NCAA-Record 1.2 Million Fans See Penn State Football in 2002

Penn State has claimed second place in Division I-A football attendance for the second consecutive season, with an average of more than 107,000 fans per game, according to figures released by the NCAA. In addition to averaging 107,239 patrons per home game in 2002, the Nittany Lions broke the NCAA record for total season attendance, as 1,247,707 fans saw Penn State play during its 13-game schedule. The old NCAA mark was 1,044,370, set by Michigan in 1997. The Nittany Lions, who played in front of 10 crowds of 100,000 or more last year, ranked among the top four in home football attendance for the 12th consecutive year. Michigan, with an average attendance of 110,576, was the only school to top Penn State among the 617 NCAA members surveyed. Penn State drew a school record 857,911 fans in Beaver Stadium last fall for its unprecedented eight home games. The largest crowd of the season was a stadium record 110,753 for the Nittany Lions' 40-7 prime time thumping of Nebraska on Sept. 14. For the full story, visit
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