Last season the Air Force women's basketball team had a total home-game attendance of 4,310 for the year. The UNM women's team averaged 11, 896 per game.
Although UNM is not a big-name athletics school, it is home to one of the most notorious basketball arenas in the world - The Pit.
According to Sports Illustrated, The Pit is one of the top-20 sporting venues of the century. Checking in at No. 13., it has received a considerable amount of publicity. Sports Illustrated describes The Pit/ Bob King Court as: "A mile high but 37 feet underground, The Pit in Albuquerque has been the site of many mind-blowing college basketball games, including North Carolina State's upset of Houston in '83 and just about any New Mexico home game. The noise created by fans, which has been measured at 125 decibels - the pain threshold for the human ear is 130 - is a palpable force."
Utah women's head basketball coach Elaine Elliott is one of only two Mountain West Conference coaches to have a winning record at UNM. She is also the winningest coach in the history of Utah women's basketball. Elliott said the promotions surrounding The Pit are not just hype.
"It's always packed full of screaming people," she said. "Lobo fans don't watch the game and wait for something exciting to happen. They create the excitement and they create a situation that helps the team do better."
In the 1995-96 season the Lobo women averaged 397 attendees per game. In the 2002-03 season, the UNM women's team averaged the fourth largest crowd in the nation with 11,896 attendees. Only UConn, Tennessee and Texas Tech women's squads brought in more fans.
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Elliott said the biggest difference between The Pit and other college arenas is the volume of people who come to watch.
"It's something a lot of players haven't seen before," she said. "The fans create a pretty controlling atmosphere."
After UNM, Colorado State has the next highest support in the MWC, averaging 2,449 fans per game last season.
Junior UNM forward Lindsey Arndt said although it is incredible to play in an arena like The Pit, sometimes the large crowd can be a distraction.
"When you're on the floor the noise just all comes down to you," Arndt said. "It gets so loud. The ringing in your ears I cannot even explain. At times it's hard because in big games we can't hear each other and we don't have hand motions so we don't know what play we're running."
In the last six years, the UNM women have won 131 home games and lost only 25.
Elliott said the rowdy UNM fans can sometimes work in favor of the opposing team as well.
"Who doesn't want to play in front of that many people?" she said. "Players really like exciting environments, but if they get anxious they will not be successful. The bad thing is they're not cheering for you."
Nine of the Lobos' first 10 games this season are scheduled to be at home. The first road match will be Dec. 11 when they travel to San Francisco.
UNM's next game will be at 8 p.m. tonight at The Pit against Tennessee State University.
Top-20 Sporting Venues of the Century
1. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
2. Augusta National Golf Course, Augusta, Ga.
3. Michie Stadium, West Point, N.Y.
4. Cameron Indoor Stadium, Burham, N.C.
5. Bislett Stadium (track and field) Oslo, Norway
6. Wrigley Field, Chicago, Ill.
7. Roland Garros (tennis), Paris, France
8. Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisc.
9. Fenway Park, Boston, Mass.
10. Saratoga Race Track, Saratoga, N.Y.
11. Pebble Beach Golf Course, Monterey, Calif.
12. Wembley Stadium (soccer), London
13. The Pit, Albuquerque, N.M.
14. Boston Marathon Course, Boston, Mass.
15. Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md.
16. Lamade Stadium, Williamsport, Pa.
17. Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Fla.
18. Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Ind.
19. St. Andrews Golf Course, Scotland
20. Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.
