2013 CIS Attendance Figures

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1

I got curious about CIS attendance and quickly discovered that nobody had compiled all the information for 2013 in one place, so I thought I would take it upon myself. Hope you enjoy!

  • Ranked according to average attendance
  • Western, Laurier and Windsor each had attendance unlisted in 1 game (Well done. :roll:)

CONFERENCE:

OUA:

  1. Queen's Gaels - Total: 27,482 Average: 6,871

  2. Western Mustangs - Total: 17,172 Average: 5,724 (1 incomplete boxscore)

  3. Guelph Gryphons - Total: 21,513 Average: 5,378

  4. Laurier Golden Hawks - Total: 12,152 Average: 4,551 (1 incomplete boxscore)

  5. McMaster Marauders - Total: 15,452 Average: 3,863

  6. Carleton Ravens - Total: 14,300 Average: 3,575

  7. Ottawa Gee-Gee's - Total: 10,700 Average: 2,675

  8. Toronto Varsity Blues - Total: 8,326 Average: 2,082

  9. York Lions - Total: 7,446 Average: 1,862

  10. Waterloo Warriors - Total: 5,750 Average: 1,438

  11. Windsor Lancers - Total: 3,201 Average: 1,067 (1 incomplete boxscore)

Total: 143,494
Average: 3,553

Canada West:

  1. Saskatchewan Huskies - Total: 21,631 Average: 5,408

  2. Manitoba Bisons - Total: 21,410 Average: 5,353

  3. Calgary Dinos - Total: 8,895 Average: 2,224

  4. Regina Rams - Total: 8,100 Average: 2,025

  5. UBC Thunderbirds - Total: 7,034 Average: 1,759

  6. Alberta Golden Bears - Total: 4,284 Average: 1,071

Total: 71,354
Average: 2,973

Quebec:

  1. Laval Rouge et Or - Total: 56,104 Average: 14,027

  2. Sherbrooke Vert et Or - Total: 20,216 Average: 5,054

  3. Montreal Carabins - Total: 18,749 Average: 4,688

  4. Concordia Stingers - Total: 8,368 Average: 2,092

  5. Bishop's Gaiters - Total: 8,327 Average: 2,082

  6. McGill Redmen - Total: 6,829 Average: 1,708

Total: 118,593
Average: 4,942

AUS:

  1. StFx X Men - Total: 11,600 Average: 2,900

  2. Acadia Axmen - Total: 7,695 Average: 1,924

  3. Saint Mary's Huskies - Total: 7,563 Average: 1,891

  4. Mount Allison Mounties - Total: 5,294 Average: 1,324

Total: 32,152
Average: 2,010

OVERALL:

  1. Laval Rouge et Or - Total: 56,104 Average: 14,027

  2. Queen's Gaels - Total: 27,482 Average: 6,871

  3. Western Mustangs - Total: 17,172 Average: 5,724 (1 incomplete boxscore)

  4. Saskatchewan Huskies - Total: 21,631 Average: 5,408

  5. Guelph Gryphons - Total: 21,513 Average: 5,378

  6. Manitoba Bisons - Total: 21,410 Average: 5,353

  7. Sherbrooke Vert et Or - Total: 20,216 Average: 5,054

  8. Montreal Carabins - Total: 18,749 Average: 4,688

  9. Laurier Golden Hawks - Total: 12,152 Average: 4,551 (1 incomplete boxscore)

  10. McMaster Marauders - Total: 15,452 Average: 3,863

  11. Carleton Ravens - Total: 14,300 Average: 3,575

  12. StFx X Men - Total: 11,600 Average: 2,900

  13. Ottawa Gee-Gee's - Total: 10,700 Average: 2,675

  14. Calgary Dinos - Total: 8,895 Average: 2,224

  15. Concordia Stingers - Total: 8,368 Average: 2,092

  16. Bishop's Gaiters - Total: 8,327 Average: 2,082

  17. Toronto Varsity Blues - Total: 8,326 Average: 2,082

  18. Regina Rams - Total: 8,100 Average: 2,025

  19. Acadia Axmen - Total: 7,695 Average: 1,924

  20. Saint Mary's Huskies - Total: 7,563 Average: 1,891

  21. York Lions - Total: 7,446 Average: 1,862

  22. UBC Thunderbirds - Total: 7,034 Average: 1,759

  23. McGill Redmen - Total: 6,829 Average: 1,708

  24. Waterloo Warriors - Total: 5,750 Average: 1,438

  25. Mount Allison Mounties - Total: 5,294 Average: 1,324

  26. Alberta Golden Bears - Total: 4,284 Average: 1,071

  27. Windsor Lancers - Total: 3,201 Average: 1,067 (1 incomplete boxscore)

Total: 365,593
Average: 3,370

2

A some thoughts that popped into my head while I was doing this:

  • Why is the Saskatchewan vs Regina rivalry not much bigger? I can understand that the Rams are overshadowed by the Riders to an extent, but I think fans in Regina can/should be doing a lot better than 18th in the country.

