126,813.
53,430.
These are the total number of home game attendances at the AUBC for the 2023-24 basketball season. Can you guess which one is for the women’s games and which is for men’s?
If you guessed the number that is over double the amount of the other as men’s games, you’d be correct.
Here at James Madison University we have an excellent athletics program. Almost all of our sports are highly ranked in their conference, and some are even ranked nationally. Basketball specifically has two very good teams. Our men’s team is ranked 2nd in the conference and our women’s team just recently moved to 4th in the conference after a tough loss to Georgia State.
Having two great teams, you would assume there’d be a great turnout for both, right? I have been to nearly every home basketball game this season and the attendance difference is so drastic that sometimes it makes me sick.
Last season, the JMU women’s basketball team won their conference tournament and went on to play in the NCAA tournament, a.k.a.March Madness. You know who didn’t win their conference tournament? The men’s team. What I find to be mind boggling is that the JMU Barstool page only posted about the men’s team. The only time they mentioned the women’s success was when people called them out for the lack of attention.
Throughout this season, I may have seen a total of 2 posts regarding the women’s basketball team on the Barstool account. I’m sure you can take a guess who has gotten a post for every single one of their games. INCLUDING THE AWAY GAMES.
On February 15th, both teams played at home. At the time, both teams were ranked 2nd in their conference. The women’s game was even pink out and they made a promotional video going around campus and handing out candy. Once again, the men’s attendance doubled the women’s at a whopping 2,191 to 4,192.
I saw a twitter post of picture comparisons between the student sections at both games and one side of the stadium was completely empty for the women’s game.
https://twitter.com/doublev558/status/1758308215626846270
To see a team as hard-working, and as successful as our women’s team get little to no recognition makes my heart hurt. Even more so, it is what those women are used to. They work just as hard (if not harder) as the men’s team, are just as successful, and nobody is there to support them.
If you’re reading this and I could ask you for one thing, attend at least one JMU women’s basketball game. Those women work their butts off for everything they have earned and it shouldn’t go unnoticed.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 