The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association finished second in Division II women's basketball attendance for the 2007-08 season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recently announced.
The average of 1,312 fans was down 4.3 percent from last season's conference average of 1,371.
The seven-team North Central Conference, which will disband at the end of the month, won the NCAA Division II attendance title one last time with an average of 1,382. The NCC won 17 of the last 18 attendance crowns, with the MIAA breaking a run of 15 in a row in 2005-06.
The MIAA had better average attendance than all but 10 NCAA Division I conferences, ranking 12th overall.
MIAA schools drew 174,464 fans for 133 dates last season -- the only Division II conference with an attendance figure above 150,000. Only nine Division I conferences had better total attendance than the MIAA.
The MIAA had three schools ranked in the top 10 in Division II, including two in the top three. Emporia State was second with an average of 2,272 for 14 dates, just ahead of third-place Washburn at 2,261 for 14 dates. Northern (S.D.) State was the D-II leader at 2,483 for 12 dates.
Missouri Western placed eighth this season with an average of 1,692 fans for 12 dates.
Pittsburg State was just out of the top 10 with an average of 1,259 fans for their 14 home games during the 2007-08 season.
“The support MIAA fans give our women's basketball programs is outstanding,” MIAA commissioner Jim Johnson said. “Our programs cannot be successful without community support, and through avenues like the Division II community engagement initiative we hope to sustain and grow their patronage in the future.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
