 fans per game in FBS and Southern
Intercollegiate in Division II with 7,429 fans per game.
The MIAC will welcome Division III's top-rated crowds back for
another outstanding season on the football field in September. The
MIAC season officially kicks off with Saint John's visiting
UW-River Falls on Friday, Sept. 6, with a full slate of
nonconference games set for Saturday, Sept. 7. Conference play
begins on Saturday, Sept. 21, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 16,
with 11 total weeks and nine conference weeks on the schedule. The
full 2013 MIAC football schedule is available
online.
| 2012
NCAA Football Attendance | 2013
MIAC Football Schedule |
