BYU Football Producing Biggest Home Crowds Out West In 2021
Oct 11, 2021, 10:35 PM | Updated: 10:41 pm
Fans cheer as BYU and Arizona State compete during an NCAA college football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (Shafkat Anowar, Deseret News)
(Shafkat Anowar, Deseret News)
PROVO, Utah – BYU football has always had strong attendance at home games played in Provo. However, after a year where fans were not able to attend consistently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, BYU fans are showing out in full force for their team.
SOLD OUT – BYU vs Boise State
BYU vs Virginia & BYU vs Idaho State on sale now: https://t.co/UtgGQQcHlw pic.twitter.com/V77TJqVYXQ
— BYU Tickets (@BYUTickets) September 29, 2021
BYU currently has the top attendance for home crowds out west (Mountain & Pacific timezones) in 2021 through week six of the college football season. Of course, attendance numbers see a boost when you get off to a 5-1 start at the midway point of the season, but it’s an impressive accomplishment by BYU fans for coming back in substantial numbers.
BYU football producing big attendance figures
Through four games at LaVell Edwards Stadium, BYU has averaged 62,181 fans per home game. The capacity of LaVell Edwards Stadium is 63,470 seats, the fourth biggest venue out west.
No one else out west eclipses the 60,000 mark. After BYU, Washington comes in second with the second-highest attendance per game out west averaging 59,970 fans at the 70,138-seat Husky Stadium.
During BYU’s win against Arizona State, fans were so loud that the Sun Devils committed multiple penalties due to the atmosphere created by Cougar fans. USF head coach Jeff Scott said BYU’s crowd “was definitely as loud as advertised, one of the loudest environments I’ve ever coached in, and I’ve been in a bunch of them.”
Might be the most impact I've seen in a football game from a fan base.
BYU's crowd has caused major issues for ASU.— Hans Olsen (@975Hans) September 19, 2021
BYU hasn’t had a home schedule averaging more than 60,000 fans per game since the 2013 season. Fan attendance dipped to historic lows per game in 2018 when only 52,476 fans showed up to LES. The lowest attendance (sans a pandemic) at home BYU football games since LES expanded in 1982. Attendance started to climb back up in 2019, with games against rival Utah, USC, and Washington rolling into Provo. The final per game number that season ended up at 59,457, good for second out west.
Since that season, Kalani Sitake’s program has been one of the winningest teams in the land, putting together a 16-2 record dating back to 2020.
The @byuroc is ready for tonight’s whiteout. ⚪️ ⚪️ #ASUvsBYU #BYU #BYUFootball #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/cYoCSepJGZ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) September 19, 2021
BYU’s current per game average for fans at home games is also the highest attendance among members in the new Big 12 Conference that BYU will be joining in 2023. The next closest is Iowa State, at 61,148 fans.
BYU has two home games remaining on their 2021 home schedule. The return of former BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall and the Virginia Cavaliers on October 30 and Senior Day against FCS foe Idaho State on November 6.
Top 15 highest average home attendance crowds out west
*Through week 6 of 2021 season
1. BYU – 62,181
2. Washington – 59,970
3. USC – 54,248
4. Utah – 51,497
5. UCLA – 48,081
6. Colorado – 46,610
7. Oregon – 45,360
8. Arizona State – 44,592
9. Stanford – 39,423
10. Arizona – 38,612
11. Boise State – 36,548
12. Cal – 35,795
13. Colorado State – 31,447
14. Fresno State – 30,538
15. Oregon State – 29,210
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
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