Griz football tops FCS in attendance for third-straight year
1/30/2017 3:53:00 PM | Football
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For the third-straight season and the sixth time in the last decade, the Montana Grizzlies football team has packed in more fans per game than any other program in FCS football, and in 2016 drew more fans than 46 FBS programs as well.
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The Grizzlies averaged 25,377 fans per game over the course of a six-game home slate last year, for a total of 152,261 according to an annual NCAA report, filling Washington-Grizzly Stadium to 100.63 percent of capacity at each game.
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Of the 25,377 fans on average that attended each Griz home game, nearly 19,000 of those were season ticket holders, almost 75 percent of the stadium's capacity. That's more season ticket holders than the combined populations of Montana's ninth and eleventh most populous towns, Miles City and Livingston.
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When compared to the Football Bowl Subdivision, Montana drew more average attendance than over 35 percent of the 129 total FBS programs, including seven teams from the regionally comparative Mountain West Conference.
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If the FCS and FBS average attendance lists were combined, the Grizzlies would rank just below Fresno State, who drew an average of 25,493 to their six home games last season. UM would also come in ranked just above Marshall (Montana's 1995 & 1996 National Championship opponent), who averaged 24,760 fans over the course of seven home games.
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UM drew an average of 1,238 more fans per game in 2016 as compared to one year ago when the Griz averaged 24,139.
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Montana surpassed the 26,000 mark three times last season, with 26,182 fans packing in to see the annual Griz/Cat game, the highest attended event of the season.
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The Grizzlies' 2016 average of 25,377 fans per game is also the best in the Big Sky conference, where Montana State and North Dakota are the only two other schools to register in the FCS's top-30 teams. Montana State averaged the sixth-best national attendance with 17,907, while North Dakota was at No. 28 with an average of 9,944 fans per game.
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The Griz have averaged more than 22,000 fans a game in the last 14 seasons, dating back to 2003.
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Montana opens its 2017 season on September 2 against Valparaiso in Missoula.
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Season ticket renewal notices are set to be mailed to season ticket holders on Feb. 20, and available season tickets will go on sale that day as well. Single game tickets go on sale to the general public July 17.
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For the third-straight season and the sixth time in the last decade, the Montana Grizzlies football team has packed in more fans per game than any other program in FCS football, and in 2016 drew more fans than 46 FBS programs as well.
Â
The Grizzlies averaged 25,377 fans per game over the course of a six-game home slate last year, for a total of 152,261 according to an annual NCAA report, filling Washington-Grizzly Stadium to 100.63 percent of capacity at each game.
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Of the 25,377 fans on average that attended each Griz home game, nearly 19,000 of those were season ticket holders, almost 75 percent of the stadium's capacity. That's more season ticket holders than the combined populations of Montana's ninth and eleventh most populous towns, Miles City and Livingston.
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When compared to the Football Bowl Subdivision, Montana drew more average attendance than over 35 percent of the 129 total FBS programs, including seven teams from the regionally comparative Mountain West Conference.
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If the FCS and FBS average attendance lists were combined, the Grizzlies would rank just below Fresno State, who drew an average of 25,493 to their six home games last season. UM would also come in ranked just above Marshall (Montana's 1995 & 1996 National Championship opponent), who averaged 24,760 fans over the course of seven home games.
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UM drew an average of 1,238 more fans per game in 2016 as compared to one year ago when the Griz averaged 24,139.
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Montana surpassed the 26,000 mark three times last season, with 26,182 fans packing in to see the annual Griz/Cat game, the highest attended event of the season.
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The Grizzlies' 2016 average of 25,377 fans per game is also the best in the Big Sky conference, where Montana State and North Dakota are the only two other schools to register in the FCS's top-30 teams. Montana State averaged the sixth-best national attendance with 17,907, while North Dakota was at No. 28 with an average of 9,944 fans per game.
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The Griz have averaged more than 22,000 fans a game in the last 14 seasons, dating back to 2003.
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Montana opens its 2017 season on September 2 against Valparaiso in Missoula.
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Season ticket renewal notices are set to be mailed to season ticket holders on Feb. 20, and available season tickets will go on sale that day as well. Single game tickets go on sale to the general public July 17.
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#GrizFootball the only @NCAA_FCS team to average over 20k in 2016 & the most in FCS for 3-straight years! #WeAreMT pic.twitter.com/ue8Sks96DK
— UM Griz Football (@UMGRIZZLIES_FB) January 30, 2017
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#GrizFootball's 2016 average home attendance of 25,377 PG is more than all 46 of these FBS schools.#WeAreMT pic.twitter.com/xXvjiLEL4I
— UM Griz Football (@UMGRIZZLIES_FB) January 30, 2017
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