Griz top FCS in attendance for second-straight season
For the second-straight season and the fifth time in the last decade, the Montana Grizzlies football team has packed in more fans than any other program in FCS football, and in 2015 dew more fans than 44 FBS programs as well.
The Grizzlies averaged 24,139 fans per-game over the course of a seven-game home slate last year, for a total of 168,975 according to an annual NCAA report. That's over 16 percent of Montana's population according to the latest US Census Bureau estimates.
When compared to the Football Bowl Subdivision, Montana drew more average attendance than over 34 percent of the 128 total FBS programs, including seven teams from the regionally comparative Mountain West Conference.
If the FCS and FBS average attendance lists were combined, the Grizzlies would rank just below Colorado State, who drew an average of 24,917 to their six home games last season, and just above New Mexico, who averaged 23,528 fans over the course of eight home games.
UM drew an average of 362 more fans per game in 2015 as compared to one year ago, when the Griz averaged 23,777.