Women’s volleyball has always had a strong following in the Big Ten, dating back to the early 80s when Illinois really broke onto the national scene normally dominated by California teams. Since that time, the programs throughout the conference have grown in size and stature amongst the masses, and when Penn State joined the Big Ten, not only did they bring one of the most storied football programs, they also brought a great tradition in volleyball (both men’s and women’s).

So it really should be no surprise that the Big Ten was named the top conference in terms of attendance overall. Wisconsin lead the way, ranked third in the country, and Penn St. and Minnesota were right behind them. A total of seven teams in the league were ranked in the overall top 25.

This is a great honor to be proud of as a conference–it also reflects the excellence of the teams and overall strength (people don’t normally go to see teams that don’t win regularly). As long as the success continues, look for the conference to remain at the top for quite some time.