Success increases women's crowds
Anne Felstet
Kansan sportswriter
Moms, dads and siblings move over; women's basketball is catching on and more fans are watching from the bleachers.
Bernie Kish, director of ticket sales said the attendance at Kansas' women's basketball games had steadily increased during the last few years.
In August, the NCAA said that Southwest Missouri State lead the nation in its women's basketball attendance for the 1992-1993 season with an average 7,421 fans in its 8,858-seat John Q. Hammons Student Center.
Doug Hesse/KANSAN
Kansas junior forward Angela Aycock autographs programs after a game. The Jayhawks' attendance increased last year.
Kansas' estimated average for the 1992-93 season was 1, 042 in the 15,800 Allen Field House. That is 165 more a game than the previous year.
Kish said that great players such as junior Angela Aycock, and great recruiting generated the crowd increase.
Kansas coach Marian Washington has successfully recruited high school all-American players for the last three years.
Washington said the team responded well to crowd support.
"The more people that come out the better they play," she said of the team. "Any player will tell you that."
Kish said the Kansas fans were a good blend of people.
"It's not just student support," he said. "There's a solid core of faculty and staff too."
John Ripperger, who works in the sports information office at Southwest Missouri State, said fans were attracted to the university's program because of the team's NCAA Final Four appearance during the 1991-92 season.
The Bears record was not as good last year, but he said the excitement generated from the Final Four tournament led to the larger crowds.
"Fans in Springfield are well educated and excited about basketball," he said. "That makes it easy to market women's basketball to the people of the area."
Southwest Missouri State for the first time this year will have to reserve all the seats for the women's games because of the increase in the student tickets sold. Reserved seating for the men's games began during the 1985-86 season.
Kansas does not have to reserve seating for its women's
basketball games, but the crowds have increased during the last three years.
Aycock said attendance was low at home games during her freshman year, but this year, even before the season has begun, people were calling in and asking for programs.
Kansas was 9-5 in the Big Eight last year and 21-9 overall.
Washington said this year should be a good year for attracting fans.
12 COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW • University Daily Kansan • November 17, 1993