The NCAA released the final attendance men's basketball figures for the 2009-10 season and the Mountain West has three institutions ranked in the Top 22 for average attendance. BYU ranks 17th nationally, after averaging a league-high 14,029 fans in 16 contests at the Marriott Center in 2009-10. UNLV follows the Cougars at 18th with an average attendance of 13,917 in 19 games at the Thomas & Mack Center. Rounding out the trio is New Mexico, who finished the season in 22nd, despite having a reduced seating capacity due to ongoing renovations. The Lobos averaged 13,595 fans over an 18-game slate at The Pit.
The Mountain West is one of four conferences (Big East, Big Ten, SEC) with three teams ranked in the Top 22 for the 2009-10 season and is one of five (ACC) with three representatives in the Top 25. As a conference, the MWC ranks sixth nationally, marking the 11th consecutive year the league has finished among the top seven in attendance.
The Mountain West is one of four conferences (Big East, Big Ten, SEC) with three teams ranked in the Top 22 for the 2009-10 season and is one of five (ACC) with three representatives in the Top 25. As a conference, the MWC ranks sixth nationally, marking the 11th consecutive year the league has finished among the top seven in attendance.
Mick McGrane has covered the Mountain West since the league's inception in 1999. He spent 12 years at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he served as the beat writer for San Diego State football and men's basketball. He currently represents the MW as a member of the Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee and is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. McGrane serves as senior writer to the Mountain West, providing readers with exclusive, in-depth information about the Conference by highlighting its 10 member institutions and contributing feature stories on student-athletes that participate in the league's 18 sponsored sports.
Mark Knudson is a Colorado State journalism school graduate and a 12-year veteran of professional baseball. During his playing career, Mark pitched for three major league teams, including the Colorado Rockies, where he was the first Colorado native to play for the hometown team. He recorded wins over three of the four legendary pitchers who make up the 4,000 strikeout club: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. His win over Ryan came for the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day in 1991.
