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Are there women's basketball programs that outdraw men's basketball?

The common misperception is that no women's college basketball program could ever match the attendance of the men's program. But there are eight Division I programs that do. Do you know which ones they are?

By James Bowman
Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE

Given statements made by sports pundits, you'd think that women's basketball was the most exclusive club in the world - because no one goes there. I've read statements on message boards where women's basketball is supposedly a sport that only exists due to political correctness and which has no popular support.

I decided to look at the statistics for the answer. Granted, you have to take any attendance stats with a bit of salt. Attendance stats depend on who is doing the counting.

The average men's college basketball attendance for home games in NCAA Division I is 4,994. The average women's basketball attendance for home games is 1,583. Dividing the first number by the second gives a factor of 3.15, which is by how much the average men's home game outdraws the women's home game - for every women's fan, there are three men's fans.

But where are the extremes at? What about individual programs? Are there college basketball programs where the women actually outdraw the men? My initial answer was "no". If such programs existed, I figured that those programs would have to be very small, with bad programs for both genders where the women outdrawing the men is a statistical fluke caused by small attendance overall.

So color me pleasantly surprised.

Team Men Women Ratio
Delaware 2494 3907 0.64
Marist 1313 1956 0.67
Tenn-Martin 1453 2093 0.69
Fla Gulf Coast 1775 2185 0.81
McNeese St. 1183 1296 0.91
Baylor 7914 8563 0.92
Notre Dame 7999 8571 0.93
Central Arkansas 1429 1469 0.97
Louisiana Tech 3165 3161 1.00
Toledo 3770 3748 1.01



Not only are these not the kind of programs that have three-digit attendance, but two of the programs are from power major conferences - Baylor and Notre Dame have women's programs that outdraw the men. That can't be overemphasized (or if it can, it can be used in an argument). Last season, there were eight programs where women's average attendance at home games was greater than the men's attendance.

Of course, there are schools at the bad end of this graph - schools where the men's team far outdraws the women's team:

Team Men Women Ratio
Syracuse 23618 1065 22.18
Saint Louis 7757 356 21.79
Providence 7883 375 21.02
San Diego St. 12096 619 19.54
Creighton 16665 892 18.68
VA Commonwealth 7622 486 15.68
Illinois 14986 1070 14.01
Denver 5460 419 13.03
Utah St. 8406 647 12.99
Brigham Young 15424 1206 12.79



Granted there are schools in power conferences that segregate the women's program to some "intimate" gymnasium with reduced seating capacity. But of the bottom ten programs on the list, there are only two - Providence and Creighton - that make use of alternate facilities for women's basketball. Whether the problem is cultural or institutional (or both), women's basketball definitely takes second place at these schools.

I will definitely be keeping track of these numbers over time, to see who moves up and down the list. What follows is the complete comparison list. (Note that both VMI and The Citadel do not have women's basketball programs.)

