Fan support hasn’t been an issue for Penn State football in a long, long, long time, if ever.
Some schools get made fun of by rival fanbases for a lack of fan support.
For Penn State, it’s the opposite.
Over the years— particularly between 2020-21, when Penn State went a combined 11-11 and the on-field product left much to be desired— rival groups of fans would joke that Penn State fans focused too much on attendance and not enough on wins in losses.
Not a great look for Attendance State. https://t.co/Y58lqqZ0Ql
— The Loyal Sons (@TheLoyalSons) November 21, 2021
Well, now, it’s 2023, the team is 5-0 and ranked No. 6 and, yes, the attendance is still excellent.
In fact, it’s the best in the country according to the NCCA.
Penn State’s averaging 110,051 fans per game, the only school in the country averaging more than 110,000. That’s more than 103% of Beaver Stadium’s capacity, which is also the most. The Big Ten occupies the nation’s top three spots, with Michigan (109,669) and Ohio State (102,696) sitting at No. 2 and 3 (which, coincidentally, is where both teams are in the polls, too.) Tennessee is in fourth, averaging 101,915 fans per game and filling 100% of Neyland Stadium’s capacity.
Penn State Football leads the nation in home game attendance, midway through the 2023 college football season, according to the NCAA:
1. Penn State – 110,051 ave., 103.26% of capacity
2. Michigan – 109,669, 101.92%
3. Ohio State – 102,696, 99.92%
4. Tennessee – 101,915, 100% pic.twitter.com/RiG2Fsm93c— Mike Poorman (@PSUPoorman) October 11, 2023
The only other Big Ten team in the Top 12 is Nebraska (87,041 average, 99.94% capacity).
Penn State topping the attendance chart should be a big surprise. Along with the fanbase’s national reputation, the team has drawn two of the top four attendances in Beaver Stadium history just three home games in.
West Virginia (110,747) was the fourth-highest attended game in stadium history, and three weeks later, the team topped that by drawing 110,830, which ranks second. Penn State won’t eclipse either of those figures Saturday against UMass, but should still get a solid crowd, especially with it being the school’s annual Homecoming game.
