Attendance matters
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Over 1 million devoted fans attended the top 30 black college football games in the 2003 season.
The annual Black College Sports Page listing of the top attended games unveiled this week shows that 30 games topped the 20,000 mark in attendance this year, up from 27 a year ago. Those top 30 games drew 1,117,992 fans, an average of 37,266 per game.
The top 27 games a year ago drew a total of 932,746 fans, an average of 35,546 fans per game.
Orlando's Florida Classic pitting in-state rivals Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M topped the list for the fourth straight year, drawing 73,358 for this year's exciting 39-35 B-CC win.
The Bayou Classic in New Orleans between Louisiana rivals Grambling State and Southern finished second for the third year in a row. A crowd of 70,151 packed the Superdome to watch another thriller as Southern knocked off the G-Men 44-41 en route to winning the SWAC and black college championships.
The in-state rival theme continued as the third largest crowd (63,117) witnessed the Magic City Classic battle between Alabama A&M and Alabama State, won by A&M, 20-17.
The newest entrant into the top ten was the inaugural Detroit Classic played at the new Ford Field that drew 54,941 to the Florida A&M vs. Alabama State matchup won by 'Bama State, 38-22.
Classic Attendance
As they say, black college Classic games are the bomb.
A look at 2003 NCAA attendance statistics released on Dec. 20, shows that the top 19 neutral-site games are of the black college Classic variety. The numbers are a testament to the fact that no one else on the Div. I-AA level can draw the numbers and fill the major venues like black college Classic games.
The only I-AA schools to make the neutral-site list are The Citadel with a game in Charlotte, N.C., and Maine, with a date in Portland, Me.
By School
Florida A&M, who is moving from NCAA Div. I-AA to Div. I football, is listed as the top black college in I-AA football attendance this year. The Rattlers averaged 21,343 fans for their three home games this season to finish behind Yale (23,578 avg.) and Montana (22,469 avg.) in the national statistics.
Southern, which drew an average of 19,732 fans for its six home games finished just behind FAMU in fourth place.
Two other black college finished in the top ten, perennial leader Jackson State was sixth at 18,196 for its five home games and North Carolina A&T eighth at 16,066 for four dates. Four other black colleges finished in the top 20, Texas Southern (13), Norfolk State (15), Tennessee State (17) and Grambling State (20).
I-AA ATTENDANCE LEADERS
TotalAttend. Avg Attend. Games
1 Yale 117,891 23,578 5
2 Montana 179,754 22,469 8
3 Florida A&M 63,968 21,343 3
4 Southern 118,391 19,732 6
5 Delaware 188,947 18,895 10
6 Jackson State 90,979 18,196 5
7 Citadel 83,794 15,759 5
8 N. C. A&T 64,262 16,066 4
13 Texas Southern 82,065 13,681 6
15 Norfolk State 67,302 13,460 5
17 Tennessee State 63,493 12,699 5
20 Grambling State 47,949 11,987 4
21 South Carolina St. 35,880 11,960 3
23 Alcorn State 57,194 11,439 5
24 Alabama A&M 55,694 11,139 5
27 Alabama State 44,155 11,039 4
37 Bethune-Cookman 47,664 9,533 5
At Homcomings
The attendance at seven black college homecoming games topped the 20,000 mark this year led by the 29,467 that attended the Nov. 8 Tuskegee game.
North Carolina A&T, which topped the list a year ago, had the second largest homecoming crowd this year with 26,685 for its game vs. Howard.
1. Tuskegee, Nov. 8, vs. Clark Atlanta vs. Tuskegee 29,467
2. N. C A&T, Oct. 25, vs. Howard 26,685
3. Florida A&M, Oct. 25, vs. Norfolk State 26,514
4. Southern, Oct. 11, vs. Alabama State 26,400
5. Texas Southern, Oct. 8, vs. Alcorn State 23,056
6. Grambling, Nov. 1, vs. Texas Southern 21,065
7. Jackson State, Nov. 1, vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 20,500
8. Alcorn State, Oct 11, vs. Prairie View 18,554
9. Alabama State, Nov 27, vs. Tuskegee 17,306
10. S. C. State, Nov 1, vs. Delaware State 17,176
11. J.C. Smith, Oct 11, vs. Livingstone 16,973
12. Norfolk State, Nov 1, vs. Howard 16,972
13. Bethune-Cookman, Nov. 1, vs. NC A&T 16,485
14. Hampton, Oct 25, vs. S. C. State 15,124
15. Alabama A&M, Oct 4, vs. Texas Southern 15,099
16. Morgan State, Oct 18, vs. Howard 14,576
17. Winston-Salem State, Nov. 1, vs. J. C. Smith 14,571
18. Albany State, Nov 1, vs. Benedict 11,957
19. Benedict, Oct 25, vs. Kentucky State 11,143
20. Howard, Oct 11, vs. Florida A&M 10,500
? 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.