[MEN'S CROWDS] Interest in men's soccer remains high, as evidenced by record crowds across the country this past week. Cal Poly set the pace with a record crowd of 8,717 fans for its 2010 home opener against UCLA, the 10th largest-regular season attendance figure in NCAA history and larger than the crowds for its 1-AA football team's first two games of the season.

“[The crowd] was unbelievable tonight and they showed that soccer is alive and well on the Central Coast," said Cal Poly coach Paul Holocher. "I’m proud and excited by the community that came out and the Cal Poly students who love and support their soccer. The crowd did everything it could to help us win.”

Elsewhere ...

ACC. Three ACC matches hosted by Top 25 teams over the weekend averaged almost 4,000 fans. The largest crowd was 4,675 at Koskinen Stadium for Duke's match against archrival North Carolina, part of a Fox Soccer Channel doubleheader with the Duke-Florida women's game.

The other crowds were 3,921 for Virginia-Wake Forest and 3,092 for Maryland-N.C. State.

In the other match hosted by an ACC Top 25 team, No. 5 Boston College drew its second straight sellout crowd of 2,000 for its Beanpot derby with Boston University.

AKRON. The No. 1 Zips drew a crowd of 4,200, just shy of the stadium record of 4,254, for its 3-0 victory over Cal State Northridge in its first game at the refurbished Lee Jackson Field. An hour before the game, an estimated 300 students escorted the Zips from InfoCision Stadium to their new digs, where grandstand seating has been sold out for the season.

MICHIGAN. Michigan played to a 0-0 tie with Notre Dame on Friday in front of a record crowd of 3,503 fans at the U-M Soccer Stadium, which was dedicated prior to the match.

NEW MEXICO. The Lobos drew crowds of 2,395 and 2,130 fans for their two games at the Lobo Classic, marking the second weekend in a row they have had crowds of more than 2,000 for both their Friday and Sunday games.

LOYOLA, MD. On Tuesday, a crowd of 2,090 fans, the largest soccer crowd in the young history of the Ridley Athletic Complex, watched visiting Maryland beat Loyola (Md.), 3-0.

FLORIDA GULF COAST. The record crowd of 1,332 for Florida Gulf Coast's game on Saturday against Ohio State was much more modest, but the Eagles rewarded Naples fans with a 1-0 win over the No. 9 Buckeyes at the Embassy Suites Kick-Off Classic.