April 28, 2011

TUCSON, Ariz. - University of Arizona men's basketball fans have long considered their program to be one of the nation's elite and more than proved that with their consistently excellent support.

The NCAA released the 2010-11 men's basketball attendance figures Wednesday and Arizona ranked 20th nationally in average attendance, posting a 13,680 mark in 17 home dates.

The Wildcats' national ranking rose even higher among the country's 20 top draws when looking at the percentage of listed capacity filled, as UA's average of 13,680 fans per game was 94 percent of the McKale Center's listed capacity of 14,545. When ranking those top-20 NCAA Division I basketball attendance leaders, Arizona's 94 percent of capacity ranks ninth nationally (see chart below).

It marks the 25th consecutive year in which Arizona has been ranked in the nation's top 20 in terms of attendance.

"I really can't say enough about our fans," said Arizona head coach Sean Miller. "They all come here to be a part of something that is so special, and we really appreciate their passionate support."

Additionally, Arizona was the top drawing program in the Pac-10 Conference for the 27th straight season, easily outdistancing league foes by better than 4,000 fans per game. No other Pac-10 program averaged better than 9,650 fans per game.

During Pac-10 play this season, Arizona averaged 14,472 fans per contest.

The 2010-11 NCAA Men's Basketball Top Attendance Draws
Ranked by Percent of Capacity*
Rnk	School (capacity)	G	Att.	  Avg.	    % of Cap.
1.	Kentucky (23,000)	15	354,046	  23,603	103%
2.	Kansas (16,300) 	18	295,856	  16,436	101%
3.	Wisconsin (17,230)	16	275,680	  17,230	100%
4.	Michigan State (14,759)	15	221,955	  14,797	100%
5.	Louisville (22,000)	21	458,832	  21,832	 99%
6.	Purdue (14,123) 	16	222,659	  13,916	 98%
7.	Vanderbilt (14,316)	17	234,632	  13,802	 96%
8.	Illinois (16,618)	16	253,623	  15,851	 95%
9.	ARIZONA (14,545)	17	232,561	  13,680	 94%
10.	Memphis (18,400)	19	318,601	  16,768	 91%
* only teams listed in the top 20 of total attendance were included in this listing

Arizona (30-8, 14-4 Pac-10) won the 2011 Pac-10 Conference regular-season championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament West Regional final. It marked the fourth time in school history that an Arizona squad has won 30 or more games.