Featuring some of the top teams and best players in America East history, the 2016 #AEPlayoffs and #AETourney did not disappoint and fans took notice. Over 29,000 people attended the 14 men’s and women’s tournament games as fans came out in droves to set some of the best attendance levels, both in conference history and amongst peer conferences this season.
- The 29,189 fans who attended 2016 #AEPlayoffs and #AETourney contests were the most since 2005 and the second-most for the America East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in the last 15 years.
- 21,281 fans witnessed the #AEPlayoffs, just under last year’s total of 21,292. It’s the second-highest attendance since 2005 and fourth most in the last 25 years.
- Since the format change that started last season, the #AEPlayoffs have drawn 42,573 fans, the best two-year total since the 1999 and 2000 tournaments and second-best in the last 25 years.
- 7,908 fans came out for the #AETourney, the best total in five seasons.
- America East had better men’s basketball championship attendance than nearly all its peer conferences, according to championship box scores: MAAC, 19,712; CAA, 16,198; Patriot League, 14,617; NEC, 9,258.
- The women drew better than the Atlantic 10 (7,486), despite having six less games.
The 2016 #AEPlayoffs were held on campus sites with Albany, New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont hosting games. The championship game drew 4,109 fans, the 24th time in 25 years the title tilt has been sold out.
The 2016 #AETourney quarterfinal and semifinal rounds were held at Binghamton University’s Events Center for the second-straight year with the championship game taking place at the University at Albany.
The formats will stay the same for the 2017 with the men remaining in the high seed format and the women playing quarterfinal and semifinal games at one site and then heading to the highest remaining seed for the championship game. The 2017 and 2018 women’s tournaments will be held at Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena.