COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - For the 13th time in the last 14 seasons, and 18th time overall, Saint John's University led NCAA Division III in football attendance in 2014. 

SJU averaged 7,752 fans per game and attracted 46,511 spectators over six home games last fall. SJU's average game attendance out-distanced second-place Hampden-Sydney (Va.), which averaged 7,252 fans per game. Division III national-champion Wisconsin-Whitewater drew nearly 3,000 total spectators less than SJU despite hosting two more games.

Only four Division II programs outdrew SJU in attendance per game in 2014, while 72 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly Division I-AA) institutions failed to do so.

Ohio State ended Michigan's 16-year reign as Football Bowl Subdivision's (FBS) attendance leader by averaging 106,296 spectators per game. Montana led FCS with an average of 23,777 spectators per game and Grand Valley State (Mich.) led Division II with 11,699 spectators per contest.

The Johnnies, who are ranked as high as fourth nationally by Lindy's in its NCAA Division III preseason poll, open the 2015 season with a 1 p.m. kickoff Sept. 5 against Dubuque (Iowa) in Clemens Stadium, the first of six regular-season home games this fall. SJU is expected to return 17 of its 24 starters (eight on offense, seven on defense and both special-teams specialists).