1 year out, Caitlin Clark’s absence halts March Madness attendance with massive dip: Report

A year after the conclusion of Caitlin Clark's collegiate career, attendance for the opening rounds of women's March Madness has seen a 30% dip roughly. Clark's presence had spiked interest in the tournament, but her absence has seemingly cooled it down.

According to the figures provided to Front Office Sports by the NCAA, 224,972 fans attended first and second-round games at the campuses of the top four seeds in each region of the bracket. While the attendance is still higher than pre-Clark era, it is down from the record-high 292,456 in 2024 and 231,677 in 2023, during which Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes to back-to-back finals appearances.

Iowa City was the most-attended site during the opening rounds last year, with sellout crowds totaling 28,764 fans as the Hawkeyes advanced to the Sweet 16. However, as the No. 6 seed this year, they did not host any games and were also eliminated in the second round after losing to the Oklahoma Sooners.

After the NCAA, the Caitlin Clark effect also carried forward to the WNBA, getting record viewership and attendance for the league after the Iowa star was drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 Draft. Ahead of next season, the Fever are set to have 41 of their 44 regular-season games broadcast on national television, which is even more than any NBA team.

Caitlin Clark's teammate gets real on her impact on Indiana Fever

During her introductory press conference earlier this week, the Indiana Fever's latest veteran acquisition, Sydney Colson, shared her take on Caitlin Clark's immediate impact on the franchise. While she was previously an opponent, Colson still felt Clark's effect in the league.

"It was nuts, there's no other way to say it," Colson said. "You're seeing a team that's now affecting the economy in the city. People coming from out of town, out of state, out of the country maybe even to see games and that's special."

Caitlin Clark lived up to the hype that she garnered, delivering a historic rookie year in the WNBA while breaking various records.

Clark averaged 19.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game in the season, shooting 41.7% from the field, including 34.1% from deep. She was also the clear choice for the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year honor after she led the Indiana Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016.