With records like 26-7 in 2000-01 and 33-4 in 2001-02, there probably would have been a Congressional investigation if the popular Kansas basketball team had registered eight non-sellouts in Allen Fieldhouse.

Crowd figures of 16,000-plus have become a given in recent years.

Would you believe the Jayhawks had eight non-capacity crowds, four in 1956-57 and four in1957-58 the two seasons when the phenomenal Wilt Chamberlain was cavorting in Crimson and Blue livery?

The list for 1956-57:

Dec. 8, 1956 Kansas 78, Marquette 61, attendance 11,000.

Dec. 22, 1956 KU 83, Wisconsin 62, attendance 12,000.

Feb. 12, 1957 KU 62, Oklahoma State 52, attendance 15,500.

Feb. 18, 1957 KU 76, Oklahoma 56, attendance 14,500.

The list for ’57-58:

Dec. 4, 1957 Kansas 66, Canisius 46, attendance 12,000.

Jan. 2, 1958 Oklahoma State 52, KU, 50, attendance 8,500 (not a typo).

Jan. 13, 1958 KU 67, Colorado 46, attendance 12,000.

Feb. 8, 1958 KU 102, Nebraska 46, attendance 12,000.

In the 1950s, KU listed the fieldhouse capacity at 17,000, mainly because legendary coach Phog Allen whose name was on the joint said it would hold that many. Buildings and grounds folks contended the capacity was a lot closer to 15,500, but who was going to contradict Mr. Basketball?

Nowadays, they list the fieldhouse as sold out at 16,300 after rearranging seats.

But eight non-capacity audiences in the two seasons the Big Dipper was here? How that could that happen in a basketball-crazy place like this? I have no comprehensive answer.

Maybe people weren’t as mobile 45 years ago. It wasn’t money. Tickets, season and per-game, cost a fraction of what they do now.

Old Jayhawk Bob Nelson sifted through some personal memorabilia and found a 1955-56 ticket packet cover that provided him season seats in the east bleachers for $16, a whole season!

Dr. Paul Kincaid said he’s fairly sure ducats in the Wilt era didn’t run much more than $5 each. He vaguely remembers getting four season tickets in a pretty good spot for a total of about $150. Single games now can be $30-plus and a season package for one can run about $500.

It was ironic that while KU with Wilt kept selling out on the road, it wasn’t packing them in here as it does now.

Wilt bagged 52 points and 31 rebounds in his sophomore debut against Northwestern here on Dec. 3, 1956. You’d have thought they’d be knocking down the gates for ducats for a Dec. 8 visit by a fine Marquette team. Attendance only 11,000. And Wilt recorded his first triple-double.

The modern fever and frenzy wasn’t really kindled, even by Wilt, until Larry Brown and Roy Williams started providing charisma and thrills.

Then along comes Wisconsin on Dec. 22, 1956, KU runs its win streak to six with an 83-62 romp; only 12,000. No television drain, either.

Oklahoma State was good in ’57, with players like Eddie Sutton, Jerry Adair and Arlen Clark, but it wasn’t a member of the Big Seven. Only 15,500 saw a 62-52 Jayhawk win on Feb. 12.

Oklahoma was tough, too, with Don Schwall, later a major league baseball pitcher. But there were only 14,500 in the stands for KU’s 16th win in 17 starts on Feb. 18. The score was 76-56. Wilt had his career low of 11 points while Schwall notched 30. It was the lowest total for The Dipper since he began basketball at Philadelphia’s Overbrook High.

From there, KU reached the NCAA title game against North Carolina. The nation was nuts about Chamberlain, but on four occasions the KU fans didn’t seem quite so overwhelmed.

Came 1957-58 and coach Dick Harp faced a bigger test than most figured, even though he had Chamberlain, Ron Loneski, Bob Billings, Bob Hickman and Al Donague to build around. Gone from the previous league and NCAA Regional title team were co-captains Gene Elstun and John Parker, all-leaguer Maurice King and key bench producers like Lew Johnson.

Too, people were disappointed that KU had come so close to Carolina and fell, 54-53 in triple overtime. Fans weren’t as eager to embrace the ’57-58 club. Too much “been there, seen that” where Wilt was concerned. Yet nowadays he’d pack the hall every time.

The Jayhawks, however, ran off 10 straight victories, starting with a 63-56 defeat of Oklahoma State at Stillwater. Things began to turn sour, however, when Chamberlain came down with what was explained as a glandular infection. He missed the Oklahoma State game here (50-52 loss) and Oklahoma at Norman (62-64 setback).

KU had drawn only 12,000 for Canisius the previous Dec. 4 and there were only 8,500 in the stands for the Oklahoma State game minus Wilt.

The final non-sellout for KU was Nebraska here Feb. 8, when 12,000 showed up. Chamberlain set a Big Seven scoring mark of 46 points. He dunked 14 goals in the slaughter and was 18 of 23 from the foul stripe. Wilt broke B.H. Born’s school league record of 44 points and KU’s 102 points topped that school record, 100 against Rice in ’55 in old Hoch Auditorium.

KU wound up ’58 in a second-place conference tie with Iowa State at 8-4, was 18-5 overall. Only one team per league made the NCAA tourney then. Champion Kansas State reached the Final Four and flopped.

Chamberlain soon announced he was going with the Harlem Globetrotters until he was NBA-eligible. Kansas really faced a rebuilding job then, even though Bill Bridges was on the scene for ’58-59.

Later, interest in KU dropped to where periodically there might be only 5,000 folks in the fieldhouse. But eight non-sellouts when Chamberlain was in the Jayhawk nest?

Nobody’s ever explained that to my satisfaction.