Caitlin Clark Effect by the numbers: How Iowa star has boosted attendance, TV ratings, jersey sales, & more

Emily Dozier

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Caitlin Clark Effect by the numbers: How Iowa star has boosted attendance, TV ratings, jersey sales, & more image

She's not the "new Michael Jordan," nor is she the "female Steph Curry." She's just Caitlin Clark.

The Iowa basketball star has changed women's basketball forever. Her record-chasing scoring barrage has everyone on the edge of their seats, though the pursuit will be over soon. That won't stop fans from tuning in to see the legendary Hawkeye go after conference and national titles, though.

This season especially, Clark's solidified her place as a household name, something that seemed far-fetched just a few years ago. For those around her, they knew better than to doubt the Iowa star. Now, the world is watching Clark be Clark amid her historic season.

Here's the "Clark Effect" by the numbers, including attendance and TV ratings.

MORE: Tracking Caitlin Clark's path to become Division I's all-time scoring leader

Iowa women's basketball attendance

Iowa started the season off with a bang when it played in front of 55,646 fans in Kinnick Stadium. October's defeat of DePaul set an NCAA women's basketball attendance record that was set in 2002.

Since then, Iowa has helped teams break their own program records. All of their road games have been sellouts, and schools that host Iowa have attendance increases of 150 percent, according to the AP.

In January's matchup at Ohio State, the Buckeyes set their attendance record with 18,660 fans. They all rushed the court following the overtime defeat of the then-No. 2 Hawkeyes. Just 10 days later, Iowa traveled to Northwestern, and the Wildcats had their first-ever sellout in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Though it was a Hawkeye win, 7,039 fans — thousands more than the program's average — were part of the Caitlin Clark Effect. 

Iowa's third loss of the season came at Nebraska. A record-15,042 fans watched as Clark chased, and narrowly missed, breaking Kelsey Plum's scoring record.

MORE: Caitlin Clark's shooting goes cold to delay record celebration

By the end of the season, all but two of Iowa's games will be sellouts or break attendance records.

Iowa women's basketball TV viewership

For the millions of fans who can't make it to Clark's games, watching on television is the way to go.

On Feb. 3, 1,578,000 viewers watched Maryland take on the Hawkeyes on Fox. It was the most-watched women's college basketball game ever on the network — until eight days later. On Super Bowl Sunday, the Huskers-Hawkeyes matchup broke the Fox viewership record with 1,772,000 fans tuned in.

Iowa women's basketball hit 1.93 million viewers, too, when it played Ohio State weeks earlier on NBC and Peacock. The game peaked at 3.9 million during the Buckeyes' overtime victory.

To track Clark's scoring record, Fox even created a "CaitlinCam" to keep an eye on No. 22 on TikTok. Sports Business Journal reported the experimental feed hit 150,000 views during the Maryland game, and the highlights reached 800,000 views.

Caitlin Clark jersey sales

Sales for a Clark jersey or t-shirt began to soar during March Madness in 2023. Even almost a year later, people continue to vie for Clark memorabilia. 

"We're constantly making sure we have enough stock, especially for the kids. They seem to be the most excited about wearing Caitlin's number," said Tracy Brodrick, director of the Iowa Hark Shop & Bookstore. Once Clark breaks the scoring record, the store will add commemorative t-shirts to the site overnight and to the store a few days later. Those shirts will be shipped out to fans all over the country, not just in Iowa City.

MORE: The 'wow' moment: When coaches, media knew Caitlin Clark was different

Clark is one of four college basketball players to have a true Nike jersey replica. Prior to the season, the company collaborated with Clark, Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, and Bronny James, who all play at Nike schools, to sell custom jerseys at $90 each. Clark signed a sponsorship with Nike before her junior season.

It's no surprise that most fans at Iowa games, rooting for the Hawkeyes or not, are sporting Clark's number.

Iowa women's basketball ticket prices

Hoping to see Clark in real life? Get in line — and prepare to pay the price.

Iowa's game versus Michigan, where Clark will presumably break Plum's NCAA scoring record, has a get-in price of $284. The most expensive tickets are reportedly going for an upward of $10,125.

MORE: Iowa vs. Michigan women's basketball tickets: Cost to see Caitlin Clark chase scoring record

Even against a team like Northwestern, who is second-to-last in the Big Ten standings, prices soar for a game against Iowa. The cheapest ticket for the Jan. 31 matchup was still $200. Season tickets retailed for less than $40 each, and the lowest prices for individual games average $1.25.

Emily Dozier

Emily Dozier Photo

Emily Dozier is a live events and lifestyle writer at The Sporting News, covering everything from sporting events and music festivals to broadway shows and stand-up comedy. Based out of New York, she graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. When not covering the SN tickets beat, Emily enjoys playing volleyball and cooking. Prior to joining The Sporting News in 2023, Emily covered the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup for the Associated Press.