Aug. 30, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Attendance at Notre Dame women’s basketball games in 2000-01 increased nearly 88 percent compared to the previous season — and early indications suggest another significant jump is in order for the 2001-02 campaign.
Coming off Notre Dame’s 2001 NCAA title, there already have been 6,124 season tickets sold to the general public and University faculty and staff for the coming women’s basketball season. That’s compared to 2,700 a year ago and 940 in 1999-2000.
“It’s exciting to see how much interest there is in our program right now,” says Irish coach Muffet McGraw.
“We’ve made conscious efforts to build our attendance base, and those efforts — combined with the success we’ve had on the court — have really started to pay dividends. It makes it even more gratifying for coaches, players and everyone else associated with the program when you have the opportunity to play in front of crowds like this.”
The sale of season tickets for 2001-02 actually began midway through Notre Dame’s 2001 championship season. All seats will be reserved for Irish women’s games for the first time in 2001-02. All seating in previous seasons had been general admission.
The Irish ranked 10th nationally in attendance last year at 6,376 fans per game. That figure compared to 3,392 in 1999-2000. Capacity at the Joyce Center is 11,418.
Reserved general public season tickets for women’s basketball are $35 each for the 2001-02 season or $80 for a family. Notre Dame faculty and staff season tickets are $28 for individuals or $64 for families. Ticket information is available by calling 219-631-7356.