COLI.jpg

USC fans, upset with their team, voiced displeasure with a low turnout in September against Boston College. Lane Kiffin was fired as coach on Sunday. (Photo by insidesocal.com)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Through five weeks, announced attendance in Football Bowl Subdivision games is down 3 percent compared to this time in 2012 and almost 6 percent from this point in 2011.

The average attendance this season is 45,596, down from 47,181 through five weeks in 2012 and 48,279 at this time in 2011, according to an AL.com analysis. As ticket prices increase and nearly every game gets televised, many schools have faced decreasing crowds in recent years.

So far this season, 13 of the top 25 attendance leaders are down compared to the first five weeks of 2012. Three declined only less than 1 percent. Six dropped by 4 percent or more: Penn State (4 percent), USC (23 percent), Michigan State (8 percent), Iowa (6 percent), Arkansas (7 percent) and Virginia Tech (4 percent).

Some schools' figures will change since crowd sizes can fluctuate depending on when attractive opponents appear on schedules. (Example: Missouri, which is down 13 percent, doesn't play its first SEC home game until Oct. 19 after a high-profile 2012 SEC opener last September.)

Also, there are more FBS teams this season contributing to the number. However, those schools' crowds represent a small amount of the data, which came from the NCAA's national rankings on its website.

FBS regular-season attendance in 2012 dipped to 45,274 fans, the lowest average since 2003. Through five weeks of 2012, crowds were down about 2 percent from 2011.

Eight of the SEC's schools are within 2 percent of where they were in 2012, when the SEC led the nation in attendance but had its lowest average since 2007. Half of the SEC has declined, although two schools are by less than 1 percent.

Alabama's figures haven't changed. Auburn, which declined 5 percent in season-ticket sales to start the season, is down 1 percent in announced crowds. Kentucky is up 20 percent under new coach Mark Stoops and Ole Miss is up 10 percent.

In the Big Ten, eight of the 12 schools have declined (two are down by less than 1 percent). Five Big Ten teams' crowds are down 3 percent or more, the national average.

The ACC has seen nine of its 14 teams experience increases. Miami, aided by an attractive home game against Florida, is up 45 percent. ACC newcomer Pittsburgh, which drew Florida State in its opener, is up 23 percent.

Declining student attendance has also been an issue around the country, as The Wall Street Journal reported last week.

The SEC is in the process of using a market-research firm to survey fans about their viewing habits. AL.com's survey in June found the chief reasons more fans are staying home are cost and convenience.

Below is a database with five-week attendance figures for BCS-conference schools in 2013 and 2012.

by Caspio

to load this Caspio

.