Men’s basketball earns highest attendance ranking in 33 years

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Brian Hayes

File photo: Wichita State fans get hype for the TV cameras before the game against the Illinois State Redbirds. (Feb. 4, 2017)

Wichita State men’s basketball ranked 34th in the nation according to the NCAA’s final 2016-2017 season report. The Shockers have topped 10,000 for the fourteenth consecutive year.

Their No. 34 ranking is the program’s best since the 1983-1984 season. Wichita State has finished in the top 40 for the past seven seasons.

Wichita State finished 36th and 37th in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons despite selling out of every home game.

For the 2016-2017 season, home games averaged 10,738 fans and sold out of 13 of the 16 games. The Intrust Bank Arena game in downtown Wichita drew in 15,004, which is significantly more than the 10,506 in Charles Koch Arena.

Wichita State had a total of 182,558 fans for the 2016-2017 season, 75,653 more fans than the No. 35 ranked Florida.

Dating back to December of 2004, the Shockers have played in front of at least 10,000 fans at 198-consecutive regular season games. Average season attendance at home games have topped 10,000 in all 14 seasons since the arena’s 2003 renovation and re-dedication.