A-Sun Women's Basketball Attendance on the Rise

MACON, Ga. - Through 35 games into the 2010-11 women’s basketball season, the Atlantic Sun Conference has already seen a dramatic increase in the attendance at their home contests after being one of two conferences to receive an NCAA Women’s Basketball Grant designed to increase awareness, exposure and attendance in June of this year.

In the 2009-10 season through 35 games, the A-Sun averaged an attendance of 727, but this season that number has inflated to 913 per contest, a 25.58% increase. Seven of the 11 league members have seen a positive increase in attendance figures with Stetson and Lipscomb leading the way with a 148.53 and 102.76 percent increases, respectively.

“It is very rewarding for us to see such a quick return on the hard work each of our institutions have put into promoting the NCAA women’s basketball grant,” stated Sherri Booker, the Atlantic Sun Senior Associate Commissioner. “We are confident that we will continue to see a rise in attendance figures as our institutions continue to promote their women’s basketball programs to their student population, local communities and alumni bases.”

Five programs have fan attendance of 1,000 per game with ETSU leading the way with 2,594 and are joined by Campbell (1,486), Lipscomb (1,397), FGCU (1,361) and UNF (1,134).

On Dec. 14th, Campbell and Stetson welcomed record crowds of 3,095 and 1,876 to their respective arenas, which shattered the previous attendance-high for the Camels and became the second-highest mark for the Hatters.

ETSU has been a recipient of the NCAA Grant in each of the past two years, but this year marks the first time in which the entire Atlantic Sun Conference has received the grant. For more information about the NCAA Grant, visit the Atlantic Sun Conference’s NCAA Grant Page.