Posted by: Richie Bernardo

To call yourself a true fan of football is to acknowledge that the sport is more than a game: it’s a sacred American tradition. You’re not just a spectator but also a participant. You don’t just proudly wear your team’s jersey, perfect your game-day chili or tailgate with fellow fans. You must roar like an American when your team scores a touchdown or cry out in disappointment when they fumble their way to failure.

But to show your passion for the sport, you need the best seats in the house. With Super Bowl LII upon us, WalletHub compared more than 240 U.S. cities with at least one college or professional football team across 21 key metrics. Our data set ranges from number of NFL and college football teams to average ticket price for an NFL game to fan friendliness. Read on for the winners, additional insight from our panel of experts and a full description of how we ranked the cities.

For fun and interesting facts about the biggest sporting event of the year, make sure to check out WalletHub’s Super Bowl LI By The Numbers infographic.

1. Main Findings
2. Ranking by City Size
3. Ask the Experts
4. Methodology

Main Findings

 

Best Football Cities for Fans

Overall Rank (1 = Best)	City	Total Score	‘Pro Football’ Rank	‘College Football’ Rank
1	Green Bay, WI	63.12	1	234
2	Pittsburgh, PA	59.09	2	8
3	Dallas, TX	48.92	3	234
4	Boston, MA	48.09	4	180
5	New York, NY	46.44	6	27
6	Los Angeles, CA	44.13	8	37
7	Glendale, AZ	44.07	5	234
8	Philadelphia, PA	42.44	16	7
9	Oakland, CA	42.43	7	234
10	Cincinnati, OH	41.89	10	97
11	Atlanta, GA	41.87	13	31
12	Seattle, WA	41.42	11	83
13	New Orleans, LA	40.56	9	203
14	Washington, DC	39.62	14	85
15	Indianapolis, IN	39.10	17	79
16	Miami, FL	38.87	19	44
17	Kansas City, MO	38.82	12	234
18	Minneapolis, MN	38.37	15	163
19	Charlotte, NC	37.26	18	176
20	Nashville, TN	35.40	27	96
21	Buffalo, NY	35.05	23	174
22	Cleveland, OH	34.29	20	234
23	Baltimore, MD	34.28	25	195
24	San Francisco, CA	33.80	21	234
25	Detroit, MI	33.54	22	234
26	Tampa, FL	33.24	28	101
27	Chicago, IL	33.19	24	234
28	Denver, CO	32.43	26	234
29	Houston, TX	32.23	30	17
30	Jacksonville, FL	28.69	29	204
31	Tuscaloosa, AL	28.03	31	1
32	Clemson, SC	25.13	31	2
33	Princeton, NJ	23.41	31	3
34	State College, PA	21.68	31	5
35	East Lansing, MI	21.23	31	4
36	Chapel Hill, NC	20.40	31	9
37	Grambling, LA	20.05	31	11
38	West Point, NY	19.94	31	12
39	Tallahassee, FL	19.60	31	13
40	Athens, GA	19.45	31	14
41	Stillwater, OK	19.42	31	15
42	Ann Arbor, MI	19.41	31	6
43	Baton Rouge, LA	18.91	31	16
44	Williamsburg, VA	18.87	31	18
45	Hanover, NH	18.75	31	19
46	Stanford, CA	18.63	31	10
47	Hamilton, NY	18.59	31	21
48	Cambridge, MA	18.36	31	23
49	Troy, AL	18.14	31	24
50	Morgantown, WV	18.00	31	25
51	Boone, NC	17.97	31	26
52	Athens, OH	17.93	31	28
53	Fayette, MS	17.76	31	30
54	DeKalb, IL	17.58	31	34
