Numbers Reflect TCU is Where It Should Be Attendance Wise

People love to bash TCU for it’s attendance woes, from media fools such as myself, to buh-zillionaires like Okie State’s wallet, T. Boone Pickens.

Last week a member of the TCU coaching staff suggested looking at the attendance figures from other private schools from around the nation. The idea is that should be a fair barometer of TCU’s attendance.

TCU announced a crowd of 37,117 for its Amon G. Carter opener against Tennessee Tech.

(As a side note - always be leery of any announced attendance figures from most schools, or pro sports organizations. There is plenty of motivation to bloat attendance figures. I know. I used to do it.)

Because I care, here is what I found from the other “major” private schools from around the nation and how their reported “home opening” attendance. Home as in they play in their home stadium, not Rice that opened against UT at Reliant Stadium.

I took schools from the following conferences - MWC, CUSA, Big 10, Big East, ACC, Pac-10 and SEC. I left out the MAC because, well, it’s the MAC. Who cares about the MAC?

 

School (enrollment): Game

Pitt (28,328): 50,120 vs. New Hampshire, 9/11 @ Heinz Field (65,050)

Syracuse: No home games to date

Boston College (14,500):  34,168 vs. Weber St.; 9/4 @ Alumni Stadium (44,500)

Duke (6,247):  33,941 vs. Elon, 9/4 @ Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941)

Miami, Fla. (15,323) : 53,674 vs. Fla. A&M, 9/2 @ Sun Life Stadium (cap. 74,916)

Wake Forest (4,321): 28,205 vs. Presbyterian; 9/2 @ BB&T Field (31,500)

SMU (10,981):  16,612 vs. UAB, 9/11 @ Gerald Ford Stadium (32,000)

Rice: No home games to date

Tulane (11,157): 20,258 vs. SE Louisiana; 9/2 @ SuperDome, (cap. 69,703)

Tulsa (4,200): 19,565 vs. Bowling Green; 9/11 @ Chapman Stadium (30,000)

BYU (33,278-plus): 63,771 vs. Washington; 9/2 @ LaVell Edwards Stadium (cap. 64,045)

TCU (8,865): vs. Tenn Tech, 37,117; 9/11 @ Amon G. Carter Stadium (cap 44,358)

Vanderbilt (6,794):  37,210 vs. Northwestern; 9/4 @ Vanderbilt Stadium (39,773)

Baylor (14,451): 42,821 vs. Sam Houston St.; 9/2 @ Floyd Casey Stadium (50,000)

Notre Dame (11,731):  80,795 vs. Purdue; 9/4 @ Notre Dame Stadium  (80,795)

Stanford (15,319):  30,626 vs. Sacramento St.; 9/4 @ Stanford Stadium (50,000)

USC (35,00): 81,375 vs. Virginia; 9/11 @ LA Coliseum (93,607)

Northwestern (8,000): 25,471 vs. Illinois St.; 9/11 @ Ryan Field (47,130)

 
What to make of this? TCU does pretty well considering its small student body/alumni base, and a conference affiliation that has zero regional draw.

There are far more casual and “bandwagon” fans today who follow TCU than in recent memory.
Could it do better? Probably, but couldn't we all (please don't answer that).

 

- Mac Engel