Two seasons ago, when the Kansas women’s basketball program made a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with three of the best players in program history at its core, the Jayhawks drew an average of 3,550 fans to Allen Fieldhouse to watch their home games.
This year, with a bona fide star in junior S’Mya Nichols and one of the best recruiting classes the program has had this century — not to mention huge goals and expectations — KU coach Brandon Schneider is gunning for bigger and better crowds than ever.
“I definitely think about attendance a lot,” Schneider told R1S1 Sports at Big 12 Media Day in Kansas City last month. “We should shatter the attendance record this year. And I’ll be real disappointed if we don’t.”
The current program record for season-long attendance was set during the 2008-09 season, when KU averaged 4,109 fans per contest over 20 games.
Schneider’s hoping this group can top that by roughly 25%, and he’s not interested in stopping there either.
“My goal is I want to average 5,000-plus,” he said of a number that would put KU among the top four in the Big 12 Conference. “And then, if we do that, it positions us, a year from now if things go the way we want in recruiting, maybe we’re chasing 7,000. That’s the trajectory that we want to be on.”
“Our players are gonna do their part. ... Let’s make sure we’re capitalizing not only on the elite group of young women that we have, but also on the momentum of women’s college basketball in general.”
— KU women's coach Brandon Schneider
What will it take to get there?
Schneider and Nichols both know that winning is first, second and probably even third on the list of requirements.
But it goes well beyond that and includes things like a fun and easy-to-watch brand of basketball, players and coaches being active in the community and representing the KU brand with class and a little bit of help.
“Our players are gonna do their part,” Schneider said. “So, the challenge is, internally, with our folks — marketing, tickets and sales — do right by us. And let’s make sure we’re capitalizing not only on the elite group of young women that we have, but also on the momentum of women’s college basketball in general.”
When asked if the record is attainable, Nichols answered without hesitation.
“It can be done,” she said. “I think about it often, just thinking of ways that we can make it happen. But what’s going to make it happen is winning games and getting into that AP Top 25.”
The Jayhawks aren't in the preseason AP Top 25, but they were included on the "others receiving votes" lists, with 7 votes from AP voters.
A spot in the national rankings would constitute a fair amount of buzz around the program. And that certainly catches people’s attention.
But so, too, does the work the Jayhawks do in the offseason and on the recruiting trail, and Schneider believes that the current 2025 class, along with some big fish that they’re chasing in the 2026 class and beyond, could paint KU women’s basketball in a completely different light than ever before if the Jayhawks are successful in adding elite talent to an already strong roster.
“Number 1, you gotta have good teams,” Schneider said of the best way to grow your fan base. “Number 2, I think you have to be successful in local recruiting. When I say local, I obviously mean the state and the Kansas City area, but also the Midwest in general. And I think we’ve done a terrific job of recruiting drivable distances and some of the top players in those areas.”
All four players in this freshman class come from that region, with Jaliya Davis being one of the top prospects in Kansas City, Libby Fandel the same in Iowa and Keeley Parks earning top billing in the state of Oklahoma. Add to that group and underrated Tatyonna Brown from Colorado Springs, and it’s clear that Schneider and his staff delivered on their stated goals this time around.
All four represent the vision for the future that Schneider has in recruiting, as well.
“Can we maintain still a little bit of that old-school recruiting philosophy of we’re gonna recruit elite high school talent and then use the transfer portal to supplement our roster, almost like we used to use junior colleges.”
The players are here, the plan is in place and the wins are waiting.
Now, it’s time to tip it off and see if the reality of what will be looks and sounds as good as the goal.
Schneider and the 2025-26 squad will get the season going at 6:30 p.m. tonight, when they play host to Kansas City at Allen Fieldhouse.
— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kuathletics.com
