West Virginia fans cheer during the No. 14 Mountaineers’ 80-69 win over No. 15 Baylor on Fe. 6 at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Drawing 10,583 fans per home game last season, West Virginia ranked 39th nationally in men’s basketball attendance for a second consecutive year, according to the NCAA compilation released Wednesday.
The Mountaineers, whose average crowd increased by 394 over the previous year, were fifth in Big 12 attendance behind No. 9 Kansas (16,436), No. 16 Iowa State (14,270), No. 26 Texas (12,828) and No. 32 Kansas State (11,902).
The Big 12 ranked fourth in average attendance at 10,124, a slight dip of 57 fans fewer than 2015. But the league enjoyed the nation’s largest conference tournament crowds with an average of 18,987 turning out in Kansas City.
Charting West Virginia’s basketball attendance for the past decade:
2016 — 10,583 (15 games): Nonconference schedule was lacking; top crowd was 15,289 for top-5 Oklahoma.
2015 — 10,189 (15 games): LSU and Virginia Tech were main nonleague draws; upset of top-10 Kansas drew 7,033 because of snow
2014 — 8,575 (16 games): 17-16 squad briefly flirted with NCAA at-large bid before settling for NIT
2013 — 8,752 (14 games): Huggins’ worst team slipped to 13-19; top crowd was 12,402 for Kansas
2012 — 9,930 (16 games): 19-14 team suffered five home losses, including Kent State upset
2011 — 11,469 (14 games): Finished 21-12 with Purdue serving as top nonconference visitor
2010 — 12,377 (14 games): Eventual Final Four team packed four Coliseum crowds eclipsing 15,000
2009 — 10,552 (14 games): Nonconference home slate was lacking for 23-12 team that lost to Dayton in NCAA opener
2008 — 10,062 (15 games): Best nonleague home game for Huggins’ debut team was Oklahoma in Charleston.
2007 — 9,420 (18 games): Run to NIT championship meant extra home dates
2006 — 10,402 (15 games): LSU was top nonleague draw (11,044) for team that lost in Sweet 16.
