May 18, 2011
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa had the second-largest increase in attendance from the previous season among Division I women’s basketball programs, according to data released today by the NCAA. Lisa Bluder’s squad also finished the 2010-11 season ranked 13th nationally in average attendance, the highest ranking since the 1997-98 season when the UI ranked ninth.
Iowa jumped from an average of 3,488 fans during the 2009-10 season to 5,823 fans for the 2010-11 season, a boost of 2,335 fans. Louisville was the only other school to see a larger increase, adding 4,462 fans.
Iowa’s total attendance figure of 81,528 is the third-highest in school history, while the average of 5,823 is the fourth best in school history.
Iowa’s top crowd of the season came on Jan. 8 vs. Ohio State, when 9,865 fans saw the Hawkeyes knock off the 20th-ranked Buckeyes. That crowd was the 11th-largest single-game crowd in women’s basketball history.
“The attendance figures are a testament to our loyal fans,” Bluder said. “We had amazing crowds at Carver-Hawkeye Arena all season and it’s great to see our attendance numbers on the rise. Our fans bring great energy and enthusiasm every game, and the players and coaches feed off of that. We are already looking forward to playing in front of our great fans next season.”
The Big Ten ranked second among all Division I conferences with an average of 4,161 fans. Only 559 fans separated the Big Ten from first place (Big 12).