55	Annapolis, MD	17.50	31	35
56	Jacksonville, AL	17.46	31	36
57	Conway, AR	17.30	31	38
58	Durham, NH	17.24	31	39
59	Fargo, ND	17.22	31	40
60	San Diego, CA	17.21	31	20
61	Albuquerque, NM	17.10	31	41
62	Huntington, WV	17.07	31	42
63	Norman, OK	17.02	31	43
64	Oxford, MS	16.95	31	22
65	Prairie View, TX	16.87	31	45
66	Martin, TN	16.84	31	46
67	Cheney, WA	16.83	31	47
68	Cullowhee, NC	16.81	31	48
69	Harrisonburg, VA	16.79	31	49
70	Brookings, SD	16.68	31	50
71	Mount Pleasant, MI	16.59	31	51
72	Lake Charles, LA	16.57	31	52
73	Morehead, KY	16.54	31	53
74	Boise, ID	16.54	31	54
75	Starkville, MS	16.47	31	29
76	Toledo, OH	16.47	31	55
77	West Long Branch, NJ	16.43	31	56
78	Huntsville, TX	16.41	31	57
79	Clarksville, TN	16.31	31	58
80	Lewisburg, PA	16.27	31	59
81	New Haven, CT	16.26	31	32
82	Norfolk, VA	16.24	31	60
83	Ruston, LA	16.23	31	61
84	Auburn, AL	16.20	31	33
84	Spartanburg, SC	16.20	31	62
86	Evanston, IL	16.18	31	63
87	Cedar City, UT	16.11	31	64
88	University Park, TX	16.05	31	65
89	Birmingham, AL	16.04	31	66
90	Berkeley, CA	16.01	31	67
91	Durham, NC	15.91	31	68
92	Bethlehem, PA	15.75	31	69
93	Smithfield, RI	15.75	31	70
94	South Bend, IN	15.71	31	71
95	Newark, DE	15.67	31	72
96	Orlando, FL	15.62	31	73
97	Provo, UT	15.59	31	74
98	Murfreesboro, TN	15.58	31	75
99	Macomb, IL	15.57	31	76
100	Colorado Springs, CO	15.52	31	77
101	Kennesaw, GA	15.47	31	78
102	Orangeburg, SC	15.38	31	80
103	Richmond, KY	15.28	31	82
104	Orono, ME	15.23	31	84
105	Youngstown, OH	15.22	31	86
106	Des Moines, IA	15.22	31	87
107	Pullman, WA	15.18	31	88
108	Worcester, MA	15.16	31	89
109	Poughkeepsie, NY	15.15	31	90
110	North Charleston, SC	15.14	31	91
111	San Antonio, TX	15.13	31	92
112	Grand Forks, ND	15.13	31	93
113	Flagstaff, AZ	15.10	31	94
114	Salt Lake City, UT	15.08	31	95
115	Itta Bena, MS	15.02	31	98
116	Conway, SC	14.99	31	99
117	Normal, IL	14.96	31	100
118	College Park, MD	14.93	31	102
119	Akron, OH	14.90	31	103
120	Hammond, LA	14.89	31	104
121	Mobile, AL	14.86	31	105
122	Lincoln, NE	14.77	31	106
123	Bowling Green, OH	14.68	31	107
124	Boulder, CO	14.62	31	108
125	Laramie, WY	14.60	31	109
126	Charleston, IL	14.60	31	110
127	Greenville, SC	14.59	31	111
128	Abilene, TX	14.50	31	113
129	Blacksburg, VA	14.46	31	114
130	Daytona Beach, FL	14.46	31	115
131	Greeley, CO	14.40	31	116
132	Fort Worth, TX	14.39	31	117
133	Nacogdoches, TX	14.36	31	118
134	Fayetteville, AR	14.31	31	119
135	Statesboro, GA	14.28	31	120
136	Towson, MD	14.27	31	121
137	Boiling Springs, NC	14.25	31	122
138	Hattiesburg, MS	14.24	31	123
139	Madison, WI	14.20	31	124
140	Bowling Green, KY	14.19	31	125
141	Jonesboro, AR	14.14	31	126
142	Loretto, PA	14.13	31	81
143	Vermillion, SD	14.10	31	127
144	Montgomery, AL	14.07	31	128
145	Chattanooga, TN	14.06	31	129
146	Manhattan, KS	14.05	31	130
147	Cookeville, TN	14.05	31	131
148	Elon, NC	13.93	31	132
149	Memphis, TN	13.88	31	133
