Whether it’s by adding a giant scoreboard (Auburn), completing a renovation project of nearly a half-billion dollars (Texas A&M) or reducing capacity and adding modern amenities (Kentucky), SEC football programs are fighting back against the wild popularity of live sports on TV.
The NFL may be experiencing some problems with the in-game experience and continuing to sell seats, but there appears to be no such issue in the SEC.
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Of the teams that keep an official attendance record, eight of the nine set the all-time mark since 2004. Five other SEC teams — LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn and Vanderbilt — just announce a capacity crowd for sellouts and don’t have official stadium records for attendance.
Four different SEC stadiums have a capacity of more than 100,000. Kyle Field, the stadium with the largest capacity, will shrink slightly in 2015 due to renovations. (The Aggies took advantage of the temporary setup in 2014 and packed more than 110,000 into the stands for a game last season.)
Vanderbilt Stadium, by the smallest in the conference, still seats more than 40,000.
None of these records appear in imminent danger in 2015. Eight of them are above stadium capacity. Tennessee and Virginia Tech, though, are counting down to what could be an all-time college attendance record in 2016. The Vols and Hokies will meet Sept. 10, 2016, at Bristol Motor Speedway, which holds more than 160,000.
SEC STADIUM ATTENDANCE RECORDS
| Team | Stadium | Record Crowd | Date/Opponent | 2015 Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M | Kyle Field | 110,633 | Oct. 11, 2014 vs. Ole Miss | 102,512 |
| Tennessee | Neyland Stadium | 109,061 | Sept. 18, 2004 vs. Florida | 102,455 |
| LSU | Tiger Stadium | 102,321 | N/A | 102,321 |
| Alabama | Bryant-Denny Stadium | 101,821 | N/A | 101,821 |
| Georgia | Sanford Stadium | 92,746 | N/A | 92,746 |
| Florida | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | 90,907 | No. 28, 2009 vs. Florida State | 88,548 |
| Auburn | Jordan-Hare Stadium | 87,451 | N/A | 87,451 |
| South Carolina | Williams-Brice Stadium | 85,199 | Oct. 6, 2012 vs. Georgia | 80,250 |
| Arkansas | Razorback Stadium | 76,808 | Sept. 25, 2010 vs. Alabama | 72,000 |
| Missouri | Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium | 75.298 | Oct. 4, 1980 vs. Penn State | 71,168 |
| Kentucky | Commonwealth Stadium | 71,024 | Oct. 20, 2007 vs. Florida | 61,000 |
| Mississippi State | Davis Wade Stadium | 62,945 | Oct. 11, 2014 vs. Auburn | 61,337 |
| Ole Miss | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium | 62,657 | Oct. 10, 2009 vs. Alabama | 58,580 |
| Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt Stadium | 40,550 | N/A | 40,550 |
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
