The Holiday Bowl has averaged over 57k the last 10 years. Perhaps the threatened boycott by Minnesota put a damper on ticket sales.
This is the second strait year at sub 50K attendance and the numbers have been declining for the past 5 years or so..... the average for 2011-2016 is 52K.
Wisky and SC only garnered 48K as well. Those are big names, but didn't move the needle. I would say that both bowls could live with 40K easy. JMO.
Year Date Day Winner/Tie Pts Loser/Tie Pts Attendance
2016 27-Dec-16 Wed Minnesota 17 Washington State 12
48,7042015 30-Dec-15 Wed Wisconsin (21) 23 Southern California (24) 21
48,3292014 27-Dec-14 Sat Southern California (20) 45 Nebraska (25) 42 55,789
2013 30-Dec-13 Mon Texas Tech (25) 37 Arizona State (21) 23 52,930
2012 27-Dec-12 Thu Baylor (25) 49 UCLA (17) 26 55,507
2011 28-Dec-11 Wed Texas (21) 21 California 10 56,313
2010 30-Dec-10 Thu Washington 19 Nebraska (20) 7 57,291
2009 30-Dec-09 Wed Nebraska (20) 33 Arizona (22) 0 64,607
2008 30-Dec-08 Tue Oregon (15) 42 Oklahoma State (13) 31 59,106
2007 27-Dec-07 Thu Texas (17) 52 Arizona State (12) 34 64,020
2006 28-Dec-06 Thu California (20) 45 Texas A&M (21) 10 62,395
2005 29-Dec-05 Thu Oklahoma (21) 17 Oregon (6) 14 65,416
2004 30-Dec-04 Thu Texas Tech (23) 45 California (4) 31 66,222
2003 30-Dec-03 Tue Washington State (15) 28 Texas (5) 20 61,102
2002 27-Dec-02 Fri Kansas State (6) 34 Arizona State (25) 27 58,717
2001 28-Dec-01 Fri Texas (9) 47 Washington (21) 43 60,548
2000 29-Dec-00 Fri Oregon (8) 35 Texas (12) 30 63,278
1999 29-Dec-99 Wed Kansas State (7) 24 Washington (23) 20 57,118
1998 30-Dec-98 Wed Arizona (5) 23 Nebraska (14) 20 65,354
1997 29-Dec-97 Mon Colorado State (18) 35 Missouri (19) 24 50,761
1996 30-Dec-96 Mon Colorado (8) 33 Washington (13) 21 54,749
1995 29-Dec-95 Fri Kansas State (10) 54 Colorado State 21 51,051
1994 30-Dec-94 Fri Michigan (20) 24 Colorado State (10) 14 59,453
1993 30-Dec-93 Thu Ohio State (11) 28 Brigham Young (19) 21 52,108
1992 30-Dec-92 Wed Hawaii (24) 27 Illinois 17 44,457
1991 30-Dec-91 Mon Iowa (7) 13 Brigham Young (23) 13 60,646
1990 29-Dec-90 Sat Texas A&M (25) 65 Brigham Young (13) 14 61,441
1989 29-Dec-89 Fri Penn State (18) 50 Brigham Young (19) 39 61,113
1988 30-Dec-88 Fri Oklahoma State (12) 62 Wyoming (15) 14 60,718
1987 30-Dec-87 Wed Iowa (18) 20 Wyoming 19 61,892
1986 30-Dec-86 Tue Iowa (19) 39 San Diego State 38 59,473
1985 22-Dec-85 Sun Arkansas (14) 18 Arizona State 17 42,324
1984 21-Dec-84 Fri Brigham Young (1) 24 Michigan (13) 17 61,243
1983 23-Dec-83 Fri Brigham Young (9) 21 Missouri (19) 17 51,480
1982 17-Dec-82 Fri Ohio State (17) 47 Brigham Young 17 52,533
1981 18-Dec-81 Fri Brigham Young (14) 38 Washington State (20) 36 52,419
1980 19-Dec-80 Fri Brigham Young (14) 46 Southern Methodist (19) 45 50,214
1979 21-Dec-79 Fri Indiana 38 Brigham Young (9) 37 52,200
1978 22-Dec-78 Fri Navy (18) 23 Brigham Young 16 52,500