June 27, 2003
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Maryland basketball attendance records were shattered in the 2002-03 season with the Terps' move into the $125 million, state-of-the-art, 17,950 seat Comcast Center. The Terps set new records for single game attendance with nine full sellouts, and established a new single-season mark for season attendance total (281,057) and per game average (17,566).
Gary Williams' Terps played to 97.8 percent capacity in Comcast Center's inaugural season, and ranked fifth nationally in terms of home attendance average. The No. 5 national ranking marks the best ever in Maryland basketball history, as the Terps' previous high attendance mark of 14,455 ranked 15th in the nation in 1998-99.
The Terrapins averaged 10,300 fans at home games during Williams' first season, in 1989-90, and have seen attendance numbers steadily rise during the coach's 14-year tenure. By 1997-98, the Terps had cracked to top 20 nationally, and have remained between No. 15 and No. 18 before the record breaking totals last season.
The Terps have averaged 14,933 fans per home game over the last five years.
The Terps' +3,400 attendance average from the 2002-02 season (14,166) ranked fifth nationally as well. Across the board, including home, away, and neutral sites, Maryland's attendance total of 514,318 ranked ninth in the nation.
Further, Maryland's regional semifinal game vs. Michigan State at the Alamodome in San Antonio was attended by 33,009 fans, marking the second-largest crowd to attend a game last season not including the Final Four.
2003 NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S BASKETBALL
ATTENDANCE TEAM LEADERS
Rank School G Attendance Average
1. Kentucky 13 289,526 22,271
2. Syracuse 17 355,663 20,921
3. Louisville 18 342,672 19,037
4. North Carolina 18 336,384 18,688
5. Maryland 16 281,057 17,566
6. Wisconsin 17 287,818 16,930
7. Memphis 16 266,283 16,643
8. Indiana 12 198,321 16,527
9. Kansas 16 260,800 16,300
10. Ohio St. 16 256,914 16,057
11. Marquette 16 248,851 15,553
