Top Five College Sports

[Satsuma Florida]

Would you include tennis in the top five most popular sports? America seems to be completely obsessed with football and basketball. What about the others? Maybe baseball would be in there but then what? Hockey? Soccer? Golf? Track? Wrestling? Track? Gymnastics? Where does tennis fit in among all of these?

Where's tennis?

No tennis?

Still no tennis...

I always figured the most popular college sports were:
1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Baseball
4. Hockey
5. Tennis, Golf, Soccer battling it out for the last sport.

But I can't anything to back it up. Tennis is nowhere on any of the sites I've seen. The only sites that claim tennis is one of the most popularb sports are tennis sites. Of course.

 

[avengaar]

Men's Tennis is not at all popular in Minnesota, college wise at least. My division two school just lost their Men's tennis program due to no conference and lack of tennis support.

Tennis is around as popular sports like ultimate frisby and bowling at the college level.

 

[andfor]

Would you include tennis in the top five most popular sports? America seems to be completely obsessed with football and basketball. What about the others? Maybe baseball would be in there but then what? Hockey? Soccer? Golf? Track? Wrestling? Track? Gymnastics? Where does tennis fit in among all of these?

Where's tennis?

No tennis?

Still no tennis...

I always figured the most popular college sports were:
1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Baseball
4. Hockey
5. Tennis, Golf, Soccer battling it out for the last sport.

But I can't anything to back it up. Tennis is nowhere on any of the sites I've seen. The only sites that claim tennis is one of the most popularb sports are tennis sites. Of course.

I would think from an attendence stand point, and I don't have the numbers, I would have to guess that Wrestling and LaCrosse out draw Soccer, Tennis and Golf at the gate. Maybe Volleyball too.

 

[Clemson_tennis]

It's regional. In the south Baseball is #3 easy. In the north its hockey. Out west its volleyball,soccer or tennis

 

[polski]

I would think from an attendence stand point, and I don't have the numbers, I would have to guess that Wrestling and LaCrosse out draw Soccer, Tennis and Golf at the gate. Maybe Volleyball too.

Women's volleyball by far over tennis: http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_volleyball_RB/2011/vbatt.pdf

Top 10 volleyball attendance:
DIVISION I
(Min. 5 home matches)
Home
Team Attendance Matches Avg.
1. Hawaii ...................................... 123,382 20 6,169
2. Nebraska .....................................69,479 15 4,632
3. Wisconsin ....................................52,323 14 3,737
4. Washington .................................49,470 15 3,298
5. Penn St. .....................................65,481 20 3,274
6. Florida ........................................45,217 17 2,660
7. Texas .........................................52,571 20 2,629
8. Minnesota ................................... 47,171 18 2,621
9. Stanford ......................................32,833 13 2,526
10. Wichita St. .................................30,014 12 2,501

I can't even find where the NCAA tracks attendance for men or women's tennis. However, I'm willing to bet that the attendance of the top 10 tennis schools is nowhere near this.

 

[10isDad]

Women's volleyball by far over tennis: I can't even find where the NCAA ... have attended might have had 200 spectators.

 

[polski]

Football & basketball are the only "revenue" sports that exist. The rest of all sports lose money hand over fist.

 

[avengaar]

Hockey is the only sport around here, up in Minnesota, that makes money.

 

[goober]

I found this for womens college tennis based in 2009. Texas A&M had the largest total attendance
and per match average.

http://www.collegetennisonline.com/Tennis/NewsDetail.aspx?nwId=38364

Overall Total Attendance
Division I Women
School Total
1. Texas A&M: 4,583
2. Alabama: 2,277
3. Georgia: 1,910
4. Northwestern: 1,897
5. Michigan: 1,670
6. Ohio State: 1,560
7. Baylor: 1,443
8. College of Charleston: 1,440
9. Wichita State: 1,260
10. Illinois: 1,104

Overall Average Attendance
Division I Women
School Avg.
1. Texas A&M: 417
2. Georgia: 174
3. Northwestern: 172.5
4. Michigan: 167
5. Alabama: 152
6. Baylor: 144
7. Notre Dame: 136.5
8. Ohio State: 130
9. Illinois: 122.7
10. Three tied: 84

 

[tennis5]

Off the track of this conversation, but can you play baseball and tennis for college, or are they the same season?

 

[goran_ace]

Tennis is considered a spring sport, but there is also a fall season, so it really is a year round thing.

 

[tennis5]

Tennis is considered a spring sport, but there is also a fall season, so it really is a year round thing.

so, you can't play both?

not like track and tennis?

 

[polski]

Hockey is the only sport around here, up in Minnesota, that makes money.

Does the U have a TV deal? If not, I'd be shocked if they are anywhere close to breaking even. Ticket sales and concessions aren't going to cover coaching, trainers, strength coaches, administrators, facilities, and travel for any D1 sport.

Your football and basketball teams have the TV deals (B10 nw & ESPN) that keep them at or near the black in the accounting books.

 

[tennisdude7407]

you can't play on 2 teams at a college level. well, i guess you technically could but i don't think any of the coaches at a D1 level would let you play baseball and tennis, they would make you pick one or the other for sure

 

[avengaar]

Does the U have a TV deal? If not, I'd be shocked if they are anywhere close to breaking even. Ticket sales and concessions aren't going to cover coaching, trainers, strength coaches, administrators, facilities, and travel for any D1 sport.

Your football and basketball teams have the TV deals (B10 nw & ESPN) that keep them at or near the black in the accounting books.

I guess I don't know about the U. I should have specified. Mankato, St. Cloud, and Duluth all only make money on hockey. I do know the U's hockey is on tv quite a bit so I would assume they have a TV deal.

 

[polski]

I guess I don't know about the U. I should have specified. Mankato, St. Cloud, and Duluth all only make money on hockey. I do know the U's hockey is on tv quite a bit so I would assume they have a TV deal.

If you open up their books, they don't "make money." They probably lose less than other schools, but they aren't making anything. Other than football, hockey is one of the most expensive sports to have.