Memphis' participation as a Group of Five school likely hurt attendance for the gameGOODYEAR COTTON BOWL CLASSIC
Attendance for this year's Cotton Bowl Classic between Penn State and Memphis at AT&T Stadium "ranked as the smallest crowd in 71 years" with an announced attendance of 54,828, the fewest since 46,000 showed up for the 1948 game between Penn State and SMU, according to Drew Davison of the Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM. All 12 Cotton Bowls with lower attendance than this year's mark were played in the 1930s and 1940s. Hosting a Group of Five school such as Memphis "typically means attendance is going to be down for the bowl game." The previous low since the game moved to AT&T Stadium in '10 was 59,615 when another Group of Five team, Western Michigan, faced a Big Ten team, Wisconsin, following the '16 season (Ft. Worth STAR-TELEGRAM, 12/29). Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chair Carl Ice on Thursday was optimistic about the expected attendance, saying, "Memphis is within driving distance, and that's always good for a bowl's attendance. Penn State and Big Ten schools typically travel well. ... So I think we should see a pretty good crowd this year" (DMAGAZINE.com, 12/26).
