Badger of Honor
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Wisconsin Basketball Leads Big Ten Attendance

By Noah Seligman

MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 17: Members of the Wisconsin Badgers sing the alma mater following a game against the Chicago State Cougars at the Kohl Center on November 17, 2016 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - NOVEMBER 17: Members of the Wisconsin Badgers sing the alma mater following a game against the Chicago State Cougars at the Kohl Center on November 17, 2016 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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The official attendance figures from the NCAA indicate Wisconsin Basketball is once again a national leader

Wisconsin Badger basketball ranked 6th nationally in attendance figures.  The NCAA numbers reported that Wisconsin had 293,870 fans for a healthy 17,286 per game average.

Wisconsin Basketball has posted an average national attendance finish of 6.3 over the last decade.

The Division I average attendance per game is 4,799.  Of course, there are 347 teams measured in the Division I composite.  Not all of them play at a place like the Kohl Center with a 17,231 capacity  for men’s basketball.

The rest of the Top 40 included a few other Big Ten teams. The per game average is in parenthesis.  The Big Ten news release touted this news as well.

  • Maryland 7th (16,628)
  • Indiana 9th (16,363)
  • Michigan State 13th (14,797)
  • Purdue 18th (13,819)
  • Iowa 23rd (12,547)
  • The Ohio State 24th (12,324)
  • Illinois 30th (11,381)
  • Michigan 33rd (11,121)
  • Minnesota 37th (10,308)

Big Blue Nation and Kentucky led the country in total attendance followed by a trio of ACC teams (Syracuse, Louisville, North Carolina).  Creighton ranked 5th in the country narrowly edging the 6th-ranked Badgers.  The Blue Jays averaged just 126 more fans per game than the Badgers and 2,143 more fans in total.

So why should raw attendance matter when most fans care most about the game on the court not the filled seats surrounding it?

Well first, good on you Wisconsin fans.  The Kohl Center is just the 26th largest college basketball arena in the country.  The top four teams in total attendance all boast the largest arena’s in college basketball.

So Wisconsin’s gaudy numbers are demonstrative proof of the loyal fan base.  In case there was any doubt (there wasn’t).  But Wu Tang Clan pontificated on the importance of cash.  High ticket sales mean more revenue for UW which can be spent on athletic department upgrades for all sports.

Next: Answering Saturday Blitz on Surprise NFL Busts

For basketball, recruits certainly know about Wisconsin’s continuous NCAA Tournament streak and high conference finishes.  But the recruiting pitch can also include notes about Wisconsin’s impressive attendance numbers and the dynamic home environment it creates.

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