BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Regular-season attendance at college football's highest level dipped to 45,274 fans per game in 2012, the lowest average since 2003.

Football Bowl Subdivision crowds declined for the second straight season, according to an analysis by AL.com of NCAA attendance figures for 2012 and past years. Five of the six Bowl Championship Series conferences experienced lower averages in 2012.

As higher ticket costs continue to price out average spectators, many fans can watch more comfortably and cheaply from home on their HDTV.

College football still drew 35.3 million fans into stadiums and remains one of America's most popular sports. But the average regular-season attendance has decreased 3 percent since peaking at 46,739 in 2008.

The sport averaged greater than 46,000 fans every regular season between 2007 and 2010. Attendance fell under 46,000 for the second straight year.

Fifty-six percent of the FBS schools reported fewer fans in 2012 than the previous season. Some of those dips were very minor, but others saw huge chunks of fans disappear.

Eight BCS schools experienced attendance declines of 10 percent or greater from 2011: Kentucky (17 percent); Maryland (15 percent); Stanford (13 percent); and Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Colorado (10 percent each).

Five of the nation's top 20 attendance leaders experienced noticeable declines, led by 5-percent drops at Penn State and Tennessee. Penn State faced the aftermath of a child-molestation scandal that resulted in a postseason ban. Tennessee had its fourth losing season in the past five years.

Florida, which finished third in the BCS standings, was down 2 percent in attendance. Auburn declined 4 percent during its worst season in 60 years. ACC champion Florida State dipped 3 percent with an unattractive home schedule beyond Clemson and Florida.

The SEC continued to lead the nation at 75,444 fans per game, but that was its lowest average since 2007. SEC crowds are down 2 percent since peaking in 2008 at 76,844.

This season, the SEC began allowing stadium scoreboards to air multiple replays of any play, including those under review by officials. The NFL used a similar approach. The idea is to try to provide similar bells and whistles that fans at home can see while saving money and watching on TV.

In 2012, a face-value ticket for an SEC game reached $100 for the first time. Four years ago, the SEC's priciest ticket was the Iron Bowl at $65. This season, 30 SEC games cost at least $65, including nondescript matchups such as Mississippi State-Tennessee, Ole Miss-Vanderbilt, Missouri-Vanderbilt and Missouri-Kentucky.

On the other hand, the minimum SEC season-ticket price in 2012 -- defined by AL.com as the cost of regularly-priced season tickets plus any required minimum donation -- showed no increase from 2011. Half of the league's returning schools reported decreases in their cheapest season-ticket cost.

The Big Ten averaged 70,387 fans per game in 2012, its lowest since 2008. The Big 12, in its first season with West Virginia and TCU rather than Texas A&M and Missouri, experienced the league's smallest average (58,712) since 2005.

The Pac-12 (53,586) was the only BCS conference with an increase. But that's largely due to California returning to its renovated stadium after playing last season in a smaller stadium. The Pac-12 average has declined 8 percent since setting a record in 2007.

The ACC's average crowd of 49,544 was its smallest in 12 years and down 11 percent since 2004, the first year Miami and Virginia Tech played in the conference. The Big East, now minus top draw West Virginia, averaged 39,185 for its smallest crowds since 2006. Four of the Big East's top five attendance leaders will soon be in new conferences: Louisville, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

Among BCS schools (not counting Cal), the biggest increases in attendance came from: TCU (37 percent in its expanded stadium); UCLA (21 percent); USC (18 percent); and Vanderbilt and Duke (15 percent each).

College football could get a jolt in attendance once the four-team playoff starts in 2014, depending on how schools and conferences choose to adapt.

Strength of schedule is expected to be a key criteria for the selection committee when picking playoff teams. That could mean more attractive regular-season games get scheduled -- either inside or outside conferences -- that in turn generates larger crowds.

E-mail:

jsolomon@al.com.