150	Johnson City, TN	13.87	31	134
151	Gainesville, FL	13.85	31	135
152	Winston-Salem, NC	13.81	31	136
153	Columbus, OH	13.78	31	137
154	San Luis Obispo, CA	13.77	31	138
155	Ypsilanti, MI	13.63	31	139
156	Lafayette, LA	13.60	31	140
157	Beaumont, TX	13.58	31	141
158	Tulsa, OK	13.55	31	142
159	Denton, TX	13.55	31	143
160	DeLand, FL	13.53	31	144
161	Lexington, VA	13.50	31	145
162	Natchitoches, LA	13.46	31	146
163	Hampton, VA	13.45	31	147
164	Ames, IA	13.44	31	148
165	Columbia, SC	13.38	31	149
165	Murray, KY	13.38	31	150
167	Iowa City, IA	13.38	31	112
168	Boca Raton, FL	13.37	31	151
169	Las Cruces, NM	13.32	31	152
170	Thibodaux, LA	13.32	31	153
171	Charlottesville, VA	13.29	31	154
172	Kent, OH	13.28	31	155
173	Louisville, KY	13.27	31	156
174	Easton, PA	13.27	31	157
175	Muncie, IN	13.26	31	158
176	Richmond, VA	13.14	31	159
177	Oxford, OH	13.12	31	160
178	College Station, TX	13.08	31	161
179	Austin, TX	13.03	31	164
180	Knoxville, TN	13.03	31	165
181	El Paso, TX	13.02	31	166
182	Sacramento, CA	13.02	31	167
183	Reno, NV	13.01	31	168
184	Springfield, MO	13.01	31	169
185	Waco, TX	12.97	31	170
186	Kingston, RI	12.87	31	171
187	Missoula, MT	12.85	31	172
188	Fresno, CA	12.80	31	173
189	Lexington, KY	12.77	31	175
190	Monroe, LA	12.72	31	177
191	Champaign, IL	12.69	31	178
192	Clinton, SC	12.68	31	179
193	Eugene, OR	12.54	31	181
194	Terre Haute, IN	12.51	31	182
195	Huntsville, AL	12.46	31	183
196	Honolulu, HI	12.41	31	185
197	Las Vegas, NV	12.36	31	187
198	Pocatello, ID	12.32	31	188
199	Raleigh, NC	12.22	31	189
200	Corvallis, OR	12.14	31	190
201	San Marcos, TX	12.11	31	191
202	Greenville, NC	12.06	31	192
203	Buies Creek, NC	12.04	31	162
204	Lubbock, TX	12.01	31	193
205	Bloomington, IN	11.73	31	196
206	Davis, CA	11.50	31	198
207	Fort Collins, CO	11.48	31	199
208	Dayton, OH	11.44	31	184
209	Greensboro, NC	11.39	31	186
210	Amherst, MA	11.28	31	202
211	San Jose, CA	11.00	31	205
212	Kalamazoo, MI	10.97	31	194
213	Lawrence, KS	10.84	31	206
214	Stony Brook, NY	10.80	31	197
215	Savannah, GA	10.67	31	207
216	Dover, DE	10.56	31	208
217	Cedar Falls, IA	10.54	31	200
218	Columbia, MO	10.47	31	201
219	Portland, OR	9.90	31	214
220	Tempe, AZ	9.39	31	209
221	Bozeman, MT	9.35	31	210
222	Macon, GA	9.32	31	211
223	Lynchburg, VA	9.28	31	212
224	Charleston, SC	9.20	31	213
225	Ogden, UT	9.08	31	215
226	Piscatawayship, NJ	8.98	31	216
227	Moscow, ID	8.92	31	217
228	Fairfield, CT	8.81	31	218
229	Tucson, AZ	8.61	31	219
230	Providence, RI	8.45	31	220
231	Ithaca, NY	8.32	31	221
232	Carbondale, IL	8.30	31	222
233	Albany, NY	8.11	31	223
234	Logan, UT	8.05	31	224
235	New Britain, CT	7.96	31	225
236	West Lafayette, IN	7.96	31	226
237	East Hartford, CT	7.48	31	227
238	Cape Girardeau, MO	7.41	31	228
239	Valparaiso, IN	7.27	31	229
240	Pine Bluff, AR	7.04	31	230
241	Davidson, NC	6.69	31	231
242	Syracuse, NY	6.65	31	232
243	Jackson, MS	6.38	31	233

