FCS playoffs set attendance record
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The Football Championship Subdivision playoffs has set a record for fan attendance prior to the championship game.
All 20,086 seat tickets for the NCAA Division I Football Championship between Sam Houston State and North Dakota State on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas, have been sold or allocated to the participating institutions, which means the 20-team, 19-game playoffs will exceed 250,000 attendees.
The previous total attendance record of 209,761 was set in 1994, when 16 teams participated in the playoffs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"Along with the record attendance throughout the national semifinals, we've seen incredible competition that is the trademark of FCS football," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "These teams - and the fans who root for them - are sure to enjoy one of the best FCS championship games ever. I share the excitement of every school, student-athlete and fan that has taken part in this tournament, and I personally look forward to being in the stands on Jan. 7."
Extra seats will be made available to the general public for the sold-out championship game at Pizza Hut Park because the bands and cheerleading teams of both schools will be placed in temporary bleachers.
Tickets returned by the schools, along with a limited amount of standing-room- only tickets, will be sold to the public starting Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. ET on www.NCAA.com/fcs.