  • Why is the CFL looking at Halifax and not Quebec City?

  • Though Bishop's only ranks 16th at 2,082, capacity is just 2,200.

  • Bishop's outdrew Toronto by 1 ticket. :stuck_out_tongue:

  • Laval fans are AWESOME and every single one of the other 26 schools in the country need to aim to be more like them in every way.

  • Calgary: 14th in the country and totaling 8,895 fans for an 8-0 team who is now playing in the Vanier Cup on Saturday? Shame on you!

  • Concordia 15th for an 0-8 season; not bad!

3

Laval is the reason there is no CFL team in quebec city.
Why replace a team with 100%Canadian staff with a team with all American coaches and americans at almost every skill position.
Until the CFL actually becomes Canadian, they will continue to not allow this american favored league into their city

4

Bungle, I've heard that without the Americans allowed into the CFL that no way would the CFL be as successful at the gate or on television. Americans do help sell the league and I remember a former Canadian player saying that publicly, forget who it was.
Laval and Quebec City can't win the highest level national championship trophy and title of Canada unless they are in the CFL. All CFL cities have university programs. Is there something different about Quebec City that makes it such that a CFL team and university team can't work in the same city? :?

Laval and Quebec City just want to pretend to be the best but if they are serious and truly want to compete in the top football league in Canada, they have to join the CFL and vie for the Grey Cup. Personally I think QC is afraid to play with the big boys for fear of being average. They probably just don't have what it takes in QC to compete at the top level. Their choice.

5

It be awful football, we do not have the population to fill a 9 team league. Football is behind, Hockey, soccer, baseball and Basketball in registration in this country. It would be a 2nd rate league and nobody would watch . I appreciate the Doug Flutie’s , Damon Allen’s and Dan Keply’s that have graced our game. We are better for it. Why so bitter towards the Americans ? They produce great football players, they are better coached, trained and looked after. Just like hockey , other countries copy what Canada has done for the game of hockey.

6

Have ended up with agreeing to what kasps is saying. We do need the Americans in the CFL but that is quite ok, we have had some wonderful players come here and continue to come here and as well, some end up staying in Canada fulltime and really contributing to Canada. It's really a win-win situation.

7

The problem with Regina is that they play their home games at Mosaic Stadium, and there’s no atmosphere. University of Saskatchewan has their own intimate 6,000 seat stadium and the atmosphere is fantastic there, but you put even 6,000 fans in a 30,000 stadium and it feels devoid of life. If the U of R built their own smaller stadium you may get a real rivalry.

8

Very few CIS programs that draw well and I’m sure with all the expensive equipment, I wonder how many CIS football programs pay for themselves? Hope the CIS football programs can continue into the future, well into the future. :?

I can see problems for CIS football from that aspect to be honest but as I say, I don’t know the economics of CIS football programs.

9

The Regina Rams have built some first rate practice facitities including an on Camous football field with noe seats.
From what I understand however there is room on the sideline for seating that coudl bring the capacity up to 5K or more and will be getting some of the sectiional temp endzone seats at Mosaic as part of the legacy porject whick could see the fireld become a stadiu with theatre style seating and suites at the top

10

Same issue the Argos struggle with IMO

11

But depop, some Torontonian true "sports fans" would say a mid week Jays game at the dump, er dome, with 8000 people is more "cool" than 25,000 at an Argo game. Yup, real true "sports fans". :thdn:

12

Why does the Bison's stadium hold 33K if only 5K show up :cowboy:

13

Way to teach them Frenchies a thing or two. :roll:

Funding focus in QC is on the arena for a NHL franchise; so not a good time to pitch a CFL football stadium.
Also, Laval has built fan base unlike any other in the CIS (double the second in attendance) and would actually compete with a new CFL franchise, unlike any CFL city where CIS is an afterthought.

