HBCU Football In Houston: Winning Teams, Empty Seats, How To Fix?

Despite both programs posting winning seasons, Prairie View A&M’s Tremaine Jackson and Texas Southern’s Cris Dishman say empty seats remain their biggest challenge — and a major obstacle to building championship-level momentum.

Dishman and Jackson Trade Shots At 40th Labor Day Classic | Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

HOUSTON — Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson and Texas Southern head coach Cris Dishman may disagree on plenty as crosstown rivals, but they share one concern this season: Where are the fans?

Jackson issued a public challenge on social media ahead of Prairie View A&M's 2025 homecoming, urging fans to fill Panther Stadium. He purchased 100 tickets for anyone affected by the recent federal government shutdown. The game drew 11,427 fans.

"I think when we got here, we noticed a lot of empty seats in the stands,” Jackson told HBCU Legends in November. "We noticed that we hadn’t been sold out since the first game that we opened, Panther Stadium. And so one of the things we wanted to do was really try to teach people how the community, how the alums, how the fans can really help build a championship program. And it’s not just always on the coach or on the players. It’s an all-inclusive deal.”

One week later, Prairie View hosted No. 2 Alabama State, led by quarterback Andrew Body, and attendance dropped to 5,962.

Across town, Texas Southern finished its first winning season in 25 years — yet Dishman echoed Jackson's frustrations and called out the Tigers' fan support after the season finale.

"Now we have a chance to get our alums to support us. We have a chance to get our fans in the stands … these guys deserve more than that,” Dishman said. "We have to get people in the stands. We play some good football. You know, you can’t jump on and off the bandwagon. If you’re going to jump on the bandwagon, stay on the bandwagon … But we have to get people in the stands. These guys deserve people in the stands."

Prairie View Wins SWAC West Title | SWAC

Attendance Lags in Houston

Prairie View A&M ranked No. 51 nationally in FCS attendance this season, averaging 6,672 fans per game — about 44 percent of capacity at Panther Stadium.

The State Fair Classic, counted as a Prairie View home game, drew 61,139 at the Cotton Bowl when the Panthers faced Grambling State.

Texas Southern averaged 7,481 fans per home game, ranking No. 42 in the FCS.

That number represents just under 34 percent of Shell Energy Stadium's capacity. The annual Labor Day Classic against Prairie View brought in 19,638. TSU also reported 5,000 fans at Alexander Durley Stadium for its win over Virginia Lynchburg.

Attendance figures can be challenging to measure. Ticket offices may count season tickets, bulk sales, or distributed tickets — even if actual attendance is lower. Still, the numbers underline the challenge for Houston's two HBCU programs.

Texas Southern | Zay Boyle - HBCU Legends, Final Whistle Media

HBCU Attendance Leaders Outpace Houston Programs

While Prairie View and Texas Southern continue working to grow their fan bases, several HBCU programs remain among the FCS attendance leaders:

• Jackson State: 28,733 (No. 1)
• Southern: 22,051 (No. 3)
• Norfolk State: 21,212 (No. 5)
• Alabama State: 19,959 (No. 7)
• Alabama A&M: 14,111 (No. 11)
• Florida A&M: 14,093 (No. 12)
• South Carolina State: 12,762 (No. 15)

This season marked the first time in at least 25 years that both Houston-area HBCU Division I programs finished with winning records. But that success has not yet translated to consistent crowds.

Why Aren't Fans Showing Up?

Winning alone does not guarantee full stadiums. And in Houston — a city saturated with entertainment options — the challenge is amplified.

Both Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern have student populations that are predominantly off-campus residents. Prairie View enrolls more than 10,000 students, while Texas Southern has more than 8,400.

Roughly 87.6 percent of Prairie View students and 84.9 percent of TSU students are undergraduates, but the majority commute — a dynamic that typically reduces on-campus engagement and game-day turnout.

That lack of daily on-campus community is one of the primary obstacles facing both programs.

PVAMU QB Cam Peters | PVAMU QB Cam Peters

The Path Forward For TSU and PV

To address the issue, athletic departments will need to expand marketing efforts, spotlight their players more effectively, and build deeper connections to the history and culture of their programs.

Coaches believe the ingredients for growth — winning teams, sizeable student bodies, and large alum bases in a major metropolitan area — are all in place.

But converting that potential into packed stadiums will require consistent outreach, better engagement strategies, and a long-term commitment to building a stronger fan culture.

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