HBCU Homecoming Attendance Increased In 2022
Homecoming season each October at HBCUs around the country continues a strong and storied tradition, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic attendance has declined. 2022 marked a significant return to homecoming as quarantines were lifted and people returned to the stands.
According to HBCU Gameday, homecoming games attended by 10,000 or more fans increased from 11 in 2021 to 15 in 2022. Additionally, the average attendance was 21,745, which is above the 20,828 average in 2021.
The top three highest attendance at homecoming games were Jackson State vs. Campbell on October 16 (51,596), Tuskegee vs. Miles on Nov. 5 (35,275), and Alabama State vs. Jackson State on October 8 (31,334).
Homecoming football games started with the advent of college sports and large schools, particularly in the Ivy League adopted cultures around them. However, recognizing that their schools were filled with the culture that Black students brought with them from their homes, HBCUs decided to form their own stylized celebrations, which grew over the years. Homecoming is now one of the greatest events for HBCU students and alumni across the country.
See the full numbers from the 2022 homecoming season here.
