ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - Royal Stadium on the campus of Bethel University was a popular destination on fall Saturday's in 2018 as Bethel ranked fourth among all NCAA DIII schools in attendance at 4,436 fans per game. Bethel's six home contests in 2018 featured several high profile matchups, including a pair of games against Top 10 ranked teams and an NCAA First Round Playoff game. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) led NCAA DIII conferences in attendance for the 13
th time in the last 14 years with a league wide average of 2,922 fans per game.
Bethel returned to the Top 10 in NCAA DIII attendance for the first time since 2013 which was also the last time that Bethel made a run to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Playoffs as in 2018. Bethel's 4,436 per game average in 2018 is the second highest behind only 2013 when an average of 4,757 fans attended the Royals eight home games that season. Bethel also ranked in the Top 10 in attendance in 2007 (8
th -4,371) and in 2003 (9
th – 3,785) and has consistently been in the Top 20 over the past 15 years.
The Royals used the energy of the home crowds in 2018 to go 5-1 at home which included a 21-15 win over then No. 9-ranked St. Thomas and a 41-14 thrashing of Wartburg in the First Round of the NCAA Playoffs. In head coach
Steve Johnson's 30-year tenure, Bethel has completed the home schedule undefeated nine times and sport an overall record of 113-38-1 (.747%) at home.
Bethel will welcome the first crowd of 2019 to Royal Stadium on September 7
th when the Royals host Simpson College in the season opener. The 2019 schedule has the Royals traveling to both Saint John's and Concordia, who also ranked in the Top 10 in 2018 attendance.
| 2018 NCAA DIVISION III FOOTBALL ATTENDANCE LEADERS |
| No. |
School |
Games |
Attendance |
Average |
| 1. |
Hampden-Sydney |
4 |
30,864 |
7,716 |
| 2. |
Saint John's |
8 |
47,297 |
5,912 |
| 3. |
Wis.-Whitewater |
7 |
36,384 |
5,198 |
| 4. |
Bethel |
6 |
26,614 |
4,436 |
| 5. |
Trine |
6 |
25,406 |
4,234 |
| 6. |
Emory & Henry |
4 |
16,792 |
4,198 |
| 7. |
Wabash |
5 |
20,473 |
4,095 |
| 8. |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
8 |
32,202 |
4,025 |
| 9. |
Concordia |
5 |
20,037 |
4,007 |
| 10. |
Brockport |
7 |
26,875 |
3,839 |
| 2018 NCAA DIVISION III CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE LEADERS |
| No. |
Conference |
Teams |
Games |
Attendance |
Average |
| 1. |
Minnesota Intercollegiate |
9 |
50 |
146,077 |
2,922 |
| 2. |
Wisconsin Intercollegiate |
8 |
40 |
110,262 |
2,757 |
| 3. |
Old Dominion |
8 |
38 |
100,038 |
2,633 |
| 4. |
American Southwest |
9 |
48 |
115,993 |
2,417 |
| 5. |
Ohio Athletic |
10 |
56 |
124,882 |
2,230 |
| 6. |
Empire 8 |
8 |
42 |
92,469 |
2,202 |
| 7. |
Michigan Intercollegiate |
8 |
39 |
77,326 |
1,983 |
| 8. |
Southern Athletic |
9 |
47 |
88,807 |
1,890 |
| 9. |
American Rivers |
9 |
43 |
80,694 |
1,877 |
| 10. |
Middle Atlantic |
11 |
58 |
106,514 |
1,836 |
