Despite a new football coach who brought an "enticing brand of offense," Syracuse finished the season with the "second-worst average attendance in the Carrier Dome era," according to Chris Carlson of the Syracuse POST-STANDARD. The school "closed the season with a crowd of 32,340 against Florida State, bringing the season average to 32,805." That is an "improvement over last year, when Syracuse averaged 32,102 fans in the final year" of coach Scott Shafer's three-year tenure. This year marks the "worst attendance ever in the debut season for a new coach, topping the average of 38,276" during Shafer's debut season. Syracuse played six home games, half of them against ranked opponents. The Syracuse athletic department announced "efforts earlier this week that it hopes will improve football attendance next year, including lower prices for season-ticket holders, allowing season-ticket renewals three months earlier than usual and allowing fans to use payment plans in an effort to budget" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 11/20).
I'M NOT ALRIGHT: In Minneapolis, Joe Christensen notes Northwestern-Minnesota on Saturday drew a crowd of 38,162, marking UM's smallest single-game attendance in eight seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. The team’s previous low at the stadium was 44,194 for Michigan State on Nov. 24, 2012." Average attendance for "seven home dates this season was 43,814, which was the smallest" since '02, when Minnesota "drew an average of 41,785 at the Metrodome." The team’s previous low average for a season at TCF Bank Stadium was 46,637 in '12. Last year, when the stadium had an "expanded capacity for the Vikings, the Gophers averaged 52,355" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 11/21).
