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The best and worst of college football’s 2022 attendance trends

By John Scimeca

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 26: General view of fans during a college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 26: General view of fans during a college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /
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LEXINGTON, KY – SEPTEMBER 24: A Northern Illinois Huskies helmet is seen on the sidelines during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field on September 24, 2022 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY – SEPTEMBER 24: A Northern Illinois Huskies helmet is seen on the sidelines during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field on September 24, 2022 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The smallest home crowds

The FBS program with the smallest home attendance numbers from the 2022 season is Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies drew just 9,198 fans per home contest last season, ranking dead last (No. 131) of all FBS programs.

After winning nine games and the MAC championship in 2021, the Huskies stumbled early and often last season en route to a 3-9 finish. The low attendance might also be attributed to the weather (the November daily low averages to 29 degrees Fahrenheit) and some of those Tuesday or Wednesday night #MACtion kickoff times.

For reference, 31 FCS programs (from the second tier of Division I college football) had a better home attendance than Northern Illinois in 2022. Even programs like Delaware, Sacramento State, and Harvard drew more fans than the Huskies did last season. Huskie Stadium in Dekalb, Ill. was built in 1965 and fits roughly 24,000 spectators.

Fun fact: Northern Illinois went on the road and defeated nationally ranked Alabama 20 years ago. That year’s Huskies squad finished the year with a 10-2 record and the No. 9 ranking in the AP Top 25.

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