By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
INDIANAPOLIS – The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team ranked second in Division II in average attendance throughout the 2019-20 season, finishing second in the country for the sixth-consecutive season. The Tigers averaged 2,296 fans across 14 home dates last season, leading the MIAA in attendance for the seventh year in a row.
It was the second-highest average attendance in program history, behind last year’s record-shattering figure of 2,518 fans per game. A total of 32,150 fans cheered the Tigers to victory inside Gross Memorial Coliseum in 2019-20, helping FHSU to a 12-2 home record.
The Tigers have now placed in the top seven in attendance nationally in each of the last 11 seasons, including seven second-place finishes. Fort Hays State has led the MIAA in attendance eight times since the 2009-10 season and has never finished lower than third in that time.
Thanks to one of the best gameday atmospheres Division II has to offer, the women’s basketball team has established one of the strongest home court advantages in the country. Tony Hobson‘s squad is an incredible 121-8 at home over the last eight seasons, winning 93.8 percent of their home games since the 2012-13 season.
Northern State topped the DII attendance charts for the 13th-straight season in 2019-20, averaging 2,470 fans across 15 home contests.
In addition to playing in front of some of the largest crowds in the country at home, the Tigers also regularly play in front of large crowds during road contests. Four other MIAA schools join FHSU in the top 10 in average attendance in DII, while seven of the top 12 are MIAA programs.
The MIAA led the nation in average attendance for the 12th-consecutive season, bringing in an average of 1,037 fans per game, 287 more than the NSIC in second place.
Fort Hays State had a higher average attendance than 82 percent of NCAA Division II programs, including regional schools like Kansas, Wichita State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Tigers would rank 62nd out of the 348 DI programs sponsoring women’s basketball in 2019-20.
| 2019-20 NCAA DII Women’s Basketball Attendance Leaders | ||||
| Rank | School |
Home Games |
Total Attendance |
Average Attendance |
| 1 | Northern State | 15 | 37,050 | 2,470 |
| 2 | Fort Hays State | 14 | 32,150 | 2,296 |
| 3 | Winston-Salem | 13 | 24,286 | 1,868 |
| 4 | Drury | 14 | 24,750 | 1,768 |
| 5 | Augustana | 15 | 24,112 | 1,607 |
| 6 | Emporia State | 15 | 21,633 | 1,442 |
| 7 | Washburn | 12 | 16,876 | 1,406 |
| 8 | Central Missouri | 13 | 18,065 | 1,390 |
| 9 | Missouri Southern | 12 | 15,402 | 1,284 |
| 10 | Virginia Union | 13 | 16,549 | 1,273 |
| 11 | Missouri Western | 18 | 21,762 | 1,209 |
| 12 | Pittsburg State | 15 | 17,950 | 1,197 |
| 13 | Indiana (Pa.) | 18 | 20,730 | 1,152 |
| 14 | St. Cloud State | 13 | 14,799 | 1,138 |
| 15 | Ashland | 17 | 18,504 | 1,088 |
| 16 | Colorado State-Pueblo | 13 | 13,987 | 1,076 |
| 17 | Lincoln Memorial | 13 | 13,960 | 1,074 |
| 18 | Dixie State | 15 | 15,604 | 1,040 |
| 19 | Tarleton State | 16 | 16,444 | 1,028 |
| 20 | Alaska Anchorage | 14 | 14,387 | 1,028 |
| 21 | Colorado Mesa | 16 | 15,832 | 990 |
| 22 | Francis Marion | 12 | 10,759 | 897 |
| 23 | Minnesota State-Moorhead | 13 | 11,627 | 894 |
| 24 | West Texas A&M | 15 | 13,279 | 885 |
| 25 | Southeastern Oklahoma State | 13 | 11,470 | 882 |
| FHSU Average Attendance by Year | |||
| Year |
Average Attendance | DII Rank | MIAA Rank |
| 2019-20 | 2,296 | 2nd | 1st |
| 2018-19 | 2,518 | 2nd | 1st |
| 2017-18 | 2,053 | 2nd | 1st |
| 2016-17 | 2,222 | 2nd | 1st |
| 2015-16 | 2,293 | 2nd | 1st |
| 2014-15 | 2,289 | 2nd | 1st |
| 2013-14 | 1,851 | 3rd | 1st |
| 2012-13 | 1,690 | 4th | 2nd |
| 2011-12 | 1,736 | 7th | 3rd |
| 2010-11 | 1,667 | 7th | 3rd |
| 2009-10 | 2,214 | 2nd | 1st |