NO A'S IN ATTENDANCE: OAKLAND TRAILS A WHOPPING 553 U.S. TEAMS
What do the Calgary Roughnecks of the National Lacrosse League and the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League have in common besides the name?
They both outdraw the Oakland Athletics.
The A’s are averaging 6,410 fans per game in what is expected to be their final season in Oakland. It would be the lowest home attendance figure for an MLB team in 45 years, and a total that would look more at home in leagues that you've likely never heard of.
In total, Sportico's unofficial research found 553 pro and college teams in U.S.-based leagues that are averaging more fans per home game than the Oakland A's. That includes every franchise in the five major leagues-minus the fellow lame-duck Arizona Coyotes-but also lots of obscure ones.
On that list are three Indoor Football League franchises, two college wrestling teams and a professional women's volleyball team. There are flying beasts (Firebirds and Thunderbirds); ephemeral spirits (Phantoms and Ghost Pirates); space phenomena (Komets and Supernovas); and mythical animals (Solar Bears and Griffins). Even the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate (the Las Vegas Aviators) is attracting more fans.
The list is a testament not just to how local fans have turned away from their MLB team, but also to the popularity of many lesser-known teams in smaller pockets of the U.S.
The list of minor league teams outdrawing the A's is extensive: Thirteen minor league baseball teams led by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (7,990), 11 American Hockey League teams led by the Cleveland Monsters (10,347), seven East Coast Hockey League teams led by the Jacksonville Icemen (8,768), seven USL Championship clubs, and one from the NBA G League.
A couple dozen professional women's sports teams also make the cut. Twelve NWSL clubs, seven WNBA teams, three PWHL teams and the Omaha Supernovas of the Professional Volleyball Federation draw more than 6,500 fans per game.
The A's also trail nearly 200 college football teams in home attendance, including 133 FBS programs, 58 FCS programs and six Division II schools. Even two Division III football teams, the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks and the St. John's Johnnies (in Minnesota, not New York), averaged more than 8,000 fans during the most recent campaigns.
The list of college sports teams that rank ahead of the Athletics comprises 78 men's basketball, 14 women's basketball, 12 baseball, eight women's gymnastics, six men's ice hockey and two women's volleyball squads.
The disinterest from A's fans comes after years of limbo at the hands of owner John Fisher, who spent two decades seeking a solution to the team's aging ballpark before announcing its move to Las Vegas, without any firm plan for how the franchise might transition. A's fans have protested at games, and at city council meetings. When a trio of disgruntled fans approached Fisher at league meetings last November, he told them that the saga has been "a lot worse for me than you."
The team has the lowest payroll in MLB at $62.7 million, according to Spotrac, which is a full $20 million lower than every other club. It is also the only franchise that has never signed a player to a contract worth at least $75 million. The largest contract in team history was given to Eric Chavez in 2004, the year before Fisher bought the team in a $180 million deal. (The A's are now worth $1.37 billion, per Sportico.)
The Athletics are actually decent this year, though, with a 17-18 record. If not for their moderate success on the field, their attendance might have dropped below even the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League.