Attendance data involving regional home-and-home football series games between NCAA Division I FCS PWIs (predominantly white institutions) and FCS HBCUs revealed that PWIs overwhelmingly fared better in home attendance compared to HBCUs.
HBCU Sports compiled a list of 64 MEAC and SWAC football games dating back to 2009 that involved nonconference home-and-home series against PWIs.
The list shows that the home attendance of games played on PWI campuses had a higher stadium capacity percentage than those played on HBCU campuses.
From 2009 to 2019, the average stadium capacity percentage for the PWIs listed was 74.2% compared to 47.3% for the games played on HBCU campuses.
Also read: Countdown to kickoff: The must-see HBCU games throughout the 2021 SWAC fall football season
There were, however, some exceptions in which HBCU teams fared as well and even better than PWIs.
During the 2011-2012 home-and-home series between North Carolina Central and Elon, both schools recorded a stadium capacity of 67 percent. The attendance of the 2011 contest played at NCCU’s O’Kelly–Riddick Stadium (stadium capacity 10000) was 6722. In 2012, at Elon’s Rhodes Stadium (capacity 11250), the game’s official attendance was 7528.
South Carolina State’s 2014-2015 home-and-home series with Furman resulted in SCSU gaining the home attendance advantage. When the Bulldogs hosted Furman in their 2014 contest, the official box score recorded the attendance at 9,613, which is 44% capacity at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
The following year, Furman recorded that game’s attendance at 1,022 — which is six percent of Paladin Stadium’s capacity of 16,000 — however, the box score indicated the game was played in “steady rain.”
Morgan State had the higher home attendance in the Bears’ 2017-2018 home-and-home series against Towson. In the 2017 game, played at Johnny Unitas Stadium, which has a capacity of 11198, Towson’s home attendance was 6,563 (58% capacity).
When Morgan State hosted the game the following year in 2018 at Hughes Memorial Stadium (capacity 10001), the recorded attendance was 9,209 (92% capacity).
Division I HBCU/PWI home-and-home football series game attendance since 2009
Alabama A&M
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2018 | North Alabama at Alabama A&M | 15100 | 21000 | 72% |
| 2019 | Alabama A&M at North Alabama | 12767 | 14215 | 90% |
Alabama State
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2017 | Kennesaw State at Alabama State | 11000 | 26500 | 41% |
| 2018 | Alabama State at Kennesaw State | 8799 | 8318 | 100% |
Alcorn State
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2017 | McNeese at Alcorn State | 12608 | 22500 | 56% |
| 2019 | Alcorn State at McNeese | 10127 | 17610 | 57% |
Delaware State
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2014 | Delaware State at Monmouth | 2150 | 3200 | 67% |
| 2016 | Monmouth at Delaware State | 2454 | 7193 | 34% |
| 2018 | Delaware State at Saint Frances | 1074 | 3450 | 31% |
| 2019 | Saint Frances at Delaware State | 527 | 7193 | 7% |
Florida A&M
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2013 | Samford at Florida A&M | 10034 | 25500 | 39% |
| 2015 | Florida A&M at Samford | 4714 | 6700 | 70% |
| 2014 | Coastal Carolina at Florida A&M | 12000 | 25000 | 47% |
| 2016 | Florida A&M at Coastal Carolina | 10132 | 9214 | 100% |
Grambling
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2013 | Lamar at Grambling | 6497 | 19600 | 33% |
