Women’s Basketball Ranks Eighth in National Attendance

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the 13th straight season, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team has ranked in the top 25 nationally in average attendance, sitting eighth overall with 6,454 fans per home game during the 2015-16 season, it was announced Wednesday. 

The 6,454 average attendance is second-best mark in program history behind 6,727 during the 2013-14 season. Overall in 18 homes games – including two inside Rupp Arena – Kentucky amassed a total attendance of 116,164, which also ranked eighth nationally. The 2015-16 season marked the fifth straight year the Wildcats have had a total attendance over 100,000. 

The high attendance numbers are in large part due to two of the highest attended home games in program history in December. Kentucky packed 17,150 fans in Rupp Arena on Dec. 20 against Duke, which was the fourth-largest home crowd in program history. On Dec. 10, the Wildcats had 14,425 fans at the historic arena, which was the sixth-largest home crowd in school history. 

Kentucky’s attendance numbers have reached impressive heights the last six years as the Wildcats have averaged 6,000 or more fans each season, while the six most-attended home games in program history have all come the past six years under head coach Matthew Mitchell. 

The Wildcats drew big crowds all across the country, not just in Lexington, as a total of 190,518 fans saw Kentucky play during the 2015-16 season, which ranked seventh best nationally in total home, road and neutral attendance. 

The Southeastern Conference paced the nation in total attendance with 1,108,511 fans and average attendance with 4,758 fans per game. Both marks were conference records. The next closest conference in total attendance was the Big 12 with 732,897 fans. 

For more information on the Kentucky women’s basketball team, visit UKathletics.com or follow @KentuckyWBB on Twitter and Instagram, or Kentucky Women’s Basketball on Facebook.