With eight homes games on the docket in 2024, Indiana opened the season with a strong chance to threaten their all-time single season home attendance record if things went well.
And after a sluggish start from an attendance standpoint, one of the best seasons in program history saw IU break its record by a wide margin.
First-year coach Curt Cignetti began quoting the movie Field of Dreams in the summer, this time divining a pilgrimage to Bloomington instead of Iowa.
Build it and they will come.#iufb #Goiu
— Curt Cignetti (@CCignettiIU) June 20, 2024
Ohhhh the people came. They most definitely came.
And they kept coming.
In 2024, Indiana totaled 386,992 fans for the season, well above the previous record of 354,823 set in 2013.
Here is the game-by-game attendance during the 2024 season:
- Game 1: Florida International — 44,150
- Game 2: Western Illinois — 39,082
- Game 3: Charlotte — 43,109
- Game 4: Maryland — 48,323
- Game 5: Nebraska — 53,082
- Game 6: Washington — 53,082
- Game 7: Michigan — 53,082
- Game 8: Purdue — 53,082
Indiana averaged 48,374 per game, making 2024 the fourth-best attended season on an average per game basis.
The stadium clearly maxes out at 53,082, as that was the sold-out attendance total for each of the last four games. That places those four games in a four-way tie for the fourth highest attendance all-time at a home Indiana football game. The highs are vs. Purdue in 1969 (56,223), vs. Purdue in 1979 (53,202) and vs. Ohio State in 1973 (53,183).
Since the completion of the north end zone project in 2009, several games hit the then max of 52,929, but it appears the addition of the south end zone enclosure, along with some new luxury suites, have allowed an additional 153 souls through the gates each game.
Although there is clear momentum within the program, the attendance records should hold for the foreseeable future. Indiana will play seven or less home games until at least 2028 based on current scheduling commitments.
IU plays seven homes games in 2025, but even if they sell out every game they won’t be able to exceed the total attendance record set this year if 53,082 is the true cap. And the highest average attendance for a season — 53,319 in 1969 — is also seemingly just out of reach for now. A completely sold out season at 53,082 would result in the second-highest attendance average of all-time.
There are rumblings about stadium enhancements that could include additional seating. At the very least, more luxury suite options are expected.
During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show inside the stadium in October, Coach Curt Cignetti was thinking even bigger.
“You keep winning and maybe you build up that (east) side of the stadium and get 80,000 in here,” Cignetti said.
All of the records would be shattered at that point.
But obviously those are all major projects that would take multiple years to complete.
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