The NCAA released its attendance figures for the 2011-12 basketball season on Thursday, and the numbers show that no basketball fans in the country saw more home action this year than Louisville's.
In combined average men's and women's attendance, U of L overtook Kentucky and Tennessee for the top spot:
1) Louisville 32,173 (21,503 + 10,670)
2) Tennessee 30,597 (16,543 + 14,414)
3) Kentucky 30,003 (23,721 + 6,282)
As far as men's attendance is concerned, Louisville finished in third behind Kentucky and Syracuse for the third consecutive season.
1. Kentucky (23, 721)
2. Syracuse (23,618)
3. Louisville (21,503)
4. North Carolina (20,159)
5. Wisconsin (17,181)
6. Creighton (16,665)
7. Tennessee (16,543)
8. Ohio State (16,511)
9. Indiana (16,462)
10. Kansas (16,445)
Some more notable statistics complied by Yahoo's Jeff Eisenberg:
• Lowest per game attendance: 1. Chicago State (429), 2. NJIT (461) 3. Colgate (545)
• Highest per-game attendance among non-BCS-conference schools: 1. Creighton (16,665), 2. Memphis (16,234), 3. BYU (15,224)
• Lowest per-game attendance among BCS-conference schools: 1. South Florida (3,849), 2. Miami (3,936), 3. USC (3,970)
• Highest per-game attendance among non-Division I schools: 1. Northern State (3,382), 2. Hope (3,259), 3. Midwestern State (3,094)
• Largest average attendance increase from last year: 1. Creighton (+3,157), 2. Mississippi State (+2,309), 3. Temple (+2,239)
• Best average attendance per conference: 1. Big Ten (12,868), 2. Southeastern (11,513), 3. Big 12 (11,057)
Overall, attendance for college basketball throughout the NCAA's three divisions was the fifth-highest ever, and was just two percent shy of the record set in 2008.