Troy Again Shatters Football Attendance Record

TROY, Alabama – In three seasons under head coach Neal Brown, the Troy football program has experienced tremendous growth on the field, in the classroom, within the community and in the stands. The 2017 season was no different as Troy shattered the single-season attendance record at Veterans Memorial Stadium for the second straight season en route to the sixth Sun Belt title in school history and a New Orleans Bowl victory.

Troy played six home games at The Vet in 2017 and averaged a record 24,456 fans per game, which equals to 81.52 percent capacity, despite playing in a town of just 19,000 people. The capacity percentage ranks among the top 60 nationally and is fifth among Group of Five schools (min. 30,000 capacity).

"We are very thankful for our students and fans, and how they continue to raise the bar in their support of our football program," Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain said. "That support is a critical piece as we work to build a sustainable, top-tier football program."

Troy's fans and students are as dedicated as they come so the turnout in the stands comes as no surprise to those around the program. However, with three non-traditional game dates, including one on Black Friday, a record-breaking attendance season is one to celebrate by all involved.

"We were dealt with a challenging schedule from an attendance standpoint due to the pair of nationally televised games on non-traditional days and a home game on Thanksgiving weekend," McClain said. "We saw those challenges as opportunities to engage and welcome new fans to The Vet, while also serving our core fan base."

The mid-week games didn't slow attendance down as Troy's Wednesday night game (8 p.m. kickoff) against South Alabama was the third-highest attended mid-week game in Sun Belt history and the highest on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The 25,211 fans in attendance marked the second-largest crowd for a Sun Belt game in school history and the eighth-largest overall.

The Trojans have won 22 of their last 27 games dating back to the 2015 season under Brown and attendance is up 46 percent from the season prior his arrival. Troy averaged 16,767 fans per game in 2015 and a record-breaking 24,456 this past season.

"The Vet has become one of the most difficult places to play in the Group of Five because our students and our fans have created an energetic gameday atmosphere," Brown said. "There are a lot of stadiums where you have to create your own energy, home or away, but we know every time we take the field at The Vet we won't have that issue."

In addition to setting the single-season per-game and overall (146,736) records, single-game records were also rewritten in 2017. The home opener between Troy and Alabama State saw a Veterans Memorial Stadium record crowd of 29,278. Two weeks later 27,324 fans packed The Vet to see Troy defeat Akron in thrilling fashion – it was the third-largest crowd in school history.

"There is a lot of praise to go around for what is happening in the stands," Brown said. "Our players, our football staff, our administration, our marketing and communications departments and our fans all have played key parts in those numbers and all should feel a sense of pride."

With the school's sixth Sun Belt Conference title in tow, back-to-back bowl victories and the nation's fourth-longest active winning streak, could this record be short lived once again?

One would have to think so. With the state-of-the-art North End Zone Facility completed, the Trojans will open the 2018 season in what will be one of the most highly anticipated contests in school history as Boise State comes to The Vet on Sept. 1. The teams have combined for 44 wins over the past two seasons and could both be ranked in the top 25 heading into the season.

Troy University Athletics

Troy Again Shatters Football Attendance Record

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