Dec. 20, 1999

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — An average of 80,603 fans watched the University of Notre Dame football team play in its 12 games in 1999, breaking the Irish season record for attendance per game.

The Irish drew 560,084 fans for seven home games, plus another 407,155 in five road games (81,431 each), for a grand total of 967,239.

The ’99 numbers were helped by crowds of 111,523 at Michigan (then the highest in NCAA history, as well as fourth highest in Notre Dame history) and 107,619 at Tennessee (sixth highest in Notre Dame history), marking the first time Notre Dame has ever played twice before crowds of 100,000 or more in a season.

The season average marked only the third time Notre Dame has averaged more than 70,000 fans per game in a full season, breaking the record of 76,004 set in ’98.

Notre Dame finished 10th nationally in home football attendance in 1999, according to figures released by the NCAA.

The Irish averaged a full-capacity 80,012 for each of its seven home games in ’99. The top 10 for ’99 featured Michigan (111,008 average), Tennessee (106,839), Penn State, Ohio State, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Auburn and Notre Dame.

The 560,084 fans who watched the Irish play at home comprised the highest overall home attendance ever at Notre Dame. That’s in part because there was only one other season (1988) in which the Irish played seven times at home, with this marking the only time it has occurred since the Notre Dame Stadium expansion.