Average attendance for seven Memphis football home games improved during the 2019 season after three straight years of decline, according to figures provided by the University of Memphis. 

Fans have criticized the effectiveness of scanners at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for two seasons, questioning the actual number of fans attending the games. Memphis has switched methods of counting attendance for home games; instead of relying on scanners, they use a formula to reach the announced attendance. 

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The total is determined by combining season tickets plus single-game season tickets sold, students scanned into the game and credentialed personnel attending. 

Memphis switched to the formula after polling schools around the country. All but one Southeastern Conference team uses the same method while half of the American Athletic Conference schools do the same. The other half counts all of their student seating toward their announced attendance rather than tickets counted.

Memphis announced a total attendance of 271,710 fans over the course of the seven home games in 2019, including the American Athletic Conference championship game. That is an average of 38,816 announced attendance for each game, according to documents obtained by a public records request. 

The number of tickets scanned differed from the announced total in each of last season’s seven games at the Liberty Bowl. The scanned tickets came to 191,131 for an average of 27,304 fans per home game in Mike Norvell’s final season at Memphis. Both figures were the highest totals from the past three seasons.

The announced attendance for the 2018 season was 211,247 for an average of 30,178 over seven home games. The scanned ticket count was 124,643 for an average of 17,806 fans per game. All four totals were reported by The Commercial Appeal following the 2018 season in which Memphis hosted Mercer, Georgia State and South Alabama. 

Attendance improved by just under 10,000 fans per game in 2019, according to the count of scanned tickets. 

The Tigers opened the season with a 15-10 win over Ole Miss with the home crowd attendance announced at 44,107 fans. The scan counted only 34,274 fans entering the stadium. 

A sellout followed ESPN’s College GameDay coming to Memphis for the highly touted showdown with nationally ranked SMU. The university announced a sellout of 59,506 for the first time since 2015, but only 43,036 tickets were scanned before the game, an indication that all tickets weren’t recorded at the gates. The eye-test also did not indicate 16,000 empty seats for the game against the Mustangs, more evidence that there was apparent problems with the scanning.

Regardless, the Tigers 54-48 win was the highest attended game during Norvell’s tenure with the Tigers.

The final game of the season against Cincinnati decided the location of the AAC Championship. Memphis defeated the Bearcats 34-24 in front of an announced crowd of 36,472 while the scan count sat at 25,467. 

Cincinnati returned to Memphis a week later for the championship game and a trip to the Cotton Bowl Classic a week later. A crowd of 25,236 watched while the U of M announced a number of 33,008. 

The lowest attended game differed when it came to scanned and announced attendance. Scanners suggest the Sept. 7 win over Southern University had the lowest attendance at 17,354 while Memphis announced 34,487. Announced attendance suggests the Oct. 19 contest against Tulane was the lowest attended game with an attendance of 30,221. Scanners registered 20,566 during the 47-17 Tigers win.