Michael Vick Boosts Norfolk State Football Attendance Amid Struggles

Norfolk, VA — Norfolk State University football is experiencing a remarkable surge in attendance this season, despite enduring its worst on-field results since 2015. Michael Vick‘s arrival as head coach has transformed the excitement around the program, leading to one of the highest attendance years in over a decade.

During this year’s Homecoming, Norfolk State welcomed 47,273 fans, a dramatic increase from the previous year’s turnout of 24,960. This change represents a jump of 22,313 attendees, nearly doubling last year’s figures. The spike can be attributed to both Vick’s star power and a new ticketing policy that requires all participants, from alumni to vendors, to hold valid game tickets to access the Homecoming area. However, even with this policy in place, the attendance increase is far too significant to be explained solely by ticketing adjustments.

The season finale also reflected this heightened interest, with attendance soaring from 3,087 two years ago to 7,294 this season, marking a gain of 4,207 fans. Typically, engagement dwindles in the face of poor performance. However, this season’s disappointing record paradoxically produced a larger crowd for the final game, indicating that Vick’s influence is positively impacting fan engagement.

Norfolk State’s attendance averages for the past decade have ranged between 8,000 and 15,000, peaking at 15,171 during their sole MEAC title run in 2011. This season, the Spartans amassed a total of 106,062 attendees across five home games, which outpaces the previous two years combined and sets a high-water mark in recent program history. Vick noted the importance of maintaining momentum, stating, “People want to support when they feel momentum. Our job is to give them something to believe in.”

Despite not having transformed the Spartans into winners in his first year, Vick has achieved something equally valuable: revitalizing Norfolk State football’s community significance.