The Cortaca Jug rivalry has accounted for the two biggest recorded single-game attendance numbers in Division III football history. Photo by Larry Radloff, d3photography.com

Top recorded single-game attendance in Division III games

The NCAA does not recognize a record for single-game attendance in a Division III football game. Attendance counts are self-reported and most often are estimates rather than actual head counts. Here are the highest of those reported counts, for games between two Division III teams.

Source: D3football.com research

45,161: Cortland vs. Ithaca at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 11/16/19
40,232: Cortland vs. Ithaca at Yankee Stadium, New York, 11/12/22
37,355: St. Thomas vs. St. John's at Target Field, Minneapolis, 9/23/17
20,113: UW-La Crosse at UW-Whitewater, 10/7/23
19,508: St. Thomas vs. St. John's at Allianz Field, St. Paul, 10/19/19

18,951: UW-Oshkosh at UW-Whitewater, 10/14/22
17,535: UW-Oshkosh at UW-Whitewater, 10/8/16
17,327: St. Thomas at St. John's, 9/26/15
16,922: St. Thomas at St. John's, 10/13/18
16,514: St. Thomas at St. John's, 9/24/16

16,421: St. Thomas at St. John’s, 10/2/10
15,406: UW-Platteville at UW-Whitewater, 10/9/21
15,287: UW-Platteville at UW-Whitewater, 10/3/15
15,236: St. John's at UW-Whitewater, 9/12/23
14,437: Randolph-Macon at Hampden-Sydney, 11/12/94 (100th meeting)

14,286: St. Thomas at St. John's, 9/15/12
14,213: Mary Hardin-Baylor at UW-Whitewater, 9/10/22
13,671: Amherst at Williams, 11/11/89 (New England small-college record)
13,627: UW-Oshkosh at UW-Whitewater, 10/25/14
13,161: Gustavus Adolphus at St. John's, 10/22/22

13,107: Bethel at St. John’s, 11/8/03 (John Gagliardi’s 409th win)
13,000: UW-River Falls at UW-Whitewater, 10/28/22 (official attendance number not reported)
12,903: St. Thomas at St. John’s, 10/17/09
12,620: Cortland at Ithaca, 11/10/01
12,511: Cortland at Ithaca, 11/4/95

12,483: St. John's at St. Thomas, 9/27/14
12,462: UW-Whitewater at St. John's, 9/3/22
12,449: Williams at Amherst, 11/9/96
12,402: UW-Platteville at UW-Whitewater, 10/12/19
12,339: St. Olaf at St. John’s, 10/6/07

12,318: UW-Oshkosh at UW-Whitewater, 10/20/12
12,211: Augsburg at St. John's, 9/24/11
12,189: UW-Stout at UW-Whitewater, 10/9/10
12,123: St. Thomas at St. John’s, 10/27/07
12,113: Randolph-Macon at Hampden-Sydney, 11/13/10

12,028: UW-Platteville at UW-Whitewater, 11/2/13
11,991: UW-La Crosse at UW-Whitewater, 11/6/21
11,907: Gustavus Adolphus at St. John’s, 9/27/08
11,889: UW-Platteville at UW-Whitewater, 10/28/23
11,790: Carleton at St. John’s, 9/30/06

11,743: Cortland at Ithaca, 11/15/03
11,714: Cortland at Ithaca, 11/8/97
11,669: DePauw at Wabash, 11/11/06
11,628: UW-Oshkosh at UW-Whitewater, 10/6/18
11,525: Randolph-Macon at Hampden-Sydney, 11/15/14

11,504: DePauw at Wabash, 11/13/04
11,500: Williams at Amherst, 11/8/14
11,448: UW-Stevens Point at UW-Whitewater, 10/30/10
11,423: DePauw at Wabash, 11/16/08
11,321: Bethel at St. John's, 9/23/23

11,288: UW-River Falls at UW-Whitewater, 10/6/12
11,248: UW-Eau Claire at UW-Whitewater, 10/30/21
11,048: Randolph-Macon at Hampden-Sydney, 11/10/12
11,028: UW-La Crosse at UW-Whitewater, 10/4/08
11,027: St. Thomas at St. John’s, 11/2/02