Dec. 2, 2008
EASTON, Pa. - Lafayette led the Patriot League in attendance for the 2008 football season with an average of more than 9,700 fans coming through the turnstiles of state-of-the-art Fisher Stadium.
"We're blessed to have some of the finest facilities in the country and a devoted and growing fan base," eighth-year head coach Frank Tavani said. "We look forward to continue putting the best product possible on the field for Leopard fans to enjoy."
Throughout the season, Leopard faithful enjoyed all of the amenities Fisher Stadium has to offer, including the Kids Zone, an area full of moon bounces and other interactive activities. Fans also took advantage of enhanced stadium concessions and the 19-by-35 foot video matrix board, which provides the Lafayette Sports Network telecast of the game and also features premium in-house entertainment.
The Leopards kicked off the 2008 home campaign in front of 10,134 fans on Family Weekend against Georgetown. Two weeks later, over 7,500 Leopard faithful watched Lafayette hold on for a 24-17 win over Penn, the Leopards second consecutive win over the Quakers.
In the final game of the three-game homestand, over 7,700 made their way into Fisher Stadium as Lafayette dropped its first game of the season to perennial Ivy League power Harvard.
Following a five-game road trip that saw the Leopards go 4-1, Lafayette returned home to an energetic crowd of over 7,400 who enjoyed the sixth annual Chili Cook-Off and a dramatic game between the Leopards and Holy Cross.
In the 2008 finale, Fisher Stadium showed off its state-of-the-art amenities to nearly 16,000 fans at the 144th meeting of college football's most-played rivalry against Lehigh. Over 2,300 people were placed on the Athletic Ticket Office waitlist, a record for Lafayette ticket demand.
In all, close to 50,000 people made their way into Fisher Stadium, helping solidify Lafayette's position as the best game-day atmosphere in the Patriot League. Lafayette was 32nd in the Division I FCS and sixth in the Northeast for average attendance, sharing company with Delaware, Harvard, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Yale.
The only Patriot League team to boast a winning record in each of the past five seasons, Lafayette finished the season with a 7-4 record which included a 35-21 win at then 14th-ranked Liberty.
2008 Patriot League Attendance
1. LAFAYETTE - 9,766 avg.
2. Holy Cross - 8,431 avg.
3. Lehigh - 7, 542 avg.
4. Colgate - 5,473 avg.
5. Fordham - 4,077 avg.
6. Bucknell - 2,438 avg.
7. Georgetown - 2,112 avg.
2008 Eastern Division I FCS Attendance
1. Delaware - 21,609 avg.
2. Harvard - 17,360 avg.
3. Massachusetts - 13,838 avg.
4. Pennsylvania - 11,284 avg.
5. Yale - 11,071 avg.
6. LAFAYETTE - 9,766 avg.
7. Princeton - 9,384 avg.
