Alex Box leads nation in attendance

• By CARL DUBOIS
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Jun 10, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:58 a.m.

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Bolstered by its late-season surge, including an Alex Box Stadium record crowd of 8,173 Monday night, LSU led the nation in college baseball attendance this season, ending a three-year run by Southeastern Conference rival Arkansas.

LSU sold a college record 318,798 tickets for 42 home games this season and had crowds totaling 154,210, its most since drawing 170,264 in 2004.

The Tigers also led the nation this year in per-game average at 3,672.

Arkansas is second in attendance (116,901) and per-game average (3,542).

Monday’s crowd for the third and final game of the super regional between LSU and UC Irvine broke the school and stadium record of 7,607, set for the final game of the 2004 super regional between LSU and Texas A&M.

LSU and Texas A&M drew 7,598 for the first game of that series, setting a record that lasted less than a day. LSU won that super regional in two games.

Arkansas — LSU’s only serious competition in college baseball attendance the past four years — led the nation in 2005, ’06 and ’07 and also ended LSU’s 11-year run of leading in per-game ticket sales.

LSU’s streak of leading in total ticket sales reached 13 games this season with its record-setting sales. Its per-game average of 7,590 is not a school record.

LSU’s previous record was 291,676 tickets sold for 39 home games in 2003.

Arkansas drew 116,901 fans for 33 home games this season and will finish second nationally in both attendance categories (total and average) and in total ticket sales (236,522). The largest crowd to see the Razorbacks play in Baum Stadium this season was 8,070 for an April 19 game against Tennessee.

Last season, Arkansas led the nation in attendance with 165,298 fans at 29 home games. LSU was second with 97,856 fans for 35 home games.

The NCAA, the SEC and LSU equate ticket sales with attendance, so record books listing “attendance” actually refer to tickets sold.

Arkansas and LSU are among the few schools that release actual attendance figures as well as ticket sales, which is what most call “paid attendance.”