Zachary Neel
April 29, 2024 5:27 am PT
When you’re a die-hard fan of a college football team, you often find yourself arguing about many things over the course of the offseason. When there aren’t actual games to discuss, a whole number of topics bubble to the surface and spark outrage online.
One of those things is spring game attendance numbers.
In some parts of the county, fans turn out in hoards for their team’s annual spring scrimmage, making it a massive event that is fun for kids, players, and recruits in attendance. Other programs don’t usually draw the massive spring game numbers, but their excuse is usually that their team plays in a city where there are more entertaining things to do than attend a spring game.
Seems like a coded way of saying you don’t support your team to the fullest, doesn’t it?
The Oregon Ducks don’t have that problem. Year after year, thousands upon thousands of fans turn up at Autzen Stadium at the end of every April and cheer on the Ducks in their spring game, leaving the team with one of the more impressive spring game attendance numbers every season.
This year, an estimated 40,000 fans were inside Autzen Stadium on Saturday afternoon, which is slightly below the estimated 45,000 that were reported a year ago. But how does that 40,000 look when you compare it to the numbers produced by USC, Washington, Oregon State, and the rest of the nation? Let’s take a look at the attendance numbers that we’ve been able to find reported over the past couple of weeks.
20
Tennessee Volunteers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 10,000
Analysis: With Nico Iamaleava Jr. taking over, you would think that Tennessee could get a bigger turnout than this, but considering that they have construction going on at the field, it makes sense.
19
Syracuse Orange
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 16,000
Analysis: The Fran Brown era is starting this year at Syracuse, so it makes sense that fans were excited and eager to get out to the stadium to watch the new staff kick things off.
18
West Virginia Mountaineers
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 18,000
Analysis: West Virginia fans are certainly passionate, and they show up for their team. Good on them.
17
Florida State Seminoles
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 18,000
Analysis: You would think that Florida State could get more than just 18,000 fans at the spring game, especially considering that they have a new QB, and are coming off of a great 2023 season.
16
Virginia Tech Hokies
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 20,000
Analysis: Virginia Tech getting 20,000 fans at the spring game? That’s pretty impressive, considering that they are a middling program in the ACC.
15
Colorado Buffaloes
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 28,000
Analysis: The Colorado attendance number isn’t too bad, but when you consider they had 47,000 in attendance last year, it does look a bit worse.
14
Michigan Wolverines
Michael Allio-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 31,000
Analysis: The defending national champions are going through a transition period after their head coach and a lot of their roster departed for the NFL, but they still project to be a solid team in the Big Ten, and got some good fan support for their spring game.
13
Auburn Tigers
A decal on Auburn helmets honoring the University of Virginia players killed earlier this week that were killed as Auburn Tigers take on Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 33,000
Analysis: Football just means more down in the south. That’s got to be what you tell yourself, because otherwise, it’s hard to explain more than 30,000 people showing up for an Auburn scrimmage.
12
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 37,000
Analysis: Notre Dame had the most fans at a spring game in 15 years, which I found a bit surprising considering the gravitas that the program holds.
11
Texas Longhorns
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 40,000
Analysis: While Quinn Ewers is the guy in Texas, I think most people turned out to see Arch Manning last weekend, and they weren’t disappointed.
10
Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks Helmet
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 40,000
Analysis: It really is a new era in Eugene this year with Bo Nix gone, being replaced by Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. The fans turned out to see the pair of new QBs go to work in Eugene.
9
Oklahoma Sooners
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 45,000
Analysis: Oklahoma is ushering in a new era with Dillon Gabriel off to Oregon and Jackson Arnold taking over, so it makes sense that the fans turned out for that.
8
Clemson Tigers
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 47,000
Analysis: The culture is strong in Clemson with Dabo Swinney, and that fan base will stay true, even if they’ve had a couple of frustrating seasons over the past few years.
7
Florida Gators
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 48,000
Analysis: Florida getting a number like this shows you how much college football really means down there, since the product on the field certainly doesn’t warrant almost 50,000 people showing up for a spring scrimmage.
6
Georgia Bulldogs
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 55,000
Analysis: Last year was considered a “down year” for Georgia because they didn’t make it to the College Football Playoff, but with Carson Beck back for another season, things look good for the Bulldogs heading into 2024, and the fan support shows that.
5
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 60,000
Analysis: Who wouldn’t go watch the beginning of the Dylan Raiola era in person if they had the opportunity? Nebraska’s spring game was notable this year, so this number doesn’t surprise me.
4
South Carolina Gameco*cks
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 62,000
Analysis: Deep down in SEC country, the Gameco*cks are showing out in the spring game, with a really impressive number. Now if the team was just a bit better, the fans would be rewarded.
3
Penn State Nittany Lions
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 67,000
Analysis: Say what you will about Penn State, but those fans are passionate and loyal. Beaver Stadium holds a ton of people and getting almost 70,000 for a spring game is outstanding.
2
Alabama Crimson Tide
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 72,000
Analysis: Alabama has seen a lot of change over the offseason with Nick Saban, so it makes sense that over 70,000 fans would turn out to see the beginning of the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa.
1
Ohio State Buckeyes
Oct 8, 2022; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) helmet and gloves during warm-ups before the NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium.
Osu22msu Kwr 14
Estimated Spring Game Attendance: 80,000
Analysis: I don’t think it’s any surprise that Ohio State is at the top of this list. Year in and year out, that fanbase shows up to support the program like no other. A true blueblood in the sport.
