The Bearcats opened with an impressive win against Emporia State in front of a crowd of 8,055. Last year they ranked 14th nationally out of 170 Division II teams with an average attendance of 7,129 per home game.

This map of 2016 average home attendance indicates the Midwest, that is Missouri and Kansas represented by the MIAA Conference, had four teams among the highest 20 teams. Pittsburg State ranked fourth, 9,612, while Central Missouri ranked 17th, 6,436, and Washburn 20th, 6,164. Grand Valley led all teams with an average attendance of 12.549 per game. The Deep South boasts eight teams among the top 10 in attendance.