Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Owls Among Attendance Leaders for 2005-06
5/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
May 30, 2006
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Florida Atlantic University finished third in Division I for increased attendance at men's basketball games, according to figures released by the NCAA on Tuesday.
Florida Atlantic averaged 1,112 fans in 12 home games for the 2005-06 season, up 112.6%, or 589 fans per game, from one year earlier. In 2004-05, the Owls averaged 523 fans in 11 home dates.
"We are very grateful to our fans for their support this season," stated Craig Angelos, FAU Director of Athletics. "Increasing the interest in Florida Atlantic men's basketball was one of the goals that led to the hiring of Matt (Doherty). It is very satisfying to know that, in meeting that goal, we had results that were among the best in nation. We believe that Rex (Walters) and his staff will do a tremendous job in growing the program and building even greater support in the community."
Florida Atlantic led the Atlantic Sun Conference for improved attendance, easily outdistancing Jacksonville. The Dolphins gained 300 fans per game, up 26.8%.
Florida Atlantic surpassed the 1,000-fan mark for each of its final seven home games, including five games of 1,195 fans or more. That stretch included a season-high 1,348 fans for the Feb. 16 game with East Tennessee State.
"We are very proud of our attendance mark this season," noted head coach Rex Walters. "It is exciting to know that the Boca Raton community came out to support us in such a way. Fans saw a group of guys that played smart and played together. We want to continue building on our success on the court, to create a more entertaining brand of basketball, so that even more fans will want to enjoy FAU basketball."
UNC-Greensboro (183.1%) and Bethune-Cookman (148.2%) had the largest percentage increases nationally. FAU, UNCG and B-CC were the only programs whose increases were greater than 60%.
Percentage of attendance improvement from 2004-05 to 2005-06:
1. UNC-Greensboro +183.1%
2. Bethune-Cookman +148.2%
3. Florida Atlantic +112.6%
4. Northern Arizona +59.8%
5. N.C. A&T +56.4%
6. San Diego +55.6%
7. Memphis +55.1%
8. Bucknell +54.3%
9. Georgia State +53.9%
10. Loyola (Md.) +50.5%
