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Quote:The NCAA released its attendance figures from the 2014-15 basketball season Monday, and the Louisiana-Lafayette men finished as the Sun Belt’s top team.




An average of 3,987 fans attended the Cajuns’ 16 home contests last season, according to the report, nearly double that of Louisiana-Monroe, which drew the second-highest SBC average at 2,064. The Cajuns’ figure was good for third in the state behind LSU (8,897) and Louisiana Tech (4,243).

The SBC did not draw particularly well in 2014-15. Of the 32 Division I conferences ranked, the SBC checked in at No. 23, averaging 2,039 fans per game. That figure is 499 fewer than last season’s total and was the third-largest drop in the nation.

Included in the conference’s attendance figures was the league tournament, which drew just 1,355 per session. It was the second-lowest average among Division I conference tournaments, beating only the Northeast Conference’s.

New Orleans has hosted the SBC tournament each of the past two seasons. With the contract between the Sun Belt and Lakefront Arena set to expire after this season, the conference could explore other options.



Syracuse led the nation in attendance with an average of 23,854 fans per game, its second straight year leading the NCAA. Kentucky, which led the country for eight straight years before Syracuse’s run, was second.

The NCAA also released its women’s basketball attendance figures Monday. Georgia Southern led the SBC with an average of 1,949 fans — a nearly 500 percent increase from the year before, when it averaged 407.

The Cajuns women played in front of 787 on average, ranking eighth in the conference. Only Troy (659), Georgia State (619) and Appalachian State (412) drew fewer.

The SBC stacked up to other conferences much better in women’s basketball than it did in men’s basketball, ranking 11th in attendance out of the 32 Division I conferences ranked.

South Carolina (12,293) had the nation’s highest average attendance, the first time since 1994 that a team other than Tennessee or Connecticut led the way. The Lady Volunteers had led the nation for 11 consecutive years.



Social Suite to return

The SBC announced Monday that the Social Suite would return for its second year, in addition to two hours of commercial-free coverage online at ESPN3 during SBC football media day July 20.

The Social Suite is hosted by Sun Belt Network reporter Danielle Jenkins and offers fans a chance to pose their own questions to coaches and athletes via social media. The Social Suite will have two separate two-hour sessions — 10 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 3 p.m. — and fans can ask questions via Twitter using the hashtag #SunBeltMediaDay.

The ESPN3 broadcast will air from 1 to 3 p.m. and will feature interviews with all 11 coaches as well as SBC Commissioner Karl Benson.

SUN BELT ATTENDANCE FIGURES



Men’s basketball (average fans per home game)

Louisiana-Lafayette: 3,987

Louisiana-Monroe: 2,064

Texas-Arlington: 2,051

Texas State: 2,009

Georgia Southern: 1,966

Georgia State: 1,869

Arkansas State: 1,856

Troy: 1,850

South Alabama: 1,704

Appalachian State: 1,619

UALR: 1,408

Women’s basketball (average fans per home game)

Georgia Southern: 1,949

Texas State: 1,901

Louisiana-Monroe: 1,735

Arkansas State: 1,472

UALR: 1,438

South Alabama: 1,433

Texas-Arlington: 1,031

Louisiana-Lafayette: 787

Troy: 659

Georgia State: 619

Appalachian State: 412

SBC basketball was bad last year. Hopefully the teams and the fans turn it around this upcoming season.

We increased our average by 600 people but still have a ways to go. Was nice to actually have a few sell outs this year

FWIW: NMSU MBB attendance: 6,150

Way down from the old days, but up from last year.

(07-08-2015 11:11 AM)DoubleAggie Wrote: [ -> ]FWIW: NMSU MBB attendance: 6,150

Way down from the old days, but up from last year.

Ranked 88th in the nation. I still think we could get into the 8,000-9,000 range next year.

(07-08-2015 11:11 AM)DoubleAggie Wrote: [ -> ]FWIW: NMSU MBB attendance: 6,150

Way down from the old days, but up from last year.

TOPS in The Belt! Congrats

NMSU ALL SPORTS

(07-08-2015 11:16 AM)Bobcat87 Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-08-2015 11:11 AM)DoubleAggie Wrote: [ -> ]FWIW: NMSU MBB attendance: 6,150

Way down from the old days, but up from last year.

TOPS in The Belt! Congrats

NMSU ALL SPORTS

That is impressive. Less impressive but perhaps still noteworthy is that if you consider EKU or Coastal then each would have been the second place team in the current SBC.

We must be cooking the books on our WBB attendance.

(07-08-2015 11:33 AM)EigenEagle Wrote: [ -> ]We must be cooking the books on our WBB attendance.