Team 2011-12 Men 2011-12 Women Ratio
VMI 1,962 - 0.00
Citadel 1,840 - 0.00
Delaware 2,494 3,907 0.64
Marist 1,313 1,956 0.67
Tenn-Martin 1,453 2,093 0.69
Fla Gulf Coast 1,775 2,185 0.81
McNeese St. 1,183 1,296 0.91
Baylor 7,914 8,563 0.92
Notre Dame 7,999 8,571 0.93
Central Arkansas 1,429 1,469 0.97
Louisiana Tech 3,165 3,161 1.00
Toledo 3,770 3,748 1.01
Hartford 1,294 1,279 1.01
Maine 1,284 1,245 1.03
North Florida 1,267 1,180 1.07
Canisius 1,199 1,089 1.10
Texas A&M 7,383 6,555 1.13
Wisc. Green Bay 3,064 2,712 1.13
Gonzaga 6,212 5,443 1.14
Tennessee 16,543 14,414 1.15
Stanford 4,891 4,250 1.15
Colgate 545 444 1.23
AR Little Rock 3,222 2,617 1.23
Oklahoma 8,525 6,851 1.24
Binghamton 2,781 2,195 1.27
North Dakota 2,045 1,608 1.27
E. Tennessee St. 3,357 2,621 1.28
Alcorn St. 794 617 1.29
Texas Tech 8,665 6,693 1.29
Dartmouth 1,064 816 1.30
MD Eastern Shore 2,453 1,869 1.31
South Dakota 1,701 1,290 1.32
Iowa St. 13,015 9,805 1.33
Bowling Green 2,157 1,615 1.34
Hampton 3,021 2,243 1.35
Army 1,060 783 1.35
Cent. Michigan 1,362 1,002 1.36
St. Francis (PA) 906 660 1.37
Connecticut 12,640 9,168 1.38
MD Baltimore Cty. 1,476 1,069 1.38
South Dakota St 3,320 2,403 1.38
Montana 4,005 2,896 1.38
Tennessee Tech 2,006 1,449 1.38
Eastern Illinois 1,327 958 1.39
Navy 2,453 1,742 1.41
Stetson 1,362 952 1.43
Portland St. 824 575 1.43
N.J.I.T. 461 320 1.44
Sacred Heart 729 506 1.44
James Madison 3,452 2,365 1.46
Florida A&M 1,129 769 1.47
Grambling St. 1,632 1,108 1.47
Middle Tenn. St. 5,329 3,585 1.49
South Alabama 2,356 1,581 1.49
Texas Pan Amer. 611 410 1.49
Miss. Valley St. 3,940 2,574 1.53
Wyoming 4,955 3,235 1.53
Georgia Southern 1,918 1,249 1.54
South Carolina-Upstate 695 447 1.55
Prairie View A&M 2,422 1,556 1.56
Penn St. 6,937 4,442 1.56
Chattanooga 2,953 1,883 1.57
S. Carolina St. 891 566 1.57
Charleston S. 850 537 1.58
Bethune-Cookman 801 498 1.61
Samford 1,021 621 1.64
TCU 4,581 2,780 1.65
Lipscomb 2,343 1,399 1.67
Texas St. 2,020 1,193 1.69
Lehigh 1,332 786 1.69
TX San Antonio 1,530 902 1.70
Fairleigh Dickinson 853 502 1.70
Stephen F. Austin 1,873 1,098 1.71
Purdue 13,324 7,805 1.71
SIU-Edwardsville 1,625 949 1.71
Bryant 744 434 1.71
N.C. Central 1,260 733 1.72
Brown 1,007 583 1.73
SE Louisiana 792 457 1.73
Duke 9,314 5,361 1.74
Northern Illinois 996 565 1.76
Howard 934 522 1.79
Coastal Carolina 1,021 565 1.81
Presbyterian 988 543 1.82
Sam Houston St. 1,072 588 1.82
Georgia 7,079 3,848 1.84
Indiana St. 5,433 2,930 1.85
AR Pine Bluff 3,230 1,739 1.86
Southern U. 1,334 716 1.86
Idaho St. 2,255 1,208 1.87
Sacramento St. 648 341 1.90
Drake 3,965 2,061 1.92
Mercer 2,366 1,229 1.93
Jackson St. 1,165 601 1.94
Arkansas St. 2,815 1,447 1.95
St. Peter's 798 410 1.95
Drexel 2,185 1,111 1.97
Michigan St. 14,797 7,505 1.97
Alabama A&M 1,779 894 1.99
Alabama St. 1,902 951 2.00
LSU 8,661 4,315 2.01
Louisville 21,503 10,670 2.02
Nebraska 10,019 4,957 2.02
Fresno St. 6,521 3,188 2.05
New Hampshire 819 400 2.05
Northern Colorado 1,592 769 2.07
Texas Southern 1,241 599 2.07
Montana St. 2,922 1,408 2.08
Texas A&M C.C. 1,442 694 2.08
Delaware St. 894 425 2.10
Morehead St. 2,241 1,062 2.11
Campbell 1,946 913 2.13
