I occasionally use actual sports statistics, typically from box scores, in my 6th-grade math classes. I noticed this morning, while checking OUt OUr basketball team's box score from last night on the ESPN website, an attendance stat that I haven't noticed anywhere else before.

Not only does ESPN now give attendance, they also included the capacity and % of capacity. For example, OUr home games this season:

Cleve State: 5626 (13,000 capacity) at 43%
EIU: 3982 at 31%
ASU: 2739 at 21%
UC-C: 3836 at 30%

From 2 other MAC games I peeked into last night:
Akron at Marshall: 4012/9048 at 44%
Richmond at UT: 4166/7014 at 59%

EMU takes a lot of flak from MAC fans for their attendance.
UC-San Diego at EMU (last weekend): 2340/8753 at 27%
Not great, but not in the 100s.

Fantastic teaching tool. Great ideas that keeps things fresh and interesting.

EMU has had many more folks in the stands than I remember for decades. 27% is not great but it is significantly better than past years. As I read this I had to wonder if they will sustain it without a few more wins. Golden opportunity to get folks back into the fold.