DAYTON - The University of Dayton men's basketball team ranked 19th nationally in average attendance in 2021-22, according to the annual men's basketball attendance report that was announced recently by the NCAA. 

The Flyers set a school record in average attendance last year, averaging 13,407 fans a game. That was 43 more than the previous UD record set in 2019-20.   Every Dayton game at UD Arena was sold out last season.  UD was one of two schools who announced sellouts before the season began.  (Grand Canyon also announced its 7,000-seat GCU Arena was sold out prior to its season opener). 

2021-22 NCAA Top 20 In Attendance
1.        Syracuse  --  20,017    
2.        Kentucky -- 19,338    
3.        Arkansas -- 19,022    
4.        North Carolina -- 18,536    
5.        Tennessee -- 18,202        
6.        Creighton -- 16,611    
7.        Wisconsin -- 16,505    
8.        Kansas -- 16,253    
9.        Indiana -- 15,845    
10.        Nebraska -- 15,283    
11.        Purdue -- 14,804    
12.        Michigan State -- 14,797    
13.        Illinois -- 14,690    
14.        Memphis -- 14,063    
15.        Texas Tech -- 13,973    
16.        BYU -- 13,855    
17.        Marquette -- 13,495    
18.        Arizona -- 13,414    
19.        Dayton -- 13,407
20.        Ohio State -- 13,276

"Our tremendous fan support is well-known across the country," UD Vice-President and Director of Athletics Neil Sullivan said.  "But by no means is it taken for granted by our student-athletes, our coaches and our staff.  We can never say 'Thank You' enough to the Flyer Faithful."

Other Notable Attendance Figures
• UD has finished in the national Top 25 in attendance the last seven seasons.
• Rated in the Top 30 for 24 straight years
• Since UD Arena opened in 1969, Dayton has been in the NCAA`s Top 35 in all 50 seasons, and in the Top 25 a total of 33 times
• Six of UD's top seven yearly average attendances in school history have come in the last six seasons
• The Flyers led the Atlantic 10 in attendance for the 24th straight season 
• In terms of total attendance, Dayton's 227,919 was more than double any other A-10 venue
• In the national Top 20, four schools had capacity crowds for the entire season – Dayton, Michigan State, Nebraska and Purdue
• Just over 10-and-a-half million fans have attended Flyer games at UD Arena since the Arena opened on Dec. 6, 1969.

Dayton returns all five starters from a team that finished 24-11, and tied for second in the A-10 with a 14-4 record. Included in those 24 wins was a win over eventual national champion Kansas.  Headlining the returnees is DaRon Holmes II, who was the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, second team all-conference and on the A-10 All-Defensive team.  Dayton returns 163 of a possible 175 starts, 90% of possible minutes played, 91% of the scoring and 92% of the rebounding from 2021-22.