Attendance trends are a great way to understand the momentum, or lack thereof, within a fan base for their respective college football team. With data from D1ticker.com, we’ve compiled numbers for the 2024 season and the five-year averages for each of the 13 FBS programs in the state of Texas. 

Which programs added attendance? Which programs lost attendance? And where did the 2024 season land relative to each school’s five-year average? All the numbers below. 

1. TEXAS A&M AGGIES 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 100.11 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 102,847 
2023 attendance avg: 99,234 
Year-over-Year percentage change: +3.64 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 100,156
5-year percentage change: +2.69 percent 

Excitement over a new era as Mike Elko replaced Jimbo Fisher combined with an excellent home schedule that included Notre Dame, LSU, Mizzou, and Texas helped the Aggies jump the rival Longhorns for highest average attendance in Texas for the 2024 season. There is no place in the Lone Star State with a better home atmosphere than Kyle Field in the fall. 

2. TEXAS LONGHORNS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 102.26 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 102,386
2023 attendance avg: 101,625
Year-over-Year percentage change: +0.75 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 101,625
5-year percentage change: +4.94 percent 

The move into the SEC helped the Longhorns grow attendance again in 2024. Few colleges in America have improved its game day experience more than the Longhorns under Chris Del Conte. Winning helps, of course, as Texas continues to increase its five-year average thanks to two back-to-back 11-win regular seasons. 

3. TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 97.33 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 58,623
2023 attendance avg: 54,191
Year-over-Year percentage change: +7.58 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 54,643 
5-year percentage change: +7.28 percent 

The most underrated place to watch a football game in Texas is out in West Texas, especially at night. The Red Raiders haven’t broken through for a Big 12 championship in three years under Joey McGuire, but excitement is clearly higher than its been in Lubbock since Mike Leach roamed the sideline.

4. TCU HORNED FROGS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 99.12 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 44,605 
2023 attendance avg: 47,331 
Year-over-Year percentage change: -5.76 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 43,834 
5-year percentage change: +1.76 percent 

The Horned Frogs entered the 2023 season coming off a berth to the College Football Playoff and with home games against Colorado and Texas. They entered 2024 off a 5-win season and without those marquee games at The Carter. That led to a drop in attendance despite a strong run to end the season. Still, TCU was nearly at 100 percent stadium capacity in 2024.  

5. BAYLOR BEARS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 93.71 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 42,302
2023 attendance avg: 43,388
Year-over-Year percentage change: -2.5 percent 
5-year attendance avg: 44,087
5-year percentage change: -4.05 percent 

The 2023 attendance was given the Texas Longhorn bump despite the Bears limping to a losing season. Attendance grew in the second half of 2024 as Baylor stormed into bowl contention and Dave Aranda saved his job. Look for the Bears to return to McLane Stadium in droves for 2025 as their team enters the season as a Big 12 title contender. 

6. SMU MUSTANGS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 102.04 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 32,652 
2023 attendance avg: 22,616
Year-over-Year percentage change: +44.37 percent 
5-year attendance avg: 22,755
5-year percentage change: +43.49 percent 

The move up into Power Four football paid dividends for SMU in attendance as the Mustangs saw a whopping 44.37 percent increase over the 2023 numbers. Turns out, home games against Florida State and Pitt are more exciting than Tulsa and Charlotte. The Iron Skillet against TCU also helped. As did the winning. 

7. HOUSTON COUGARS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 68.56 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 27,423
2023 attendance avg: 36,020
Year-over-Year percentage change: -23.87 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 28,369
5-year percentage change: -3.33 percent 

Houston was another Big 12 team that watched attendance drop in 2024 because the 2023 numbers were inflated thanks to a visit from the departing Texas Longhorns. The 2024 attendance was in line with the five-year average for Houston outside of the 2023 season, which was the program’s first in the Big 12. 

8. TEXAS STATE BOBCATS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 78.73 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 23,619 
2023 attendance avg: 21,184 
Year-over-Year percentage change: +11.5 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 17,333
5-year percentage change: +36.26 percent 

Business is booming in San Marcos as G.J. Kinne’s Bobcats continue to reach new heights in his two seasons in charge. Home games against Arizona State and UTSA early in the season combined with lofty expectations made it easy to “Pack the Wack” in 2024. The five-year average has increased by over 35 percent due to the recent success. 

9. NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 74.63 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 23,022
2023 attendance avg: 17,761 
Year-over-Year percentage change: +29.62 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 19,634 
5-year percentage change: +17.26 percent 

Only SMU and Sam Houston experienced a larger growth in attendance from 2023 to 2024 than the Mean Green. Year 2 of the Eric Morris tenure included plenty of points and a hot start that led North Texas to a bowl bid. An extra 6,000 fans a home game is a big deal. 

10. UTSA ROADRUNNERS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 32.4 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 21,059
2023 attendance avg: 28,876
Year-over-Year percentage change: -27.07 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 25,394 
5-year percentage change: -17.07 percent 

Early season struggles plus no home game against Texas State hampered attendance for UTSA in 2024. The Roadrunners went from yearly conference championship contenders with the likes of Frank Harris and Rashad Wisdom to a program struggling to reach a bowl game as the team found its footing with new leadership. 

11. UTEP MINERS 

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 41.55 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 19,393
2023 attendance avg: 18,160
Year-over-Year percentage change: +6.79 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 17,071
5-year percentage change: +13.6 percent  

Year 1 of the Scotty Walden era equated to more excitement in El Paso, even if the wins didn’t quite follow for his Miners. A nearly 7 percent change in Year-over-Year attendance and an over 13 percent increase in 5-year attendance means that Walden & Co. are building momentum out west. 

12. RICE OWLS

2024 stadium capacity percentage: 38.6 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 18,143
2023 attendance avg: 20,542 
Year-over-Year percentage change: -11.68 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 20,110
5-year percentage change: -9.78 percent  

The steady progression for the Owls under former head coach Mike Bloomgren ended in 2024, as did his tenure. Bloomgren was let go during the season and attendance suffered as Rice fell out of bowl contention early in the season. 

13. SAM HOUSTON BEARKATS  

 2024 stadium capacity percentage: 78.45 percent 
2024 attendance avg: 10,983 
2023 attendance avg: 8,298
Year-over-Year percentage change: +32.36 percent  
5-year attendance avg: 7,207
5-year percentage change: +52.29 percent  

The best way to increase attendance is to win. And that’s exactly what the Bearkats did during a magical 2024 campaign that ended with a bowl win in New Orleans. The move from FCS to FBS has paid off with interest booming in Huntsville as illustrated by a 52.29 percent increase in the 5-year average.