FBS home attendance "declined for the fifth consecutive year, though the rate at which crowds decreased has slowed," according to Jon Solomon of CBSSPORTS.com. FBS schools averaged 43,288 fans, down 0.4% from 43,483 in '14. Crowds declined by 4% in '14. This year's average was "again the lowest since the FBS drew 42,631 per game" in '00. Michigan "returned atop the attendance leaders (110,168 fans per game) after its 16-year run was ended by Ohio State" in '14. Of the top 25 attendance leaders this year, 44% "experienced increases or remained the same," down from 72% in '14. Among the top 25 attendance leaders, the biggest declines were seen by UCLA (-13%), Florida State (-11%), LSU (-8%) and Iowa (-6%). The biggest increases among Power Five schools: Pittsburgh (+17%), Virginia (+10%), Minnesota (+9%), Iowa State (+8%), Kentucky (+6%), Indiana (+6%) and Purdue (+6%). The biggest decreases in the Power Five: Syracuse (-21%), Kansas (-20%), Oregon State (-14%), Northwestern (-14%), Boston College (-13%), UCLA (-13%), FSU (-11%), North Carolina (-9%) and Miami (-9%) (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/18). In Portland, Ken Goe noted attendance for Pac-12 home games has declined 11% since '07, and the reasons "are not complicated." Tickets "are expensive," for one. Making it worse, Pac-12 schools "have surrendered control of start times to television." The programmers "don't seem to care one whit about fan convenience, which explains the Pac-12's steady diet of night football" (OREGONLIVE.com, 12/19).
