Ah, spring is in the air despite some of the up-and-down weather that always seems to shake hands with the Midwest this time of year (yes, the calendar says it’s early May). Part of spring in Columbus, Ohio, means that there is some Ohio State football that we all get to be a part of.
Buckeye fans are a little more — shall we say — “passionate,” about that team wearing Scarlet and Gray, so they tend to follow all the comings and goings of spring ball and also show up in force at the annual Spring Game.
The same was true for the 2023 version. It helped that it was a pleasant and sunny day, but questionable weather hasn’t stopped OSU fans from making it inside the Horseshoe necessarily in years past.
In fact, Ohio State is routinely among the leaders in spring game attendance because — well, who wouldn’t want a chance to sit along the banks of the Olentangy among some good friends inside the venerable Ohio Stadium for a lot less money than games in the fall?
But Columbus, Ohio, isn’t the only college football-crazed town. There are others, mostly in the South, that also have fans show out for a gloried scrimmage. Alabama, Clemson, Penn State, and Oklahoma, are just a few of the programs that also had a pretty good amount of fans show up for the fun of spring.
On that note, and in an effort to display the most passionate fanbases, here’s a look at the programs that led others in spring game attendance in 2023. You can probably guess where Ohio State lands, right?
12
Florida State Seminoles
2023 Spring Game Attendance
33,107
Why Fans Show Up
There is excitement in the air with an encouraging year in 2021. Add that to the pleasant sunshine in Florida in the spring, and fans find their way to Doak Campbell Stadium.
11
USC Trojans
2023 Spring Game Attendance
33,427
Why Fans Show Up
This is all about the excitement that Lincoln Riley has generated since arriving on campus. USC came within the tip of a sword of making the College Football Playoff last year, and the team is on a significant upswing. There are plenty of other things to do in L.A., but when USC is relevant, people show up.
10
Colorado Buffaloes
2023 Spring Game Attendance
47,277
Why Fans Show Up
It’s all about Coach Prime and the buzz he has generated for the Colorado program since being hired. Boulder is must-see appointment viewing in college football right now.
9
Clemson Tigers
2023 Spring Game Attendance
50,000
Why Fans Show Up
I don’t know that I believe this figure. I mean, how realistic is it that exactly 50,000 people came to watch Clemson in a scrimmage? That’s a pretty round number that feels like a general rounding. Regardless, it’s reported, so we’re going with it. People are crazy about their football in the South, and Dabo has that fanbase whipped into a frenzy, so it makes sense that a big crowd was on-hand in a part of the country where the only competition that Saturday was sweet tea and grits.
8
South Carolina Gamecocks
2023 Spring Game Attendance
51,000
Why Fans Show Up
I’m calling bogus on this number too. Guess which program reported its spring game attendance first? Yep, Clemson. Therefore round up by 1,000 and beat your in-state rival in a nice round number, right? C’mon, this is more transparent than an ice cube in water.
7
Georgia Bulldogs
2023 Spring Game Attendance
54,000
Why Fans Show Up
I guess program’s in the South just guestimate attendance. But hey, I have no doubt two-time defending champ Georgia had plenty of fans at their Spring Game.
6
Oklahoma Sooners
2023 Spring Game Attendance
54,409
Why Fans Show Up
At least this looks like an actual count, so credit to Oklahoma there. Sooner fans love to support their college football so it should be no surprise that fans came out to hope 2023 is waaaay better than 2022 was.
5
Tennessee Volunteers
2023 Spring Game Attendance
58,473
Why Fans Show Up
Tennessee banked the trend in the South and looks like it used actual math to calculate attendance, so that’s a step in the right direction. Fans are still on a high after last season’s run to relevancy again, and they are hoping it continues in 2023.
4
Alabama Crimson Tide
2023 Spring Game Attendance
58,473
Why Fans Show Up
It’s Alabama and they love them some Roll Tide, and for good reason. You won’t find too many passionate and loyal fanbases than Alabama. If there’s a pigskin flying around, there will be a gob of people watching it.
3
Nebraska Cornhuskers
2023 Spring Game Attendance
66,045
Why Fans Show Up
Yes, Nebraska has loyal fans that have seen it go through a pretty bad run over the last couple of decades. Fans showed up in the spring to get a first look at the mystery of how things might look under new head coach Matt Rhule. That, and it wasn’t time to harvest any corn yet, so why not?
2
Penn State Nittany Lions
2023 Spring Game Attendance
68,000
Why Fans Show Up
Look, I don’t know how much we can trust the accuracy of this number either since the Penn State suits clearly eyeballed how many fans they think attended their spring game, but there is some excitement in Happy Valley. A program seemingly always knocking on the door is doing it again — or so PSU fans would have you believe. “We are … (fill in the blank).
1
Ohio State Buckeyes
2023 Spring Game Attendance
75,122
Why Fans Show Up
Unlike other programs, this is a legit number and pretty impressive. Ohio State also charges admission for the Spring Game, so it’s even more noteworthy. There aren’t too many fans that take almost every opportunity to see their team in almost any setting than Ohio State fans. Add in good weather, and you get a pretty full stadium for an exhibition game.
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