Thursday, October 5, 2023

Homecoming Attendance: 4,367

 


Saturday's Homecoming Game drew an official attendance of 4,367, the largest in the history of Cooper Field and Georgetown's largest home crowd since 1979. 

Since its opening on September 17, 2005 as Multi-Sport Field, no home game had drawn more than 3,500, the turnout that day versus Brown with temporary bleachers across both sides of the field. Without temporary bleachers in use Saturday, some questions have been raised as to how Georgetown could accommodate over 4,000 when the stated capacity of Cooper Field is 3,750, inclusive of a 750 standing-room area behind the  north goal posts, which was unused Saturday. 

The answer may well be the nature of Homecoming itself. As various Homecoming guests wandered around campus Saturday, students and recent alumni attended some of the game, but ultimately left and others filled their seats. Thus, the attendance count exceeded those that seated throughout the game.

The turnout was the largest since 1979, when Georgetown defeated St. John's 20-14 before 4,927 atop Kehoe Field. According to The HOYA, "The response was tremendous; as an overflow crowd of almost five thousand thronged to Kehoe Field for the St. John's game. Unfortunately, the University's response to the huge turnout left a lot to be desired. Many people who arrived before kickoff found themselves waiting in line well after play had begun....Thousands of the seatless milled around at ground level, obscuring the view of those who came to watch football and turning the muddy area into a veritable quagmire," it wrote.

Saturday's game was the 12th largest on-campus crowd since 1964, surpassing other Homecoming weekend events for women's soccer (643), men's soccer (509), and volleyball (321).

Date W/L Opponent Site Att.
11/20/1965 L Fordham Kehoe Field 9,002
11/21/1964 W NYU Kehoe Field 8,004
11/2/1968 W Seton Hall Kehoe Field 7,000
11/1/1975 W Fordham Kehoe Field 7,000
11/12/1966 W NYU Kehoe Field 6,970
11/4/1978 W St. Francis GU Baseball Field 6,300
10/14/1972 W Manhattan Kehoe Field 6,000
11/5/1977 W John Carroll GU Baseball Field 5,641
10/27/1979 W St. John's Kehoe Field II 4,927
10/24/1970 W Manhattan Kehoe Field 4,500
11/6/1971 W Fordham Kehoe Field 4,500
9/30/2023 W Fordham Cooper Field 4,367