BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — The support that Wisconsin women’s athletic programs receive from their followers continues to be a source of pride and fascination.
When the eighth-ranked hockey team drew 14,430 to the Kohl Center for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game with St. Cloud State on Friday night, it marked the sixth time in program history that the Badgers had drawn 10,000-plus fans.
For perspective, no other school in the nation has attracted a crowd of 10,000 or more. Wisconsin set the national attendance record of 15,359 for its “Fill the Bowl” game, also against St. Cloud State, in 2017.
For more perspective, the other 26 NCAA Division I women’s games played Friday and Saturday drew a combined 13,230.
Badger fans don’t just say they support women’s sports, they show it
Wisconsin is the nation’s only school to have three women’s sports draw 8,200+ fans for events this season
🏐 @BadgerVB
Sept. 16 – 16,833🏀 @BadgerWBB
Jan. 29 – 8,217🏒 @BadgerWHockey
Feb. 3 – 14,430 pic.twitter.com/hAEJVqOTwH
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) February 4, 2023
UW failed to maximize its latest Kohl Center assignment, enduring 1-0 loss, but claimed a 3-2 victory over the Huskies on Saturday while playing before its 11th sellout crowd of the season (2,273) at LaBahn Arena.
“To have that type of crowd in front of our teams, it’s outstanding,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. “It’s a tribute to our fans and the support.”
The latest “Fill the Bowl” experience for the six-time NCAA champions came three days after the women’s basketball team played a Big Ten Conference game against Northwestern that drew 8,217 fans to the Kohl Center.
Those two marquee crowds came on the heels of the first Kohl Center Classic, a volleyball match pitting the defending NCAA champions vs. Florida on Sept. 16. The crowd for the duel was 16,833, which broke the national collegiate mark of 15,797 set nine days earlier for a match between Nebraska and Creighton.
The UW volleyball team wound up playing before 16 home sellouts (7,366) at the Field House. It set program standards for overall home attendance (139,701) and per-match average (7,761).
No other school in the nation has had three different women’s programs top 8,000 fans for events during the 2022-23 athletic season.
Pretty impressive Badger fans.
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