SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — More than 64,000 people came through the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center during the Summit League Tournament.
Officials with the Summit League say that’s the second-highest number in the history of the tournament.
Overall attendance for the event was 64,725 for eight sessions and 14 games.
The 2022 men’s sessions recorded 37,190 fans in four days, while the women’s sessions recorded 27,535 fans. Both numbers were the second-highest in the tournament’s history.
The men’s championship, played at 8 p.m. and aired on ESPN2, had an attendance of 10,072, which was the third-highest mark in the league’s history behind 2016 (10,188) and 2018 (11,114).
“No. 1, how bout Jackrabbit nation?” SDSU head coach Eric Henderson said in the postgame conference. “That atmosphere, the last two days, I know our players are so appreciative of all that support. It’s incredible.”
The women’s championship, played at 1 p.m. and aired on ESPNU, had an attendance of 8,117. It was the third-highest mark behind 2016 (8,647) and 2018 (8,704).
“The fans for both teams made this an environment that girls dream of playing in,” USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said after the game. “It’s really, really special.”
Plitzuweit, who said she’s coached in the Big 10, said the Summit League Tournament is run like a first-class event.
“This environment is just so much different,” Plitzuweit said. “We really appreciated all the fans. I really do mean that sincerely, even the ones that weren’t cheering for us.”
The highest attendance at the event was 65,533 fans in 2016. That year, SDSU topped NDSU 67-59 in the men’s championship in front of 10,188 and SDSU topped USD in the women’s championship in front of 8,647.
The annual sports event has been in Sioux Falls since 2009 and is under contract to stay in Sioux Falls until 2025.
Next year the tournament will expand to 10 teams playing over five days (Friday through Tuesday).
Summit League Tournament by the numbers:
64,725
Overall attendance for the event was 64,725 for eight sessions and 14 games.
37,190
That’s how many people attended the men’s tournament in four days.
27,535
That’s how many people attended the women’s tournament in four days.
10,418
That was the highest session attendance, for Monday’s two men’s semifinal games.
1,957
There were 1,957 total points scored in 14 men’s and women’s basketball games over the four days.
30
The South Dakota State men’s basketball team set a school and Summit League record for total wins with 30.
21
SDSU also holds the longest active winning streak in all of Division I men’s basketball at 21 games.
14
The Summit League Tournament has been held in Sioux Falls for 14 years in a row and is under contract until 2025.
3
The South Dakota women’s basketball team has won three-straight Summit League Tournament titles.
