Philly college football kicks off as attendance surges nationwide

Driving the news: In Philly, things get started when Temple kicks off the season Saturday against Rhode Island at Lincoln Financial Field.

• Penn State welcomes Marshall to Beaver Stadium on Saturday at 3:3opm.

Pre-pandemic crowds are back (up 3.7 million since 2021) across FBS games, and then some, according to NCAA data.

• College football attendance at all levels nearly hit 50 million in 2024.

Catch up quick: Attendance at 28 stadiums averaged at least 100% of their listed capacities in 2025, according to D1.ticker. Michigan led the nation, averaging 110,842 fans per home game, or 103% of "The Big House's" capacity.

Zoom in: Temple averaged 17,566 fans per home game in 2025 — a quarter of Lincoln Financial Field's listed seat capacity, but up 26% from 2024.

Yes, but: The FBS expanded from 120 teams in 2009 to 136 teams in 2025, contributing to the attendance increase. Average attendance remains roughly 5,000 below the peak during the 2005–2011 seasons.

What's next: Week 1 will give 2026's attendance numbers an early jolt: Ten of the nation's 11 largest stadiums will host games — easily bringing more than 1 million fans through just those schools' turnstiles.