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While the players on the court might still be college students, the National Collegiate Athletic Association men's basketball top division still draws in big crowds. The North Carolina men's basketball team attracted the highest average attendance during the 2025 season. The team, traditionally known as the Tar Heels, had an average home audience of just over 20,521 in 2025.

NCAA basketball attracts millions

The total paid attendance at NCAA college basketball tournament games reached the highest figure to date in 2013, when nearly 800,000 spectators paid to watch the games. This figure has seen a slight decrease in recent years, with the 2025 count totaling around 708,000 spectators. The Division I basketball tournament, commonly referred to as March Madness, takes the format of a single-elimination tournament between 68 teams. The high-stakes nature of the tournament attracts television viewers reaching into the millions. Over 10 million viewers tuned in during the 2025 tournament, with 18.1 million fans glued to the gripping championship game in 2025 between the Houston Cougars and Florida Gators.

March Madness mainstays

The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team is one of the most successful Division I basketball sides in history, so it is no wonder that an average of around 20,000 fans flocked to their home games during the 2025 season. The Wildcats led the association in terms of March Madness appearances – the team had played in a total of 62 tournaments – and had the second most number of NCAA basketball titles as of 2025. The UCLA Bruins top this list, having taken home the title a record 11 times. The Los Angeles-based program achieved enormous success in the 1960s and 1970s, but their only title since that period came back in 1995. The Bruins reached the Final Four stage of the tournament for three years running between 2006 and 2008, as well as in 2021, but have been unable to recapture the success of times gone by.