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Dayton was ranked 34th, nationally, in women's basketball home attendance. |
DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Dayton finished 34th in women’s basketball attendance in 2009-10, according to a report by the NCAA released Thursday.
The Flyers averaged 3,404 fans a game at UD Arena during the 2009-10 season. That’s an improvement of 2,526 from the 878 average they had in 2008-09; which marks the second-largest increase in the nation this season.
It was a big year for the Flyer women’s basketball program in more ways than one.
And people noticed.
UD started off its year with a bang, hosting then-ranked No. 10 Michigan State in the season opener. The Flyers claimed their first-ever victory over a Top 10 team with a 77-74 win over the Spartans. Two days later Dayton hosted Louisville, the 2008-09 NCAA National runners-up.
After capturing the Purdue PTI Classic, and winning eight of its first nine games, Dayton earned the program’s first Top 25 ranking in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
In addition to the team providing fans an exciting experience with their style of play, the marketing for the Flyer women’s basketball program also reached a new level with promotions such as; Hoops for Haiti, Pack the House Challenge, Flyer Field Trip (Learning Can Take You Higher With Rudy Flyer), Think Pink, and FANTastic Flyer Spirit Night (the team offered a free basketball clinic after their game). Fans of the UD men’s team were also able to watch the Flyer women in two non-conference doubleheaders early in the season.
Only Nebraska, riding a 30-game winning streak, had a larger increase, improving by 4,179 fans per game from last season to this year.
Dayton led the Atlantic 10 in attendance this season, helping the conference break records for attendance (253,367) and average attendance (1,242), the A-10 ranking 10th out of 31 conferences.
NCAA women’s basketball attendance for the 2009-10 season surpassed 11 million for the third straight year and was the second-highest total in history. For the seventh straight year, Tennessee led the nation in home attendance at 12,896 fans per game. Connecticut was second at 10,182.
In addition to averaging 3,404 fans for Flyer women’s basketball, UD Arena was host to an NCAA women’s regional this season that saw Connecticut advance and eventually win the 2009-10 national title. UD Arena will also serve as a 2010-11 Women’s Basketball Regional site.
Dayton advanced to its first NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, posting a dramatic 18-point comeback for a First Round win over TCU. The Flyers fell to Tennessee in the Second Round and finished the season 25-8 overall, tying a modern-era record for victories. Dayton graduates just one player and adds the OHSBCA Ohio Division I Player of the Year Cassie Sant of Fairmont for the 2010-11 season.
