NEW YORK – BIG EAST basketball fans continued to show their loyal support last season. According to figures released by the NCAA, all 10 league schools ranked among the top 83 in attendance for 2014-15. That’s among 351 Division I teams.
Creighton ranked sixth nationally by attracting an average of 17,048 fans at the CenturyLink Center. The Bluejays have finished among the top six in attendance for the last four seasons and have been ranked in the top 25 for the past 10 years.
Marquette ranked 22
nd with an average of 13,657 fans at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Golden Eagles have been ranked in the top 25 in all of their 10 seasons as a member of the BIG EAST.
Three more conference schools were ranked in the 40s. Xavier was 42
nd for a second straight season, averaging 9,998 fans at the Cintas Center and enjoying nine sellouts. Villanova was 44
th followed by Georgetown at 45th. The Wildcats averaged 9,639 fans playing at The Pavilion and the Wells Fargo Center. Villanova has sold out 158 straight games at The Pavilion. Georgetown moved up six places this year with an average of 9,630 fans at the Verizon Center.
Providence ranked 52
nd after averaging 8,614 fans at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Three more BIG EAST schools ranked in the 60s: Seton Hall (63
rd--7,587), St. John’s (65
th--7,463) and Butler (66th—7,373). Seton Hall increased its average by 1,250 fans, the 18
th largest jump in the nation. DePaul was 83th with an average of 6,238 fans.
For the second straight year, the BIG EAST ranked fifth among conferences with an overall average of 9,853.