College football in the US has witnessed its second-highest ever attendance increase in 2022.
According to a report from CBS Sport, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) attendance also increased for the first time in eight years.
Data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) shows that FBS attendance increased by roughly 5% last season, with 41,840 fans attending each game. The increase is significant as it is the second-highest per game rise (1,992) in FBS history, with the NCAA keeping attendance figures since 1978.
The highest increase-per-game can be traced back to 1982, where the attendance rose by an average of 9,068 per game from 1981. The 2021 season marked the lowest average attendance of 39,848, also since 1981.
Mobile ticketing technology provider Paciolan, which also has a focus on collegiate sports, believes that ticket sales have rebounded post-pandemic.
Last year, primary ticket sales were up 14% year over year with ticket transfers also up 64%.
Paciolan president and chief executive Kim Damron told CBS Sports: “We saw record-breaking sales this past fall. With the advance of mobile, we’ve never seen this type of acceleration. In economic downtowns, we don’t see college take as big a hit as concerts or performing arts. We just don’t. But the demand has been really, really loyal for college this past fall.”