Final Four with hometown Butler fans aplenty draws second-largest crowd in NCAA history

Final Four attendance second to 2009

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA says 71,298 fans attended the Final Four games at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the second-highest total ever.

The number trails only 72,456 who turned out last year for the Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit.

This year’s field included hometown favorite Butler, and the Bulldogs had plenty of fans cheering them to victory Saturday night over Michigan State. The nightcap featured Duke against West Virginia.

A year ago, North Carolina beat Michigan State in front of a championship-game record crowd of 72,922 in Detroit.