Florida Faithful Break Regular-Season Attendance Record at Softball
Monday, May 4, 2009 | Softball
The No. 1/1 University of Florida's softball fans topped record books by tallying the highest home attendance average in the history of the program. Over 29,000 fans flocked to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium throughout the season to support the Gators, an average of 1,209 per game.
The Florida faithful not only set a new season record, they also broke a 12-year record for a single-day attendance. Prior to the March 28 matchup with then-No. 4/5 Alabama, the attendance record stood at 2, 388, which was set on opening day in 1997. Fans broke that long-standing total when 2,423 came out to watch the Gators take down the Tide in a doubleheader. Fans then topped the 1997 record again when 2,398 came to witness a ninth-inning walk-off win against in-state rival Florida State on April 8.
The 2009 regular-season saw four games rank in UF's top 10 for single-day attendance. The 1,677 who came out for the March 21st doubleheader win against then-No. 6 Tennessee ranked fifth all-time and the 1,572 who came on opening weekend to watch the Gators shut out Baylor ranked sixth. The second-day total against Alabama on March 29 (1,381) ranked ninth.
“We would really like to thank our fans for their loyalty and support this season,” Head coach Tim Walton said. “We have some of the best fans in the nation and you could really see that when the stadium was packed with excited and enthusiastic people. It made all our games that much more exciting. We can't wait to continue to break attendance records in the postseason when we, hopefully, get the chance to host NCAA Regionals.”
In 2008, Florida averaged 928 people per home game, which ranked seventh nationally. The 24,118 total fans ranked sixth.
