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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 |