HBCU Football Attract Tens Of Thousands Of Viewers On Average, According To FCS

Jackson State University’s football team had the highest attendance numbers out of all of the schools.

HBCUs have once again had a big year in sports based on the Football Championship Subdivision’s attendance numbers, HBCU Gameday reported.

Jackson State University’s football team had the highest attendance numbers out of all of the schools, garnering an average of 30,060 attendees in just four games and filling 75% of the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium’s capacity, where Jackson State holds its games. Though it’s a decline from last year’s season, which maintained an average of over 42,000 attendees between 2021 and 2022, this year’s numbers remain impressive and continue to surpass other collegiate football teams.

Trailing behind Jackson State in sixth place is Florida A&M University, which attracted 17,616 fans per game and meets 89.7% of capacity at Bragg Memorial Stadium. Southern University immediately follows in seventh place with an average of 17,465 in-person viewers. Alabama State University and Norfolk State University snagged two of the remaining top ten positions, landing at numbers eight and nine, respectively.

HBCUs have had resounding success in 2023, particularly in the sports world. In Oct., Nike announced its fourth annual Yardrunners 4.0 Class, which spotlights popular and influential people from HBCUs across the country, such as Bowie State University, Florida A&M, Hampton University, Howard University, and more. The campaign features exclusive college apparel representing the various schools, including the often-anticipated Terminator High collection, which offers sneakers inspired by different HBCU colorways.

Earlier this November, Bridgestone also announced a new partnership with the PGA Tour to create more inclusive and diverse spaces for golfers via its Bridgestone HBCU invitational tournament. The joint venture is part of Bridgestone’s Collegiate Development Program and the PGA Tour’s Pathway to Progression program, with aims to leverage resources so that underrepresented groups are given more opportunities to succeed.