RICHARDSON, Texas –– The attendance at NCAA football games hit a record number during the 2006 season and the American Southwest Conference ranked second nationally among Division III leagues, according to NCAA Associate Director of Statistics Gary K. Johnson.

The ASC’s nine-team league – composed of East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Howard Payne University, Louisiana College, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, McMurry University, Mississippi College, Sul Ross State University and Texas Lutheran University – averaged 2,742 fans per game, second only to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Conference (3,222).

Mississippi College led the ASC in home attendance in 2006 with 4,108 fans per game and total attendance in the regular season (33,942), followed by Mary Hardin-Baylor (29,564). Hardin-Simmons was second in average fans per home game (3,336).

UMHB’s non-conference game at Christopher Newport (Va.) on Sept. 9 drew a gate of 5,584, which was the most fans to watch an ASC team play in 2006. East Texas Baptist at Mississippi College on Oct. 28 had a crowd of 5,187 – tops this season to watch a game between two ASC teams.

The 615 football teams in NCAA Division I, II and III combined to reach a gate total of 47,909,313 fans, eclipsing 2003’s record mark by 1,764,774.