New Mexico 14,454 6,763 2.14
East. Michigan 1,200 561 2.14
San Jose St. 1,655 770 2.15
UC Davis 1,736 807 2.15
Rutgers 5,362 2,476 2.17
Boston U. 981 451 2.18
Chicago St. 429 197 2.18
Nicholls St. 576 263 2.19
Kennesaw St. 1,351 606 2.23
Houston Baptist 628 281 2.23
Youngstown St. 2,485 1,110 2.24
Towson 1,105 493 2.24
Missouri State 7,050 3,052 2.31
Northern Arizona 646 277 2.33
Liberty 1,515 648 2.34
Central Conn. St. 1,967 840 2.34
Norfolk St. 1,862 789 2.36
Nebraska-Omaha 897 373 2.40
Northwestern St. 1,094 453 2.42
Iowa 11,869 4,846 2.45
High Point 1,402 571 2.46
Maryland 13,182 5,356 2.46
Mizzou KC 1,308 531 2.46
Western Ill. 1,182 479 2.47
Loyola (MD) 1,237 501 2.47
Holy Cross 1,821 729 2.50
N.C. A&T 2,262 902 2.51
CSU Northridge 1,160 456 2.54
Old Dominion 7,142 2,789 2.56
UC Riverside 970 378 2.57
Tulane 2,252 875 2.57
Auburn 6,502 2,501 2.60
DePaul 7,740 2,944 2.63
San Francisco 2,050 770 2.66
Princeton 2,572 959 2.68
Northern Iowa 4,406 1,640 2.69
Duquesne 3,204 1,169 2.74
Miami (OH) 1,797 649 2.77
UTEP 7,341 2,639 2.78
Columbia 1,431 514 2.78
Morgan St. 1,788 640 2.79
Miami (FL) 3,936 1,407 2.80
Illinois St. 4,783 1,703 2.81
Radford 1,000 356 2.81
Savannah St. 1,902 677 2.81
Lamar 2,834 1,005 2.82
South Carolina 8,868 3,139 2.83
Rider 1,607 567 2.83
Harvard 2,152 747 2.88
Long Island 1,052 364 2.89
Illinois-Chicago 2,934 1,011 2.90
Florida Intl. 1,071 368 2.91
Colorado 7,804 2,679 2.91
West. Michigan 2,745 941 2.92
Texas 11,950 3,988 3.00
Arizona St. 5,411 1,804 3.00
Coppin St. 1,173 391 3.00
Charlotte 6,001 1,994 3.01
LA Monroe 1,438 477 3.01
Georgia St. 1,450 474 3.06
Robert Morris 1,441 470 3.07
William & Mary 2,071 668 3.10
St. Joseph's 4,197 1,348 3.11
N.C. Asheville 2,038 651 3.13
Kansas St. 12,783 4,069 3.14
East Carolina 4,801 1,528 3.14
Southern Miss 3,750 1,179 3.18
Elon 1,244 388 3.21
USC 3,970 1,238 3.21
Rice 1,364 424 3.22
Vermont 2,484 768 3.23
N.C. Wilmington 3,439 1,063 3.24
Jacksonville St. 1,182 365 3.24
Virginia Tech 8,395 2,584 3.25
Jacksonville 1,750 534 3.28
Colorado St. 4,193 1,273 3.29
Monmouth 1,724 522 3.30
Geo. Washington 2,561 769 3.33
Vanderbilt 13,698 4,113 3.33
Longwood 1,068 320 3.34
Virginia 10,522 3,152 3.34
Yale 1,567 464 3.38
Oral Roberts 4,494 1,317 3.41
Oklahoma St. 9,239 2,675 3.45
Belmont 2,012 582 3.46
Gardner-Webb 1,504 435 3.46
West. Kentucky 3,993 1,153 3.46
American U. 1,267 365 3.47
Eastern Wash. 2,286 658 3.47
SE Missouri St. 2,356 676 3.49
Oregon St. 4,991 1,431 3.49
Florida St. 8,541 2,428 3.52
Mount St. Mary's 1,246 354 3.52
Pacific 2,091 594 3.52
Wisconsin 17,181 4,846 3.55
Austin Peay 2,712 753 3.60
Albany 2,480 686 3.62
North Dakota St 3,156 866 3.64
Furman 1,561 422 3.70
Cal Poly 2,242 606 3.70
South. Methodist 2,013 539 3.73
Rhode Island 3,829 1,025 3.74
Temple 8,165 2,170 3.76
Niagara 1,532 406 3.77
Kentucky 23,721 6,282 3.78
IUPUI 1,133 300 3.78
St. Bonaventure 3,926 1,025 3.83
Eastern Kentucky 1,911 498 3.84
Winthrop 1,608 419 3.84
North Texas 4,006 1,042 3.84
Idaho 1,517 391 3.88
Appalachian St. 1,761 445 3.96
Pepperdine 1,240 312 3.97
New Mexico St. 5,572 1,387 4.02
Portland 2,478 611 4.06
Santa Clara 2,483 606 4.10
