June 27, 2002
WACO, Texas - In recently released NCAA official women's basketball attendance figures, the Baylor Lady Bears ranked 14th nationally in attendance and have the fifth largest attendance increase from the previous year. In addition, the Big 12 Conference captured the NCAA Division national attendance crown for the third consecutive year.
Baylor shattered the program's home attendance records by averaging 5,524 fans a game during the 2001-02 campaign, an increase of 28.4 percent over the previous season. A total of 93,909 fans attended 17 Baylor home games, including a record breaking 10,074 for the Baylor-Drake game in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Big 12 set all-time national highs for the third straight year with 1,002,251 cumulative attendance for an average of 5,331 becoming the first conference to top one million spectators. The Big 12 is the only conference to exceed the 5,000 per-game mark after accomplishing the feat the last two years (5,030 in 2000-01).
Individually, seven Big 12 teams were ranked in the Top 25 for national attendance, including three in the Top 10. Texas Tech was second and Iowa State fourth for the third straight season. Tech totaled 188,172 in home attendance for an average of 12,545 while ISU numbered 164,731 for a 10,296 average. Kansas State climbed into the Top 10 at seventh and made the most dramatic increase in the Big 12, going from an average of 3,424 in 2000-01 to 8,158 in 2001-02 for an increase of 138 percent.
Other Big 12 teams in the top 25 were: 12. Oklahoma, 6,607; 14. Baylor, 5,524; 15. Texas, 5,356; and 24. Nebraska, 3,473.
Kansas State led the nation in largest average increase from the previous year (+4,734), Oklahoma was third (+2,240), and Baylor was fifth (+1,565). Oklahoma was also third for cumulative attendance for all games (271,542), Iowa State was fifth (231,562), Kansas State sixth (211,738), Baylor 13th (165,535), and Texas 14th (160,179).
This year's Big 12 women's basketball attendance increased 14 percent over last season (880,225 total/5,030 average). Since the first year of Big 12 play in 1996-97, attendance has increased by 470,054 or 91 percent.
2001-02 Women's Basketball Conference Attendance
Conference -- Total Attendance/Average
1. Big 12 -- !1,002,251/!5,331
2. Big Ten -- 688,206/4,440
3. SEC -- 609,259/3,501
4. Big East -- 591,008/2,970
!Denotes All-Time NCAA High
2001-02 Women's Basketball Team Attendance
Team -- Total Attendance/Average
1. Tennessee -- 200,132/14,295
2. Texas Tech -- 188,172/12,545
3. Connecticut -- 238,142/11,907
4. Iowa State -- 164,731/10,296
7. Kansas State -- 122,376/8,158
12. Oklahoma -- 92,493/6,607
14. Baylor -- 93,909/5,524
15. Texas -- 91,048/5,356
24. Nebraska -- 48,615/3,473
32. Colorado -- 50,879/2,993
42. Missouri -- 38,419/2,561
51. Oklahoma State -- 29,443/2,103
62. Kansas -- 23,507/1,808
67. Texas A&M -- 25,706/1,714
