Ever since the Comcast Center opened in 2002, the Maryland basketball team has been among the top 10 programs nationally in home attendance. However, that changed for the first time last season. New attendance data released by the NCAA reveals that the Terps have dropped to 14th nationally, drawing an average of 14,910 people per home game for 18 home games.
↵That's a seven-place and 11.8-percent drop from 2009/10 according to Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times. That year, the Terps averaged 16,792 home fans per game for 16 home games. There are many reasons that could explain the drop -- the team not being as good, the down economy, the fact that there were no marquee home matchups out of conference -- but either way, it's a sign that the Maryland basketball program may be declining a bit.
↵Then again, a strong season next year will probably cause that number to jump back up. Ultimately, being 14th nationally and second in the ACC is pretty good for a non-NCAA Tournament team.
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