SEC versus ACC Tournament Attendance
I ran across the attendance number for the SEC tournament today and, just for giggles and grins, I compared them with ACC numbers. I was pleasantly surprised.
The SEC tournament was held at Kentucky and ran for five days. Total attendance was 14,523
The ACC tournament was held in Charlottesville and ran for four days. Total attendance was 12,179
SEC Championship between Texas and Alabama drew 2,353.
ACC Championship between Florida State and VT drew 2,240.
Next year, the SEC is moving their tournament to a neutral-site, Toyota Field in Madison, Alabama (greater Huntsville area). The league has signed a four-year contract and is hoping to potentially double the attendance numbers. "Toyota Field has over 5,000 permanent seats with berm seating and standing-room areas that expand capacity to approximately 7,500. With sunshine and blue skies, the attendance record for the tournament could skyrocket."
Here's an interesting quote from Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy, per D12 softball: “It hasn’t been anything against the host schools. Everybody has put on a good show. However, now is the time to elevate this tournament. Baseball guys have played in Hoover (Ala.) for years. I go over to it. I love it. I love college baseball. Playing in front of 9,000 people in Hoover gets you ready for Omaha. And hopefully, we will be playing in front of 6,000 people in Huntsville to get us ready for 12,000 in Oklahoma City.
“It’s time the young ladies get that opportunity like the young men have had for years and years and years in Hoover. Every player that plays in the SEC Tournament next year will get spoiled rotten by the City of Huntsville and the City of Madison and all the fans that go to that tournament. It’s time for softball to do it and I’m really glad the SEC decided to do it.”
Let's hope the ACC considers something similar. Can we nominate Salem????
** Edited by VTChip at 5/12/2026, 9:27:06 PM
14 Replies
J
J2KHokie
2mo
since the VT/FSU game was mostly Hokies (exception of 200-300 FSU fans)!I wonder the split on the TX/Bama game?? I watched the end but really didn’t notice the crowd.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
2mo
OKC and get about 3,000 or more
(In response to this post by VTChip)
2mo
That would be a huge plus
(In response to this post by hokiepro)
2mo
Link:
Legit All the Way
(In response to this post by HokieAllMyLife)
2mo
It completely changes to a softball field, so complete dirt infield the whole 9 yards. It is temporary fencing, but from pictures I saw it looks like 6-7 feet tall, not that short white breakaway stuff.
(In response to this post by HokieAllMyLife)
R
RJHokie
2mo
tournament at a Charlotte area high school.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
2mo
season, couldn't they have used Moyer in Salem for the regional? Many more rooms in the Roanoke/Salem metropolitian area. Plus other rooms within the requirements of the NCAA. Was this considered by VT and the NCAA? Hell, they have played the division 3 and 2 national championships there at Moyer. They could put bleachers around the outfield walls and accomodate a large amount of fans.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
2mo
"Helms and the travel agency also looked into the idea of hosting the regional at the Moyer Sports Complex. That would have made Salem the center of the radius instead of Tech. But the agency discovered that hotel rooms in the Salem area are just as scarce for Tech graduation weekend as they are in Blacksburg."
(In response to this post by PokieHokie)
2mo
The hotel problems extend to Roanoke.
I had a friend that needed a room this weekend for graduation and the best I could do was a room at Hotel Roanoke for almost $1,000 per night.
(In response to this post by PokieHokie)
2mo
years in advance there is zero issue.
(In response to this post by VTChip)
R
RJHokie
2mo
That may have been considered, but it could be a rule that the site has to be on campus of the host school.
(In response to this post by PokieHokie)
H
Hokie-2x
2mo
(In response to this post by RJHokie)