Kevin Stallings’ second year at Pitt was never expected to be a success, but even with a low bar firmly in place before the start of the season, the coach managed to steer the men’s basketball program well short of expectations, prompting a precipitous drop in attendance that shattered the previous record-low season average for the Petersen Events Center.
In fact, the Panthers could not muster even half the fans they did last season on a per game basis, as their average attendance for the 2017-18 campaign was just 4,117, down from 8,327 in the 2016-17 season. Last year’s average was a record low for the Pete at the time, but Pitt had yet to reach uncharted territory, as even Jamie Dixon’s 2011-12 team averaged 8,801.