UK Again Leads Nation in Attendance

[WildcatRick]

Cats average 23,421 at Rupp Arena to claim top spot for 11th time in 12 years


LEXINGTON, Ky. – Just as fans routinely pack Rupp Arena to watch the Wildcats play, Kentucky annually leads the nation in average attendance. The NCAA’s recently compiled attendance figures from this past season reveal that in 2006-07, for the 11th time in 12 years, UK’s average crowd of 23,421 led all of Division I men’s basketball.

It marks the 19th time in the 31-year history of Rupp Arena that Kentucky has had the top attendance figure. A total of 374,737 fans passed through the turnstiles in downtown Lexington for 16 Wildcat games during the 2006-07 season. Syracuse, with an average crowd of 21,516, was second, followed by North Carolina(20,693), Tennessee(19,661) and Louisville(18,488).

http://kentucky.scout.com/2/659619.html

[DCWildcat]

Best fans in the world.

[UKSam]

I think that just shows the world how great UK fans are. All season long I heard how the fans aren't supportive, have unrealistic expectations.......blah blah blah.

For us to lead the nation on a "down" year is super.

Where did Tennessee rank? They had a very good year and their stadium is bigger than ours. They should have led the SEC in attendance if they had our passion.

Heck.................Coach Pat dressed up as a cheerleader and we still took top honors.

It is a shame we can't put a dome over Commonweath Stadium.

[DCWildcat]

Heck.................Coach Pat dressed up as a cheerleader and we still took top honors.

You don't think that might have contributed to us leading the nation in attendance? :shock: :icon_biggrin:

[CATHEAD]

I think that just shows the world how great UK fans are. All season long I heard how the fans aren't supportive, have unrealistic expectations.......blah blah blah.

For us to lead the nation on a "down" year is super.

Where did Tennessee rank? They had a very good year and their stadium is bigger than ours. They should have led the SEC in attendance if they had our passion.

Heck.................Coach Pat dressed up as a cheerleader and we still took top honors.

It is a shame we can't put a dome over Commonweath Stadium.

The top 5 shakes out like this:

1. UK
2. 'Cuse
3. UNC
4. Tenn
5. Uavel

[PitinoLooksBetterInRed]

just out of curiosity how much does Rupp hold? 24?

[matt colvin]

just out of curiosity how much does Rupp hold? 24?

23,500 on paper. It's held low 24k though

[TrueblueCATfan]

23,500 on paper. It's held low 24k though

quite a few games this past season where we had well over 24,000..in fact there were 24,445 for the UK-FLorida game on Feb 10...set a record

[Will Lavender]

I was at both the UMASS and Florida games last year, and it was absolutely rocking both times and filled to the rafters. The UMASS game was one of the loudest games I've ever been to.

I can't imagine how loud and excited that place is going to be this season. It might need a new roof come the day after Madness.

[matt colvin]

It might need a new roof come the day after Madness.



Yep, it will be wild for sure. I just wonder how it will vary from what we've seen the last two years. It will be interesting to see if Gillispie continues with the extreme showmanship of all the pyro stuff and etc.


Maybe we should change the "Big Blue Madness" countdown to "Rupp needs a new roof countdown", and a day of course :icon_lol::icon_lol:

[scfcats]

It is a shame we can't put a dome over Commonweath Stadium.

Agreed, if they could put more seats in Rupp, we would definitely fill them. It's too bad Cincy or the Ville doesn't have a domed stadium, it would be nice to have 30,000+ cheering on the Cats in one of those (RCA dome wouldn't count though due to those pesky IU fans).

[abovthecrowd]

I drove to Lexington after the 96' championship, with a friend. That place was so loud that I was screaming to my buddy 6 inches from his ear and he still could not hear me. I don't think being inside a jet engine could be louder than it was then!(96' was the year they drove the bus out on the floor right?)

[Terry L. Wildcat]

The state of Kentucky has two of the top five...we should change our state nickname to The Bluegrass/Basketball State ;)

[RP_McMurphy]

Tennesse is lowering their seating to around 14-15K. They are installing boxes in the upper concourse. I have always thought that Tennesse lost alot in their move to Thompson-Boiling. God was Stokely a house of horrors for Kentucky.

[RCS]

Tennesse is lowering their seating to around 14-15K. They are installing boxes in the upper concourse. I have always thought that Tennesse lost alot in their move to Thompson-Boiling. God was Stokely a house of horrors for Kentucky.
That is a good idea. That place is a crap hole. I always thought they would be better off with 14-15k. It is tough to fill 24k. UK has the greatest fans in the world and it is hard to fill it for crappy early games.

[DCWildcat]

Tennesse is lowering their seating to around 14-15K. They are installing boxes in the upper concourse. I have always thought that Tennesse lost alot in their move to Thompson-Boiling. God was Stokely a house of horrors for Kentucky.

Wow, I never knew that. I'm kind of surprised that they're lowering it to well below their average capacity, though.

[Doug Hardin]

Thompson-Boling Arena renovations.

http://s159447050.onlinehome.us/utvols/other/vasf/arena/tba-page1.html

I can't find any figures about how this will affect capacity, but it looks like it'll have a pretty substantial effect considering they're removing a lot of the upper level seats to put in the suites.