In the world of sports, a team’s achievement is generally measured in numbers.

Strictly by the numbers, the Sacramento State football team (4-2 in conference, 4-5 overall) has shown improvement where it counts – the win column. Currently sharing fourth-place in the Big Sky, the four wins have doubled last year’s output of two, with two games still left to go.

But there’s another crucial number to be crunched, and it isn’t an amount of wins, losses, or points. It’s 6,174, and it begs the question – is Sacramento taking any notice?

That’s the average number of fans, including the opponent’s, who have filled roughly one-third of Hornet Stadium’s 17,000-seat capacity for the team’s four home games this season. At home two weeks ago versus Northern Colorado, that number dwindled to a paltry 4,109.

To put it in perspective, the Montana Grizzlies’ (currently No. 1 in the Big Sky) average home attendance of 23,394 fans almost eclipses the 24,696 that have shown up at Hornet Stadium the entire season.

Defensive end Joe Rudulph transferred from Division I-A Oregon State University in Corvallis. He recalls the benefits of playing at home in front of a throng of rabid Beaver enthusiasts.

“They’d turn out, no matter win, lose or draw. If they heard bad things or a good thing, they were always there supporting their team,” Rudulph said.

“In Corvallis, there’s nothing else to do, so there’s 50,000 strong every game. I know it’s harder out here in Sacramento. It’s more of a metropolitan area, a lot of businesses.”

“People have other things to do,” Rudulph said.

Despite the meager turnouts, Athletic Director Terry Wanless is encouraged by the Hornets’ recent successes. According to Wanless, the facilities and their amenities play a large part in luring would-be Hornet fans, adding that it’s probably as simple as the team’s win-loss record over the past few seasons.

“It’s cyclic, in terms of the fan interest, and it depends on a lot of different factors,” Wanless said.

“Obviously, winning and losing, and the history of winning and losing is a big part of that. We all understand that we’re coming off some pretty mediocre years.”

“You don’t go from last to first overnight. Getting from last to the middle of the pack is the first goal,” Wanless said.

That’s precisely where the Hornets are as the team prepares to host the third-place, No. 23 Portland State Vikings tonight, Sac State’s final home game. A victory would match their best conference record (5-2) since the team joined the Big Sky in 1996, and give the team its first three-game win streak since signing on with Division I-AA in 1993.

But how many fans will find their way to the final home game of the Mooshagian era’s finest season yet? How many will send off this year’s seniors?

“We can only control what we can control, and that’s the product on the field and the brand of football that we play,” coach Steve Mooshagian said.

“If we do our part, and continually improve our product, the people will come.”