Sparse crowds at UB Stadium in Buffalo have the Bulls on the list of teams facing NCAA sanctions for their attendence.
The NCAA warned 10 schools today that they face possible sanctions if they do not improve their attendence. The
Salt Lake City Deseret Morning News reported that Utah State was among 10 schools that need to improve their attendence or face being placed on "restricted" status and being ineligible for postseason football play.
NCAA Division 1A has an average attendence requirement of 15,000 fans per game, and the schools who were warned have a history of failing to meet the mark. There were 5 MAC schools, plus future member Temple warned. Three WAC schools received warnings, along with two Conference USA schools. One Sun Belt member received a warning. The unlucky 13:
- Eastern Michigan (5,219) MAC
- Kent State (6,658) MAC
- Buffalo (8,914) MAC
- Rice (10,072) C-USA
- Akron (10,893) MAC
- Utah State (10,896) WAC
- San Jose State (12,506) WAC
- New Mexico State (12,557) WAC
- Temple (12,735) Ind/MAC
- Ball State (12,953) MAC
- Tulane (14,242) C-USA
- Louisiana-Monroe (14,617) Sun Belt
- Bowling Green (14,929) MAC
The warnings state that should any of these schools fail to maintain an average attendence over 15,000 for any one of the next
ten years that the school may be placed on "restricted" status and thereby become ineligible for postseason play. If any of these schools misses the mark twice more in the next ten years, it can lose its status as a Division 1A member. Of the warned schools Akron sticks out, as the defending MAC champions are in serious danger of facing a bowl ban. I would expect that Tulane will get a waiver do to the circumstances surrounding their attendence last year.
