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As God intended, the Syracuse Orange have reclaimed the thorny crown of NCAA men's basketball season attendance champion in the year of our Lord, 2013 and, uh, the other year of our Lord, 2014. Half-years of our Lord, actually. Look, the world was only created like 6,000 years ago so I'm still figuring out all this year stuff. Give me a break.
The Orange has clinched college basketball's attendance crown for 2013-14, knocking off Kentucky for the first time since 2005, making the only remaining question just how far up its own all-time list the Orange will climb.
Syracuse has brought in 423,868 fans in 16 home games with two games remaining. Kentucky's attendance in 17 home games with three remaining is 341,694. Even if the Wildcats sold out Rupp Arena for their final three games, their total would reach just 412,194, and Kentucky's average would fall well short of Syracuse.
Impressive as it's been, it's still only the sixth-best home attendance in Syracuse history. SU would have to average over 31K in the final two home games (against BC and GT, both mid-week) in order to move into fifth-place.
Syracuse was previously the attendance champ every year between 1986 to 1994 and once more in 2005.
Given how packed and loud the Dome has been this season, it really gives you an appreciation for our forefathers between 1988 and 1992, who came close to average (AVERAGING) 30K in the Dome every night. Of course, your TV availability and Internet options weren't what they are now, so maybe we shouldn't sell this current season short, you know?
