Dec. 10, 2007

Football: YSU Ranks Sixth in Total FCS Attendance; Ninth in Average

    The Youngstown State football program ranked sixth in total attendance and ninth in average attendance for the 2007 season according to figures released by the NCAA on Monday following the conclusion of the FCS Playoff semifinals.

    Also, for the 11th straight time since joining the Gateway in 1997, the Penguins led the conference in attendance, narrowly finishing ahead of Northern Iowa.

    For seven home games in 2007, Stambaugh Stadium welcomed 113,045 fans for an average of 16,149 per contest.

    Two-time defending NCAA Champion Appalachian State finished first in both total attendance (217,968) and average attendance (24,219) playing host to nine contests -- the most in the country - during the season.

    In accumulated attendance, Montana was second, Delaware was third, Yale fourth, Georgia Southern fifth and YSU was sixth just ahead of UNI.

    In average attendance, Appalachian State was followed by Montana, Yale, Delaware, Georgia Southern, Southern U., Norfolk State, Tennessee State and YSU.

    In the Gateway race, the Penguins were just ahead of the Panthers who averaged 16,118 in seven home contests at the UNI Dome.

    Youngstown State averaged more than 16,000 fans per contest for the first times since 2003. It marks the first time in Gateway history that two schools averaged more than 16,000 fans per home game in a season.