What is more popular? NFL v NCAAF

[Oneoldgopher]

Total FBS attendance in 2009: 37,441,060
Total NFL attendance in 2009: 16,428,349

Just sayin. Oo La La, we are the champions, my friends.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

Per Team

NFL 513,386 - 8 home games
FBS 312,088 - 6-8 home games

Throw in ratings, media interest, etc. NFL is still king.

 

[DeltaHog]

If you look at averages then NFL rules.
256 games per year plus playoffs and superbowl.

809 total FBS games.

I found this. Pretty interesting. Looks like overall attendance for FBS was down last year.

FBS Attendance

 

[FishingMN]

Can't compare attendance.

Want a true comparison - look at the number of people watching the NCAA Championship game vs. the Super Bowl.

NFL is more popular by a huge margin.

 

[RodentRampage]

Why just stop at the FBS? Add in the other divisions too, it adds up to a lot. People like to go to college football games, they watch the pros on TV. Granted, tickets for college games are a LOT cheaper than for NFL games, and most people are near a college, while they may not be near an NFL team. In any case, I don't think it really matters that much, we don't have to beat the NFL.

 

[NateDawgUM]

Can't compare attendance.

Want a true comparison - look at the number of people watching the NCAA Championship game vs. the Super Bowl.

NFL is more popular by a huge margin.

Oh yeah THAT'S a true comparison. Because everybody watches the Super Bowl for the game.

The NFL is probably more popular, because its teams are in larger media markets. I would also bet that if you asked everybody to identify themselves as "die hard" or "casual," that college football would have more serious fans.

 

[balds]

NFL by far

two words : Fantasy Football. That has done more for the popularity of professional football than anything. It is huge. I think the popularity of the Giants and Jets in New York, the Vikings in Minnesota, the Bears in Chicago, the Bronco's in Colorado, etc. more than makes up for all the Nebraska's, Iowa's and Boise St.s

 

[stevedave23]

The NFL is concerned with tv ratings so attendance figures are a bit misleading.

But, in a way, the OP brings up a good point. The big differentiator with college football is the gameday experience. NFL games are 100% designed and engineered for television. College games, while perfectly acceptable via tv, are made to be experienced in person.

IMHO.