WRES Attendance Figures on the Rise
Dec 09 | Wrestling
By Tom Luicci
ScarletKnights.com
*Updated*
The single-match home attendance record is 5,011, set on Feb. 17, 2011 at the RAC versus Lehigh.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale has some lofty goals for this season that extend beyond what happens on the mat. He's also looking to the stands to help push the program to heights it has never reached before.
The combination of an attractive home schedule and the lure of Big Ten wrestling have Goodale aiming for a spot in the top 10 nationally in attendance, and after seeing season ticket sales quadruple this year compared to 2013 there's reason to believe that's within reach.
"I think our staff and our boosters would be really excited to finish in the top 10," Goodale said. "We have certain goals as a staff and this one is important to us. It's something we work on quite a bit."
Oklahoma, with an average home attendance of 1,443, finished No. 10 in the country a year ago. Rutgers, with 839 season tickets sold to this point - compared to 206 last season - could be on the cusp of the top 10 because of an attractive remaining schedule that features Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
Those 839 season tickets do not include single-match tickets already sold for those dates. For Iowa (Jan. 2), an additional 1,503 single-match tickets have been sold. For Minnesota (Jan. 11) the number of single-match tickets sold is 807 and for Penn State (Jan. 16) it is at 2,204 and counting.
At the very least, Rutgers, currently ranked No. 23 in the NWCA/USA Today Team Coaches Poll, is on pace to shatter the single-season attendance mark for the program.
Also at risk is the school's single-match home attendance mark of 5,011 for a visit by Lehigh on Feb. 17, 2011.
"We're thrilled with the fan support so far this season," said Geoff Brown, Rutgers' Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Marketing Officer. "Our fans have already shown us how excited they are to see this team in action both at the RAC and the College Avenue Gym.
"We're looking forward to some great crowds at both locations as we take on the best in the Big Ten and in the country."
The Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State matches were moved from the program's home base at the College Avenue Gym because of ticket demand - a move Goodale hopes is a more common occurrence in future seasons.
"Anytime we wrestle at the RAC, obviously it's a big match," Goodale said. "But if we're not competitive people would rather just stay home and find results. They like to see exciting wrestling, so it puts a lot on our guys to perform at a certain level and wrestle a certain style that our fans want to see.
"Being at the RAC is a really neat atmosphere for wrestling, so it's pretty important that those matches are there."
The message being sent, though, is clear. Rutgers wrestling is on the rise.
"It's exciting. It's Big Ten wrestling - the best wrestling in the country," said Goodale. "At the end of the day we need to be able to compete. It can't be about just getting fans there. The better you do and the more successful you are, the more people will come out and watch you."
