CFL Attendance Up 2.4%; B.C., Saskatchewan See Double-Digit Percentage Gains

The CFL averaged 27,785 fans per game during the '11 regular season, up 2.4% from last year. Gains by the B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers fueled the increase. The Lions moved into a renovated B.C. Place after five games, with the club's first game there drawing a team record 50,213 fans. Winnipeg's 13.3% jump in average attendance came during the club's final season at Canad Inns Stadium, which was built in '53. The Toronto Argonauts were last in the league in attendance and saw the sharpest drop at the gate, down 9.3% from a year ago. Listed below is team-by-team regular-season attendance for the CFL, with comparisons to the '10 season (THE DAILY).

'11 CFL REGULAR SEASON ATTENDANCE
TEAM	GMS	TOTAL	AVG.	PREV.	% +/-
Edmonton Eskimos	9	311,629	34,625	35,025	-1.1%
Calgary Stampeders	9	275,409	30,601	30,715	-0.4%
Saskatchewan Roughriders	9	270,194	30,022	30,048	-0.1%
B.C. Lions*	9	267,525	29,725	24,327	22.2%
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	9	266,028	29,559	26,083	13.3%
Montreal Alouettes	9	216,522	24,058	25,012	-3.8%
Hamilton Tiger Cats	9	213,087	23,676	23,890	-0.9%
Toronto Argonauts	9	180,158	20,018	22,069	-9.3%
TOTALS	72	2,000,552	27,785	27,146	2.4%

NOTE: * = Team played first five home games at Empire Field before playing remainder of schedule at renovated B.C. Place.