2012 Football Bowl Subdivision Attendance

School Average attendance % Increase/Decrease from 2011 Michigan 112,252 Minor increase Ohio State 105,330 Minor increase Alabama 101,722 Minor decrease Texas 100,884 Minor increase Penn State 96,730 -5% Georgia 92,703 Minor decrease LSU 92,626 Minor decrease Tennessee 89,965 -5% USC 87,945 +18% Florida 87,597 -2% Texas A&M 87,014 Minor decrease Nebraska 85,517 Minor increase Oklahoma 85,243 Minor increase Auburn 82,646 -4% Notre Dame 80,795 No change Wisconsin 80,006 Minor increase South Carolina 80,001 +1% Clemson 79,429 +2% Florida State 75,601 -3% Michigan State 75,382 +2% Iowa 70,474 Minor decrease UCLA 68,481 +21% Arkansas 68,046 +2% Missouri 67,476 +9% Virginia Tech 65,632 Minor decrease BYU 61,161 +1% Washington 58,617 -6% Oregon 57,490 -3% Texas Tech 57,209 +3% Ole Miss 57,066 +1% Arizona State 56,835 -4% Oklahoma State 56,557 -1% West Virginia 55,916 -1% California 55,876 +48% (Off-campus stadium in 2011) Mississippi State 55,628 Minor decrease Iowa State 55,274 +3% N.C. State 54,106 -4% North Carolina 50,286 -10% Kansas State 50,278 +3% Louisville 49,991 +3% Kentucky 49,691 -17% Rutgers 49,188 +12% Arizona 47,931 -2% Miami (Fla.) 47,719 +2% East Carolina 47,013 -6% Virginia 46,650 -3% Minnesota 46,637 -2% TCU 46,047 +37% Illinois 45,564 -8% Colorado 45,373 -10% Utah 45,347 Minor increase Indiana 44,802 +8% South Florida 44,130 -1% Georgia Tech 43,955 -9% Purdue 43,588 -4% Oregon State 43,424 +2% Stanford 43,343 -13% Pittsburgh 41,494 -10% Kansas 41,329 -2% Baylor 41,194 Minor decrease Syracuse 37,953 -6% Vanderbilt 37,860 +15% Boston College 37,020 +4% Maryland 36,023 -15% Northwestern 35,697 +7% Boise State 35,404 +4% Connecticut 34,672 -5% UCF 34,608 +1% Navy 32,363 -6% Army 32,205 -3% Air Force 32,015 -9% Fresno State 30,915 +6% Washington State 30,252 +5% San Diego State 30,227 -24% Hawaii 30,031 -6% UTEP 29,374 +11% Cincinnati 29,138 -10% Wake Forest 28,912 -10% Duke 28,170 +15% Houston 27,247 -14% Temple 26,580 -5% Arkansas State 26,398 +24% Louisiana Tech 25,841 +20% Southern Miss 25,751 -9% Louisiana-Monroe 24,981 +61% Marshall 24,896 -4% Memphis 24,371 +21% Nevada 23,432 +49% Louisiana-Lafayette 22,865 -22% New Mexico 22,307 +11% Ohio 21,844 +10% SMU 21,292 +2% Troy 20,952 +17% Toledo 20,552 -7% Rice 20,325 +17% Utah State 20,054 +15% Tulsa 20,020 -11% Wyoming 19,555 -12% Colorado State 19,250 -12% North Texas 18,927 Minor increase Tulane 18,085 -8% Kent State 17,880 +54% Middle Tennessee 17,738 -4% Western Kentucky 17,415 +5% Central Michigan 16,036 +5% Northern Illinois 15,670 -17% Bowling Green 15,632 +4% UAB 15,271 -8% UNLV 15,208 -28% Miami (OH) 14,733 -9% Western Michigan 14,579 -27% New Mexico State 14,247 -6% Florida International 13,634 -26% Florida Atlantic 13,459 -23% Buffalo 13,242 -27% Ball State 12,930 -14% Idaho 12,582 +5% San Jose State 10,789 -41% Akron 9,275 -41% Eastern Michigan 3,923 -8%

Sources: 2012 and 2011 NCAA attendance figures