14

The Remparts also do very well in Junior Hockey but do you think for a minute that they would be any competition for the NHL should they come. Like the Remparts the Laval is nice to have but when it comes down to it they would not affect a CFL franchise that would be prime time programing Nationally on TSN.
Those same Laval players and the ever growing number of other players from Quebec entering the CFL would be a major focus in Quebec City.
Those same 12K that go to the measely 4 Laval regular seaon home games would be first in line for tickets for a QC CFL team that will no doubt have a few Laval players among others from the province

15

Bottom line is that any decently sized city in Canada that is truly serious about being in the top football league in Canada and winning the true national championship, has to have a team in the CFL. QC just isn't serious about that, yet. At some point they may be but for now will settle only for the CIS.

16

well atleast they have a Canadian QB... and Canadian coaches...Laval is the Best Canadian Football team in the world.

17

Isn't Laval semi-pro? :wink:

18

Laval is sort of semi-pro. They have a budget of over $2 million dollars for their football team. I read somewhere that they even do some training in Florida for the team!

Here is an article from The Spec talking about Mac trying to keep up with the big money football programs in the CIS and talks about the real problem big money programs like Laval are creating for other CIS teams and talk that maybe they need to look at some sort of spending cap on teams.

[url=http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/4362837-mac-wants-war-chest-to-keep-football-program-on-top/]http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/436 ... am-on-top/[/url]
Perhaps it sounds odd to hear complaints of relative poverty from one of the country's biggest schools with one of the best athletic facilities. Many universities would kill to be in Mac's position. But Giles says the current state of football spending has become a real problem. The McMaster website says it "threatens the very essence of Marauder football."

Those who’ve followed the university game in this country for the past few years probably aren’t surprised. This was inevitable.

While the money involved here is nowhere close to that in big-time U.S. college football, the Canadian game has become more and more expensive in recent years. Which is where Laval comes in.

It was the Quebec school that came up with the creative — and perfectly legal — idea of running the football team as a not-for-profit business that represents the school but isn’t connected in the traditional sense. Private money fuels it so the costs don’t come from the university’s budget. This has allowed the team to have five full-time coaches, a beautiful indoor training facility and a $2 million a year operating budget for football alone.

The results have been obvious. The Rouge et Or have been in eight of the past 11 Vanier Cups, winning seven of those.

As a result, athletic directors across the country have come to believe the only way to compete is to find more money of their own. Carleton just re-entered the OUA football world and modelled itself after Laval. It already has a budget of more than $1 million a season. The universities of Montreal and Sherbrooke are doing the same. Meanwhile, the University of Guelph’s well-heeled team is leaving on Thursday to go to Florida for training, following Laval’s lead.

Giles says this is a dangerous road.

“I think we’ve got to the point where it’s an arms race and it’s not good for CIS or OUA football,” he says. “The disparity between the haves and have-nots is growing so great that some teams can’t keep up.”

Including Mac. While he won’t say exactly what the football budget is, he acknowledges reports of $500,000 to $600,000 — up roughly $200,000 over the past couple of years mostly through partnerships — are in the ballpark. Those are big numbers but way below what many schools spend. This has made it essential to find some way to deepen the coffers.

Even so, an additional couple of hundred thousand generated by the new plan would still leave the Marauders well below the high rollers, he insists.

Giles says the CIS needs to put some kind of cap in place that limits spending. The former CFL president says this situation reminds him of that league in the 1990s when there was no salary cap. A few teams had some money and spent heavily. To keep up and remain competitive, other teams also spent, only to find themselves in deep financial trouble. That lack of control nearly killed the league.

19

Every time I see Laval I get a little bit sick to my stomach. That program in infamous for doing everything possible to push player eligibility to it's limit. They are also well known for recruiting players which is frankly uncalled for. It's a known fact that the university would do everything possible to stop a CFL team from landing there. They want to be the big fish in the small pond and don't care for the CIS for developing players, and has even tried courting the NCAA in the past.

They are one of the reasons I feel that the Grey Cup should be bundled with the Vanier. Every CIS team (except for the East Coast teams, we can hope one day Halifax gets a team) is within a 3 hour drive of a CFL stadium, so I don't buy the "Oh they deserve their own home game Vanier" argument.

If you want to host, get a CFL team and expand the pro side of the game, so the students playing now have a future pro-league to play in.

20

Could you please explain what you mean when you say that Laval does everything possible to push player eligibility to its limit? And what is “uncalled for” about recruiting players? All CIS teams recruit players.

I’ve never heard anyone argue that Laval deserves their own home Vanier. The 2009 and 2010 Vanier Cup games, which Laval hosted, were the very first CIS national championship games ever to be held in the Province of Quebec. It’s true that Laval subsequently hosted the 2013 Vanier as well, but that was only because no one else was interested in applying.