South Carolina Basketball: Gamecocks obliterate all-time total attendance record

South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley has completely remade the Gamecock program since being hired before the 2008-2009 season. After making just two NCAA Tournaments, from 1991 to the point at which she was hired, Staley got the Gamecocks back to the Big Dance in year 4 and has kept USC in March Madness every year since.

Now, the Gamecocks are the best program in the country. They've won two national championships since 2017 (and likely would have won a third in 2020 had the postseason not been canceled). No other team has won multiple titles during that time, and Coach Staley's group is the overwhelming favorite to win again this year.

As Staley flipped the results on the floor, the South Carolina basketball faithful rewarded her and her program with ridiculous attendance numbers.

For the 10th year in a row, South Carolina basketball is the nation's leader in women's basketball attendance. The Gamecocks obliterated the all-time total attendance record (one they set back in the 2015-2016 season), bringing in over 270,000 fans to Colonial Life Arena this season. They averaged over 16,000 fans per game, finishing with the 2nd-best average attendance number ever behind only the 1998-1999 Tennessee Volunteers. *It is important to note that Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena is larger than Colonial Life Arena, meaning sellouts include more fans in Knoxville.*

Entering the Gamecocks' two home games in the NCAA Tournament, South Carolina was on pace to challenge Tennessee's average attendance record, but the NCAA's policies on scheduling (not announcing game times until the last minute) and increased ticket prices make selling out the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament difficult.

Even so, Dawn Staley's affectionately nicknamed FAMs made college basketball history this season, and there is sure to be a large contingent of garnet and black-clad supporters that follow the Gamecocks through their run at a historical undefeated season.

Carolina will play next on Friday at 5:00 PM EST against the Indiana Hoosiers in Albany, New York.