Attendance for the opening rounds of women’s March Madness dropped from the record numbers seen the previous two years when Caitlin Clark spiked interest in the tournament while leading Iowa to consecutive Final Fours.
This year, 224,972 fans attended first- and second-round games at the campuses of the top four seeds in each region of the bracket, according to figures the NCAA provided to Front Office Sports. That’s down 30% from last year’s record attendance of 292,456 and slightly below the previous mark of 231,677 in 2023.
Last year, Iowa City was the most-attended site during the opening rounds, drawing sellout crowds totaling 28,764 fans as the Hawkeyes easily advanced to the Sweet 16. This year, Iowa did not host any games as a No. 6 seed and lost to Oklahoma in the second round.
While attendance is down from the Caitlin Clark era, it’s still higher than at any point before she broke onto the scene two years ago. This year’s opening-round numbers represent the third-most-attended first and second rounds on record.
Following the Ratings Trend
The tournament attendance trend is similar to what is happening on the TV ratings front.
Both the first and second rounds were down in viewership on ESPN platforms compared to 2024 but up from 2023, when Clark’s stardom blossomed as March Madness entered its later stages.
For the remainder of the tournament, the women’s tournament will be played at neutral sites, as is traditionally the case, culminating at the Final Four in Tampa.
