Nov. 17, 2005
WACO, Texas -- Baylor baseball ranked 16th nationally in total home attendance and 17th in per-game attendance for the 2005 season, the NCAA released this week. It marked the sixth consecutive season in which Baylor ranked 21st or better nationally in both total and average attendance.
A school-record total of 109,621 fans attended 36 games at Baylor Ballpark this season, more than 14,000 fans better than the previous school mark established in 2001. Baylor's average attendance of 3,045 ranked second in school history just behind the 2003 average of 3,057.
Baylor was the fourth-highest ranked Big 12 Conference school in both categories behind only Texas (second in total - 204,414; fifth in average - 5,241), Nebraska (fifth - 174,435; sixth - 4,984) and Texas A&M (eighth - 153,533; fourth - 5,905). Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were the only other Big 12 schools in the national top 50 of either category.
Opened in 1999, Baylor Ballpark is considered one of the nation's finest collegiate baseball facilities. In 2003, Baseball America ranked Baylor Ballpark as the nation's third-best college baseball stadium in a survey of coaches and media relations directors.
Baylor's highest rank in average attendance was in 2001 when the Bears were ninth with an average of 2,804. That average would have ranked 19th nationally in 2005, evidence of college baseball's popularity surge over the past few years.
2005 Division I Baseball Home Attendance Leaders
Total Attendance
Team Dates Total Average
1. Louisiana State 36 270,300 7,508
2. Texas 39 204,414 5,241
3. Mississippi State 33 203,276 6,160
4. Arkansas 28 200,378 7,156
5. Nebraska 35 174,435 4,984
6. Mississippi 39 170,152 4,363
7. Florida State 36 163,029 4,529
8. Texas A&M 26 153,533 5,905
9. Tulane 39 145,084 3,720
10. Wichita State 39 141,927 3,639
11. Rice 34 141,104 4,150
12. Alabama 33 137,671 4,172
13. Clemson 32 129,553 4,049
14. South Carolina 33 112,984 3,424
15. Florida 43 112,110 2,607
16. Baylor 36 109,621 3,045
17. Southern Mississippi 34 109,449 3,219
18. Auburn 35 105,720 3,021
19. Hawai'i 36 97,268 2,702
20. Miami (Fla.) 38 88,990 2,342
26. Texas Tech 31 73,236 2,362
40. Oklahoma State 31 41,228 1,330
50. Oklahoma 27 27,538 1,020
Average Attendance
Team Dates Total Average
1. Louisiana State 36 270,300 7,508
2. Arkansas 28 200,378 7,156
3. Mississippi State 33 203,276 6,160
4. Texas A&M 26 153,533 5,905
5. Texas 39 204,414 5,241
6. Nebraska 35 174,435 4,984
7. Florida State 36 163,029 4,529
8. Mississippi 39 170,152 4,363
9. Alabama 33 137,671 4,172
10. Rice 34 141,104 4,150
11. Clemson 32 129,553 4,049
12. Tulane 39 145,084 3,720
13. Wichita State 39 141,927 3,639
14. South Carolina 33 112,984 3,424
15. East Carolina 27 87,261 3,232
16. Southern Mississippi 34 109,449 3,219
17. Baylor 36 109,621 3,045
18. Auburn 35 105,720 3,021
19. Hawai'i 36 97,268 2,702
20. Arizona State 32 84,933 2,654
24. Texas Tech 31 73,236 2,362
42. Oklahoma State 31 41,228 1,330
48. Oklahoma 27 27,538 1,020
