College football fans love to argue about rankings, coaches, and players. But sometimes, fan attendance also matters. A report from D1.Ticker measuring average home attendance as a percentage of stadium capacity over the past three seasons showed the fanbase that actually showed up. 

20 Power Four programs averaged at least 100% of their listed stadium capacity. Oregon sits at the top of the list at 107.1%, with Oklahoma (104.3%) and Colorado (103.7%) right behind. Ohio State didn’t crack the top 10, but the Buckeyes still averaged 101.2% of Ohio Stadium’s listed capacity over the last three seasons. This isn’t surprising, since Ohio Stadium holds 102,780 people, and Buckeye fans have a habit of cramming every available seat when the schedule gives them a reason to.

In 2023, OSU averaged 103,784 fans, which rose to 104,216 in 2024. Last season, the announced number was 104,106. But per a public records request, the school averaged 88,490 scanned tickets during the 2025 season. That’s well below the announced attendance figure, though it’s not exactly unusual. Schools count distributed tickets, bands, media, staff members, and just about everyone connected to game day in those official totals.

The more interesting part is which games fans actually showed up for. The Texas opener pulled 95,995 scanned tickets. Penn State and Minnesota weren’t far behind at 91,963 and 91,000, respectively. But the Rutgers games only attracted 75,746 fans. That’s a drop of more than 20,000 compared to the Texas game. 

Ohio State didn’t have an attendance problem. Far from it. The Buckeyes were unbeaten and chasing another national title. Fans simply treated Texas and Penn State differently from how they treated Rutgers. That’s not unique to Columbus. It’s college football in 2025. The Buckeyes were unbeaten during the regular season, showing that winning wasn’t the issue, but matchups were. 

Texas A&M finished 15th at 100% capacity over the last three seasons, tied with five other programs. But what’s interesting is how those numbers grew in a short time. Kyle Field averaged 99,234 fans in 2023 and jumped to 102,847 in 2024.

No SEC team drew more fans than Texas A&M in 2025. The Aggies averaged 106,159 fans, which is 4,000 more fans per game than Texas. They even set a new Kyle Field attendance record with 743,113 fans across seven regular-season home games. But of course, it’s because of winning. 

Mike Elko’s team made the CFP for the first time and gave fans a reason to believe in College Station. The season didn’t end the way Aggies’ fans wanted, but the excitement around the program was there. And it didn’t stop once the regular season ended.

What separates these 20 programs from the rest isn’t just stadium size. Oregon’s Autzen seats 54,348 but averages 58,582 fans (108.49%). Oklahoma’s Gaylord Family Oklahoma Stadium holds 82,112 but drew an 83,532 average (104.25%). Even smaller venues like Kansas State’s Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,305 capacity) averaged 51,773 (103.55%).

The math is simple. When capacity is listed too low or standing room sells out, the percentage climbs past 100%. But the pattern across 20 different campuses suggests something deeper, which is that fans in these markets treat home games as must-attend events, not optional weekends.

The postseason crowd showed which fanbase was all in 

Sports Business Journal reported that nearly 1.8 million fans attended the 47 FBS postseason games after the 2025 season. Texas A&M was one of them whose first-round CFP matchup against Miami drew 104,122 fans, the largest crowd of the 2025 first-round playoff games. It’s also the second-largest attendance in CFP history, and the comparison is crazy. Alabama and Oklahoma drew 83,600 in Norman. Oregon and JMU brought in 55,100 at Autzen Stadium. Ole Miss and Tulane attracted 68,300 in Oxford. 

Ohio State has been doing the same thing on the postseason stage for years. The Buckeyes drew 102,800 fans when Tennessee came to Columbus for the first CFP first-round game in 2024. They also packed the Rose Bowl against Oregon with more than 90,000 fans and brought in nearly 78,000 for the national championship matchup against Notre Dame.

That’s what makes these attendance rankings so interesting. Winning and big-name opponents matter, but none of those numbers happen without fans buying in. Whether it’s Ohio State filling the Horseshoe or the 12th Man rocking Kyle Field, the programs at the top of these rankings have fans who keep showing up.