May 30, 2008

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University men's basketball program recorded the 14th largest average attendance increase from the previous year in the nation, according to the NCAA, with 1,498 more Thundering Herd fans at the Cam Henderson Center per game in 2007-08.

Marshall drew an average crowd of 5,042 at its 17 home games in 2007-08, its largest in seven seasons and nearly 1,500 more per game than in 2006-07 (3,544).

Marshall, which posted its first winning season since 2000-01, saw 85,710 fans walk through the Henderson Center turnstiles in head coach Donnie Jones' first season with the Herd in 2007-08. The upsurge of 1,498 more fans per game is the largest increase from the previous season at MU since former Herd coach Billy Donovan's first season at Marshall in 1994-95 (2,449).

The Herd went 13-4 at home last season and saw game crowds top 5,000-plus seven times, including a sellout versus eventual national finalist Memphis.

Marshall's per game attendance increase is the third best in Conference USA behind Memphis (2,221 - 4th) and UCF (2,195 - 5th). Southern California (2,670) reported the largest increase in the country and is one of 33 schools with a growth of more than 1,000 per game. SMU (1,106 - 28th) is the fourth C-USA institution on the list.