ACC Women See Bigger Crowds, But Still Seek More Growth

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ACC Women See Bigger Crowds, But Still Seek More Growth

UNC women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell talks about the upcoming basketball season and what's in store for the Tar Heels.

By Jason Jennings

Jan 15, 2008

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Behind the lead of recent national champion Maryland, and perennial powers Duke and North Carolina ranked among the top 12 teams in the nation, 2008 could become another banner year for ACC women's basketball.

“The ACC, I think, our talent is as good as any conference in the country, but our attendance is not quite there yet,” said UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell.

But it has increased. From 2000 to 2007, average game attendance in the league has jumped more than 50 percent to more than 3,300 fans a game.

But while numbers are up across the league, Hatchell believes the ACC still has a long way to go. Rarely does a team from the conference rank among the nation's top 10 in attendance. And last year, as a league, the ACC ranked fourth. The Big 12 is the perennial attendance leader.

“There are pockets of interest throughout the country where they just love women's basketball,” Hatchell said. “The Big 12? Oh, yes.”

But not yet in ACC country. N.C. State associate athletics director Nora Lynn Finch, an influential figure in the women's game's, believes the interest in ACC men's basketball - where its popularity markets itself - pushes women's basketball on most conference school's backburner. Hatchell agrees that with many teams now succeeding, the burden lies on the marketing.

"I don't know how much more winning we can do so...you've got to build up your season tickets,” Hatchell said. “Usually when people come to our games, they're hooked."

ACC attendance leaders

2007 (national rank in parentheses)

(6) Maryland 9,553
(13) Duke 5,852
(21) UNC 4,815
(32) Virginia 3,668
(40) Va. Tech 2,980
(44) N.C. State 2,616

2006

(16) Duke 6,073
(21) Maryland 4,813
(26. Va. Tech 3,871
(30) UNC 3,707
(36) Virginia 2,922
(43) N.C. State 2,554

2005

(19) Duke 4,966
(23) V. Tech 4,196
(24) Maryland 4,182
(39) Virginia 2,803
(40) N.C. State 2,801
(56) UNC 2,121

2004

(14) Duke 6,237
(27) Va. Tech 3,685
(38) UNC 3,051
(40) Clemson 2,793
(45) Maryland 2,584
(56) N.C. State 2,026

2003

(13) Duke 5,577
(27) Virginia 3,706
(43) State 2,591
(49) Clemson 2,176
(53) Maryland 2,059
(60) UNC 1,900

Source: NCAA

Most Recent Comments

I don't mean this to sound hateful, just telling the brutal truth. I have better things to do with my time than watch something boring.

If you want more of a crowd, put out a better product. If women would agree to lower the goals a bit so more than a couple of prodigies could dunk, it would be more worth watching. They think that would be conceding something to the men, but no one can help it if women are smaller, on average, than men. And not as strong.

Watching women's basketball is like watching slow-motion basketball. Make it more entertaining and I would watch.

We love going to the women’s basketball games. The play is fast-paced and competitive just like men’s play. The teams are typically nationally ranked, the coaches are experienced and respected, and you get the same ACC game experience as the men’s. We went to Sunday’s game at Reynolds and my kids just loved seeing the cheerleaders, NCSU Pep Band, the dancing girls, Mr & Mrs Wolf, etc. All for a fraction of the cost to go to a men’s game. It's easy parking and of course seating is good at Reynolds. Highly recommend it!