INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.--North Dakota State University averaged 18,032 spectators over six home dates in the Fargodome and placed sixth in the 2008 Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly I-AA) attendance figures released by the NCAA.
North Dakota State has put together back-to-back 18,000-plus seasons. NDSU attracted a school record 18,141 fans over five home dates in 2007. The football program has enjoyed seven sellouts over the past three seasons including a school record 19,053 against South Dakota State in 2006. The Bison are 29-5 in the Fargodome over the past six years under head coach Craig Bohl.
"I think fans in our state and our region have embraced our football program. It's been a collabrative effort by a number of people. It's a good product," said Bohl.
"The atmosphere of the Fargodome has definitely changed. It's become a great part of not only Championship Division football, but college football. It's definitely a collegiate atmosphere."
Appalachian State won the FCS attendance title for the second straight year with an average of 25,161 fans per game. The Mountaineers' attendance total of 201,291 in eight games was second only to Montana's 215,308 in nine games. Montana finished second in average with 23,923. Delaware averaged 21,609 to finish third while Jackson State was fourth at 21,263.
In the FCS conference race, the Southwestern Athletic Conference held on to its top spot once again with 14,407 fans per game. The SWAC has finished first in 29 of the last 30 years, with the Southern Conference having won in 2005 and finishing second this season at 12,023. The rest of the top five were the Missouri Valley Football (formerly the Gateway) at 10,955, Big Sky at 10,517 and Mid-Eastern at 9,452.
Three conferences ? the Missouri Valley Football, Colonial and Big South ? had personal highs for total attendance. No conference topped its best per-game-average. The Missouri Valley Football Conference was third out of 15 conferences (including the independents) with 602,513 fans over 55 games for an average of 10,955 per game.