| 2014 | Grambling at Lamar | 9520 | 16000 | 59% |
| 2017 | Northwestern State at Grambling | 12689 | 19600 | 65% |
| 2018 | Grambling at Northwestern State | 13525 | 15971 | 84% |
Hampton
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2010 | Old Dominion at Hampton | 8605 | 12000 | 72% |
| 2011 | Hampton at Old Dominion | 19818 | 20118 | 98% |
| 2012 | Old Dominion at Hampton | 5500 | 12000 | 46% |
| 2014 | Hampton at Old Dominion | 20118 | 20118 | 100% |
| 2013 | Hampton at William & Mary | 9802 | 12672 | 77% |
| 2014 | William & Mary at Hampton | 7200 | 12000 | 60% |
| 2015 | Hampton at William & Mary | 11736 | 12672 | 92% |
| 2016 | William & Mary at Hampton | 4412 | 12000 | 37% |
Morgan State
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2009 | Towson at Morgan State | 4307 | 10001 | 43% |
| 2011 | Morgan State at Towson | 9759 | 11198 | 87% |
| 2017 | Morgan State at Towson | 6563 | 11198 | 58% |
| 2018 | Towson at Morgan State | 9209 | 10001 | 92% |
Norfolk State
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2011 | Norfolk State at Charleston Southern | 1933 | 4000 | 48% |
| 2013 | Charleston Southern at Norfolk State | 5963 | 30000 | 20% |
| 2012 | Norfolk State at Liberty | 15826 | 19200 | 82% |
| 2014 | Liberty at Norfolk State | 6150 | 30000 | 20% |
| 2017 | Norfolk State at James Madison | 23118 | 24877 | 93% |
| 2018 | James Madison at Norfolk State | 6482 | 30000 | 21% |
| 2016 | Norfolk State at Willam & Mary | 10240 | 12672 | 81% |
| 2017 | William & Mary at Norfolk State | 7615 | 30000 | 25% |
North Carolina A&T
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2011 | Coastal Carolina at N.C. A&T | 9709 | 21500 | 45% |
| 2012 | N.C. A&T at Coastal Carolina | 9314 | 9214 | 100% |
| 2013 | Elon at N.C. A&T | 13221 | 21500 | 61% |
| 2014 | N.C. A&T at Elon | 7228 | 11250 | 64% |
| 2015 | N.C. A&T at Elon | 9729 | 11250 | 86% |
| 2019 | Elon at N.C. A&T | 16358 | 21500 | 76% |
| 2017 | N.C. A&T at Gardner-Webb | 7015 | 9000 | 78% |
| 2018 | Gardner-Webb at N.C. A&T | 13111 | 21500 | 61% |
North Carolina Central
| 2011 | Elon at N.C. Central | 6722 | 10000 | 67% |
| 2012 | N.C. Central at Elon | 7528 | 11250 | 67% |
| 2013 | Towson at N.C.Central | 4037 | 10000 | 40% |
| 2014 | N.C. Central at Towson | 9364 | 11198 | 83% |
Prairie View A&M
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2017 | Prairie View at Nicholls State | 8212 | 10500 | 77% |
| 2019 | Nicholls State at Prairie View | 8756 | 15000 | 58% |
| 2017 | Sam Houston State at Prairie View | 8465 | 15000 | 56% |
| 2018 | Prairie View at Sam Houston State | 9571 | 14000 | 68% |
South Carolina State
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2013 | Coastal Carolina at S. Carolina State | 10048 | 22000 | 46% |
| 2014 | S. Carolina State at Coastal Carolina | 10124 | 9214 | 100% |
| 2014 | Furman at S. Carolina State | 9613 | 22000 | 44% |
| 2015 | S. Carolina State at Furman | 1022 | 16000 | 6% |
Southern
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2013 | Southern at Northwestern State | 14873 | 15971 | 93% |
| 2014 | Northwestern State at Southern | 15011 | 28500 | 53% |
Texas Southern
| Year | Matchup | Attendance | Stadium Capacity | Pct. of Capacity |
| 2012 | Sam Houston State at Texas Southern | 4443 | 22000 | 20% |
| 2013 | Texas Southern at Sam Houston State | 6403 | 14000 | 46% |
| 2016 | Texas Southern at Houston Baptist | 4125 | 5000 | 82% |
| 2017 | Houston Baptist at Texas Southern | 6218 | 22000 | 28% |
