Vol. 19, No. 16

Jan. 13, 2000

Hens among nation's best
in football attendance

The University of Delaware’s record football average attendance of 20,372 fans this past season ranked seventh among all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) I-AA programs, the NCAA has announced. Delaware, which drew 122,229 fans for its six home games in 1999, set a school record with an average attendance of 20,372, breaking the mark of 19,719 set in 1981. Delaware attracted three sellout crowds at the 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium in 1999, including a season-high 22,082 vs. Richmond Oct. 2. Delaware also had sellout crowds vs. William & Mary (Sept. 2) and vs. Lehigh (Oct. 16). Delaware’s average-to-capacity ratio of 92.6 percent also ranked among the national leaders. Jackson State led all NCAA I-AA programs in average attendance with 28,933 for six home games. Yale was second at 27,518 followed by Southern (25,734), South Florida (25,053), North Carolina A&T (21,954), Portland State (20,721) and Delaware. Delaware has now ranked among the top 10 in NCAA I-AA average attendance three straight years. The Blue Hens ranked seventh overall in 1998 (19,157) and sixth in 1997 (17,317). Massachusetts, which ranked 18th nationally with an average attendance of 14,684, and James Madison, which ranked 25th at 11,880, were the only other teams in the Atlantic 10 to crack the top 25. Overall, the Atlantic 10 ranked seventh among all NCAA I-AA conferences with an average attendance of 9,244 per game. Delaware posted its 12th straight winning season in 1999, compiling a record of 7-4 and placing fourth in the Atlantic 10 with a record of 5-3 under 34th-year head coach Tubby Raymond.