While it doesn’t have the history of its predecessor, Cole Field House, Xfinity Center is now officially among some of America’s best venues for men’s college basketball when it comes to one metric.
According to a report released by the NCAA on Wednesday, Maryland had the fifth best average home attendance in the country last year. At 17,863 fans per contest, the Terps trailed only North Carolina, Louisville, Syracuse and Kentucky in terms of crowd size.
Perhaps more encouraging was the growth measured when comparing this report with the one published after the 2015 season. Following that campaign, Maryland basketball attendance ranked 25th nationally, meaning the program climbed 20 spots in a single year.
Overall, this is just another indication, along with factors like stronger recruiting classes and more nationally televised matchups, that College Park is becoming the site of a national power. The final and most important step, however, is rewarding those supporters who are devoted to Maryland with deep runs in the Big Dance.