The Belt did Men's/Women's double headers LY, right?

I'm guessing that explains the similarity of the figures - maybe a good strategy.

The WAC did the opposite:
when men were on the road, women were at home,
when women were on the road, men were at home.

That means more nights with the lights on, but prime time games for each.

I know the WAC isn't what it once was, in fact it's pretty weak in general. You guys, NMSU, got that attendance with those schools, and that's impressive. Is there any team in the SBC that would excite your fanbase???

Were there any rivals from the first time you were in the conference that may result in good rival games now???

(07-08-2015 11:33 AM)EigenEagle Wrote: [ -> ]We must be cooking the books on our WBB attendance.

Magic of the doubleheader.

(07-08-2015 11:57 AM)Usajags Wrote: [ -> ]I know the WAC isn't what it once was, in fact it's pretty weak in general. You guys, NMSU, got that attendance with those schools, and that's impressive. Is there any team in the SBC that would excite your fanbase???

Were there any rivals from the first time you were in the conference that may result in good rival games now???

I think the cajuns would excite people. I always remembered USA as a kid. I think of the new teams I think people would be excited to play Ga State. I think UTA could become a rivalry because their short time in the WAC they were real stingy. Texas St. could become a big rival I believe because of proximity.

IMO we have better teams than fans. Let's back our teams, mens and women. You cannot get your AD to buy games without support.

(07-08-2015 12:11 PM)theultimateaggie Wrote: [ -> ]I think the cajuns would excite people.

We generally do.

(07-08-2015 11:57 AM)Usajags Wrote: [ -> ]I know the WAC isn't what it once was, in fact it's pretty weak in general. You guys, NMSU, got that attendance with those schools, and that's impressive. Is there any team in the SBC that would excite your fanbase???

Were there any rivals from the first time you were in the conference that may result in good rival games now???

NMSU MBB did not fare well during the first time in the Sun Belt, but there were issues unrelated to the conference we were going through then.

I do remember crowds for WKU and ULL.

More recently, we started a thing with UTA in just one year sharing the WAC.

The Mavericks beat the Aggies in the first conference game of that year and I don't
recall why exactly, maybe the Orange and Blue they share with UTEP and Boise,
but the blood was running against UTA. UTA had a good squad that year and made it to the
conference final where the Aggies prevailed.

I remember some energy against TxSt because, of all things, the TxSt AD was Rudy Davalos,
who was AD at UNM beforehand.

The fans seem pretty adept at manufacturing new rivalries if one is lost.

(07-08-2015 12:22 PM)CajunExpress Wrote: [ -> ]IMO we have better teams than fans. Let's back our teams, mens and women. You cannot get your AD to buy games without support.

Schools are struggling with this around the country.

A lot of it is the digital world ( social media seems more important than showing up in person )
and competing with game streams.

(07-08-2015 10:37 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]Included in the conference’s attendance figures was the league tournament, which drew just 1,355 per session. It was the second-lowest average among Division I conference tournaments, beating only the Northeast Conference’s.

Yowza

(07-08-2015 12:39 PM)StanMolsonMan Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-08-2015 10:37 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]Included in the conference’s attendance figures was the league tournament, which drew just 1,355 per session. It was the second-lowest average among Division I conference tournaments, beating only the Northeast Conference’s.

Yowza

Would be interesting to know how other conferences handle their tournaments. Location and format.

(07-08-2015 12:54 PM)Usajags Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-08-2015 12:39 PM)StanMolsonMan Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-08-2015 10:37 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]Included in the conference’s attendance figures was the league tournament, which drew just 1,355 per session. It was the second-lowest average among Division I conference tournaments, beating only the Northeast Conference’s.

Yowza

Would be interesting to know how other conferences handle their tournaments. Location and format.

C-USA bids theirs out. Bidders must offer a separate venue for mens and womens games. B'ham won it again this year.

(07-08-2015 12:57 PM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-08-2015 12:54 PM)Usajags Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-08-2015 12:39 PM)StanMolsonMan Wrote: [ -> ]

(07-08-2015 10:37 AM)CajunFanatico Wrote: [ -> ]Included in the conference’s attendance figures was the league tournament, which drew just 1,355 per session. It was the second-lowest average among Division I conference tournaments, beating only the Northeast Conference’s.

Yowza

Would be interesting to know how other conferences handle their tournaments. Location and format.

C-USA bids theirs out. Bidders must offer a separate venue for mens and womens games. B'ham won it again this year.

It helped CUSA and Birmingham numbers that UAb was good in basketball again. It would help the SBC numbers if we had the same scenario.