California 8,532 2,076 4.11
Western Carolina 1,919 463 4.14
Minnesota 11,794 2,835 4.16
Air Force 2,325 556 4.18
Florida Atlantic 2,122 504 4.21
Fordham 2,343 553 4.24
Oregon 7,630 1,789 4.26
UC Irvine 1,477 344 4.29
Murray St. 6,144 1,413 4.35
Iona 2,476 567 4.37
UCSB 3,323 754 4.41
Wagner 1,731 390 4.44
Pittsburgh 8,801 1,982 4.44
West Virginia 9,930 2,223 4.47
Washington St. 4,749 1,056 4.50
Ohio St. 16,511 3,666 4.50
George Mason 5,161 1,132 4.56
Washington 8,785 1,886 4.66
Stony Brook 1,540 330 4.67
Northwestern 5,972 1,270 4.70
Georgia Tech 4,929 1,042 4.73
San Diego 2,496 524 4.76
Hawaii 6,454 1,351 4.78
Hofstra 2,403 503 4.78
CSU Fullerton 1,210 249 4.86
Quinnipiac 1,954 401 4.87
Seattle 2,944 600 4.91
Manhattan 1,577 321 4.91
IPFW 1,657 337 4.92
Troy 1,754 356 4.93
TX Arlington 2,131 429 4.97
Marshall 6,150 1,234 4.98
La Salle 2,209 436 5.07
Dayton 12,154 2,382 5.10
Long Beach St. 3,621 704 5.14
Oakland 3,346 647 5.17
Fairfield 2,239 430 5.21
Boise St. 4,359 836 5.21
Northeastern 1,331 249 5.35
Buffalo 2,684 493 5.44
Tulsa 4,423 803 5.51
Mississippi St. 8,019 1,442 5.56
Wichita St. 10,391 1,855 5.60
St. Mary's 2,840 497 5.71
UCLA 6,353 1,110 5.72
Loyola Marymnt 2,480 427 5.81
CSU Bakersfield 1,613 275 5.87
N.C. St. 13,560 2,306 5.88
Boston College 4,699 790 5.95
Detroit 2,272 380 5.98
Xavier 10,155 1,690 6.01
St. Francis (NY) 1,289 214 6.02
Akron 3,440 569 6.05
South Florida 3,849 631 6.10
Cornell 2,332 381 6.12
Arkansas 13,096 2,127 6.16
Loyola (IL) 2,277 363 6.27
Lafayette 1,902 302 6.30
Tennessee St. 3,338 530 6.30
Southern Utah 2,541 401 6.34
Wofford 1,493 235 6.35
Kansas 16,445 2,552 6.44
Michigan 11,436 1,773 6.45
St. John's 8,428 1,260 6.69
Pennsylvania 4,203 627 6.70
Missouri 11,830 1,764 6.71
Kent St. 3,475 512 6.79
Bucknell 3,169 466 6.80
Ball St. 3,724 536 6.95
Mississippi 5,770 825 6.99
Arizona 13,602 1,911 7.12
Houston 3,788 531 7.13
UAB 4,564 636 7.18
Nevada 5,237 725 7.22
Massachusetts 4,279 591 7.24
Wisc. Milwaukee 4,154 569 7.30
Evansville 5,135 694 7.40
Valparaiso 3,383 454 7.45
North Carolina 20,159 2,630 7.67
Southern Ill. 3,299 429 7.69
Davidson 3,957 493 8.03
N.C. Greensboro 2,943 360 8.18
Weber St. 6,493 781 8.31
Utah Valley 2,952 355 8.32
Alabama 12,484 1,490 8.38
Florida 10,434 1,245 8.38
Bradley 7,640 907 8.42
Clemson 7,828 908 8.62
Marquette 15,138 1,710 8.85
Seton Hall 6,941 779 8.91
Indiana 16,462 1,802 9.14
Charleston 4,321 471 9.17
Butler 6,599 687 9.61
Villanova 8,923 923 9.67
Cincinnati 8,069 789 10.23
UCF 5,723 559 10.24
Cleveland St. 3,260 308 10.58
Siena 6,509 596 10.92
Utah 8,394 767 10.94
Wake Forest 8,675 788 11.01
Richmond 5,660 512 11.05
Wright St. 3,903 342 11.41
Ohio 6,177 529 11.68
Georgetown 11,283 963 11.72
LA Lafayette 3,566 302 11.81
Memphis 16,234 1,335 12.16
UNLV 14,025 1,100 12.75
Brigham Young 15,424 1,206 12.79
Utah St. 8,406 647 12.99
Denver 5,460 419 13.03
Illinois 14,986 1,070 14.01
VA Commonwealth 7,622 486 15.68
Creighton 16,665 892 18.68
San Diego St. 12,096 619 19.54
Providence 7,883 375 21.02
Saint Louis 7,757 356 21.79
Syracuse 23,618 1,065 22.18

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