May 11, 2006
The overall crowd of 3,185 tickets sold for last Sunday’s baseball series finale versus Louisville (May 7) completed an impressive regular season at Notre Dame’s Eck Stadium while pushing the total attendance over 60,000 (60,334) and the average attendance over 2,500 for the 24 home dates (2,514) – with both the total and average attendance numbers representing the highest in the stadium’s 13-year history. A check around the country also reveals that Notre Dame currently ranks among the national attendance leaders.
The final three-day attendance figure for the Louisville series pushed above 8,000 (8,048) while the team’s average attendance in the final two BIG EAST series (also 10,003 vs. Rutgers) numbered 3,009 for those six games. The seven largest attendance numbers in Eck Stadium history – and 14 of the stadium’s 20 biggest crowds – all have come during the 2006 season.
A quick look at the home attendance figures for teams among the latest Baseball America top-25 reveals that Notre Dame owns the 11th-best average home attendance (2,514) among those 25 elite teams (top-25 teams with a higher avg. attendance include four from the SEC, two Big-12, two ACC, a CUSA and a Pac-10):
Top Average Attendance Among Teams in the Baseball America Poll
1. Arkansas – 7,030 (#10 in BA poll)
2. Texas – 5,441 (#8)
3. Clemson – 4,502 (#10)
4. Florida State – 4,497 (#21)
5. Alabama – 4,458 (#12)
6. Mississippi – 4,282 (#22)
7. Nebraska – 4,232 (#5)
8. South Carolina – 3,834 (#19)
9. Rice – 3,042 (#1)
10. Arizona State – 2,724 (#18)
11. Notre Dame – 2,514 (#11)
The seven largest crowds in Eck Stadium history have flocked to the home facility to cheer on the Irish this season (photo by Matt Cashore).
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The Irish have a higher average attendance than 14 other teams in the curernt BA top-25: North Carolina, Cal State Fullerton, Oregon State, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, Houston, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Pepperdine, College of Charleston, Miami, Oklahoma State and Old Dominion.
Complete Division I attendance rankings typically are not calculated until after the season but it appears likely that Notre Dame will finish among the top-25. The team’s current home attendance average would have ranked 23rd on the 2005 national attendance average list.
In a sampling this week of 69 noteworthy teams (see full list below), Notre Dame ranks 22nd in average attendance for the 2006 season (through games played on May 7). Those 69 teams sampled met at least one of the three following criteria: currently receiving votes in a national poll; among the top-25 leaders in 2005 avg. attendance; or from the ACC, SEC, Big-12 or Pac-10.
Other teams of note who entered the week with a lower attendance than Notre Dame include: Tennessee, Auburn, Stanford, USC, N.C. State, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, UCLA, California, Fresno State and Washington (others are listed below).
The crowd for the Louisville series finale ranks fourth on the list of highest attendance numbers in Eck Stadium history, behind the three games of the Rutgers series (3,507, 3,221 and 3,275, from April 21-23). Other top attendance numbers for the 2006 season include 3,101 for the series finale versus St. John’s on April 15, the doubleheader two days earlier vs. SJU (3,052; counted as one attendance number) and the Friday-night opener of the Pittsburgh series on March 31 (3,028; the first of four record-setting attendance numbers this season).
In addition to the seven attendance numbers listed above, a high number of tickets were sold for the second game of the Louisville series (2,714, on March 6). That total ranks as the 10th-highest in Eck Stadium history, behind the 2,900 for the 2002 game versus Arizona State.
There have been 20 all-time Eck Stadium attendance numbers of 2,300-plus and 14 of them have come in 2006, the eight listed above plus: 2,569 vs. Bowling Green (April 26), 2,568 vs. Purdue (April 24), 2,517 vs. Cleveland State (May 2), 2,443 vs. Toledo (April 18), 2,320 vs. IPFW (April 19) and 2,305 vs. Ball State (April 5).
Largest Attendance Numbers in Eck Stadium History (1994-2006)
1. 3,507 … 4/21/06 … Rutgers (gm 1; Friday night before football Blue-Gold day)
2. 3,275 … 4/23/06 … Rutgers (gm 3)
3. 3,221 … 4/22/06 … Rutgers (gm 2; football Blue-Gold day)
4. 3,185 … 5/7/06 … Louisville (gm 3)
5. 3,101 … 4/15/06 … St John’s (gm 3)
6. 3,052 … 4/13/06 … St John’s (Thursday DH)
7. 3,028 … 3/31/06 … Pittsburgh (Friday night)
8. 2,900 … 4/26/02 … Arizona State (Friday night before football Blue-Gold day)
9. 2,816 … 4/26/03 … Connecticut (DH; football Blue-Gold day)
10. 2,714 … 5/6/06 … Louisville (gm 2)
11. 2,606 … 5/10/05 … Oakland (senior week)
12. 2,569 … 4/26/06 … Bowling Green (“turn back the clock” night)
13. 2,568 … 4/24/06 … Purdue
14. 2,517 … 5/2/06 … Cleveland State
15. 2,497 … 5/17/05 … USC
16. 2,443 … 4/18/06 … Toledo
17. 2,396 … 5/21/05 … West Virginia
18. 2,382 … 5/16/04 … Rutgers (graduation day)
19. 2,320 … 4/19/06 … IPFW
20. 2,305 … 4/5/06 … Ball State
*Note – ND also sold 2,421 tickets for the game vs. Purdue on April 20, 2005, that was played in downtown South Bend at Coveleski Stadium
Average Attendance (as of games through May 7) – sampling includes 69 teams that meet at least one of the following three critera: currently receiving votes in a national poll; among the top-25 leaders in 2005 avg. attendance; or from the ACC, SEC, Big-12 or Pac-10
LSU – 7,288
Arkansas – 7,030
Mississippi State – 6,922
Texas – 5,441
Texas A&M – 4,548
Clemson – 4,502
Florida State – 4,497
Alabama – 4,459
Mississippi – 4,282
Nebraska – 4,232
South Carolina – 3,834
Wichita State – 3,697
Florida – 3,537
Southern Miss – 3,133
Rice – 3,042
Baylor – 3,039
Tulane – 2,872
East Carolina – 2,855
Arizona State – 2,724
Texas Tech – 2,569
Hawaii – 2,558
NOTRE DAME – 2,514
Auburn – 2,437
Fresno State – 2,160
Ohio State – 2,068
Cal State Fullerton – 1,955
Stanford – 1,781
Miami – 1,781
Tennessee – 1,724
Georgia – 1,682
Georgia Tech – 1,649
Vanderbilt – 1,464
Kentucky – 1,383
Oregon State – 1,320
Virginia – 1,238
Troy – 1,216
North Carolina – 1,181
N.C. State – 1,174
Houston – 1,169
Oklahoma State – 1,169
Kansas – 1,129
Oklahoma – 1,047
Kansas State – 1,030
South Alabama – 821
Arizona – 807
Missouri – 793
UC Irvine – 748
Michigan – 726
Winthop – 654
UNC Wilmington – 613
College of Charleston – 593
Washington State – 586
Wake Forest – 568
UCLA – 534
USC – 529
Washington – 485
California – 469
Old Dominion – 450
Maryland – 417
Duke – 387
Pepperdine – 373
Jacksonville – 371
Elon – 350
Virginia Tech – 320
Boston College – 264
Connecticut – 249
Kent State – 233
St. John’s – 192
San Francisco – 189