SEC Had Best College Football Attendance in 2008

In 2008, the Southeastern Conference led the nation again in home attendance.  Conference schools attracted more than six miliion fans and averaged 75,816 at each game.

The rest of the BCS conferences finished in the following order: Big Ten (70,514), Big 12 (61,993), Pac-10 (56,632), ACC (52,806), and the Big East (42,994).  The Mountain West Conference's average home attendance was just 30,166.

As usual, the team leaders were: Michigan (108,571), Penn State (108,254), Ohio State (104,976), and Tennessee (101,448).

Although the Big Ten had the top three, seven of the top 11 were from the SEC.  Along with Tennessee were: Georgia (92,746), LSU (92,383), Alabama (92,138), Florida (90,544), Auburn (86,915), and South Carolina (80,529).

In 2008, 23 of the nation's 119 Bowl Subdivision teams had an average home attendance that equaled or exceeded the capacity of their stadium. 

Winning seemed to be the biggest factor in increased attendance from the 2007 season.

Pittsburgh appeared to have the largest increase and drew 16,037 more fans to each of its home games than it did a year ago.

Some of the others that experienced a jump in attendance because of winning or getting off to good start were: Buffalo (up 6,000), Duke (up 8,000), Ball State (up 6,000), FIU (up 6,000), and Michigan State had an increase of 4,000 fans per game in 2008.

Although the Big East was the lowest of the six BCS conferences, its schools seem to be making progress. 

Rutgers drew over capacity for the second straight year and it looks like it will be able to fill the extra 12,000 seats that will be added for 2009.  Louisville and Cincinnati are also committed to expansion and both schools drew close to 100 percent capacity in 2008.

Miami, which moved to Dolphins Stadium in 2008, drew 46,229—just about the same total as it did last year in the Orange Bowl.

It looks like the Mountain West Conference has a way to go before it reaches the status of the BCS conferences.  Without BYU (64,102) its average attendance would have been about 25,000 per game.