Oct 29, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; A view of the exterior of Kyle Field before the Texas A&M Aggies played against the New Mexico State Aggies at Kyle Field. Texas A&M Aggies won 52 to 10. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Texas A&M football fans packed Kyle Field this season and led the SEC in total attendance, averaging more than 100,000 attendees per game.

While the Aggies might not be a “blue blood” program they sure can pack a stadium. Only two schools in the nation outdrew Texas A&M last year, Michigan and Ohio State. Had the Kyle Field expansion included a few thousand more seats, the Aggies might very well be the biggest draw in the nation.

2016 Total Attendance – Top 10 Schools

Rank School Games Attendance Average 1 Michigan 8 883,741 110,468 2 Ohio State 7 750,944 107,278 3 Texas A&M 7 713,418 101,917 4 Alabama 7 712,747 101,821 5 LSU 7 708,618 101,231 6 Tennessee 7 706,776 100,968 7 Penn State 7 701,800 100,257 8 Texas 6 587,800 97,881 9 Georgia 6 556,476 92,746 10 Nebraska 7 631,402 90,200

Texas A&M finished third in the country, averaging just a few fans shy of 102,000 attendees per game. That’s better than National Championship Game participant Alabama and every other SEC school. The Aggies were one of only seven schools in the country to cross 700,000 total attendees.

The Aggies topped in-state rival Texas. Texas A&M drew more fans per game than Texas, and the Longhorns lost to Kansas. How did some of the other Texas schools fare?

2016 Total Attendance – Top Texas Schools

Rank School Games Attendance Average 1 Texas A&M 7 713,148 101,917 2 Texas 6 587, 800 97,881 3 Texas Tech 6 349,498 58,250 4 Baylor 6 275,029 45,838 5 TCU 7 316,179 45,168 6 Houston 6 233,716 38,953

As long as the Aggies and Longhorns aren’t playing on the football field we’ll have to do with victories off the field. The results are in, and the Aggies crushed that school in Austin. It’s clear that Texas A&M’s move to the SEC and stadium expansion is paying out. Win or less (and let’s be honest, wins are preferable) the Aggies fill Kyle Field every Saturday.

Half of the top 10 schools were from the SEC while the Big 12, ACC, and Pac 12 combined for one spot in the top 10. When it comes to football, it doesn’t get bigger than the south. Maybe it really does mean more.

***Attendance figures from NCAA.org***