Ranking by City Size

Rank (1 = Best)	Large City (Score)		Rank (1 = Best)	Midsize City (Score)		Rank (1 = Best)	Small City (Score)
1	Pittsburgh, PA (59.09)		1	Green Bay, WI (63.12)		1	Tuscaloosa, AL (28.03)
2	Dallas, TX (48.92)		2	Glendale, AZ (44.07)		2	Clemson, SC (25.13)
3	Boston, MA (48.09)		3	Cincinnati, OH (41.89)		3	Princeton, NJ (23.41)
4	New York, NY (46.44)		4	Buffalo, NY (35.05)		4	State College, PA (21.68)
5	Los Angeles, CA (44.13)		5	Tallahassee, FL (19.60)		5	East Lansing, MI (21.23)
6	Philadelphia, PA (42.44)		6	Athens, GA (19.45)		6	Chapel Hill, NC (20.40)
7	Oakland, CA (42.43)		7	Ann Arbor, MI (19.41)		7	Grambling, LA (20.05)
8	Atlanta, GA (41.87)		8	Baton Rouge, LA (18.91)		8	West Point, NY (19.94)
9	Seattle, WA (41.42)		9	Cambridge, MA (18.36)		9	Stillwater, OK (19.42)
10	New Orleans, LA (40.56)		10	Fargo, ND (17.22)		10	Williamsburg, VA (18.87)
11	Washington, DC (39.62)		11	Norman, OK (17.02)		11	Hanover, NH (18.75)
12	Indianapolis, IN (39.10)		12	Boise, ID (16.54)		12	Stanford, CA (18.63)
13	Miami, FL (38.87)		13	Toledo, OH (16.47)		13	Hamilton, NY (18.59)
14	Kansas City, MO (38.82)		14	Clarksville, TN (16.31)		14	Troy, AL (18.14)
15	Minneapolis, MN (38.37)		15	New Haven, CT (16.26)		15	Morgantown, WV (18.00)
16	Charlotte, NC (37.26)		16	Norfolk, VA (16.24)		16	Boone, NC (17.97)
17	Nashville, TN (35.40)		17	Birmingham, AL (16.04)		17	Athens, OH (17.93)
18	Cleveland, OH (34.29)		18	Berkeley, CA (16.01)		18	Fayette, MS (17.76)
19	Baltimore, MD (34.28)		19	Durham, NC (15.91)		19	DeKalb, IL (17.58)
20	San Francisco, CA (33.80)		20	South Bend, IN (15.71)		20	Annapolis, MD (17.50)
21	Detroit, MI (33.54)		21	Orlando, FL (15.62)		21	Jacksonville, AL (17.46)
22	Tampa, FL (33.24)		22	Provo, UT (15.59)		22	Conway, AR (17.30)
23	Chicago, IL (33.19)		23	Murfreesboro, TN (15.58)		23	Durham, NH (17.24)
24	Denver, CO (32.43)		24	Des Moines, IA (15.22)		24	Huntington, WV (17.07)
25	Houston, TX (32.23)		25	Worcester, MA (15.16)		25	Oxford, MS (16.95)
26	Jacksonville, FL (28.69)		26	North Charleston, SC (15.14)		26	Prairie View, TX (16.87)
27	San Diego, CA (17.21)		27	Salt Lake City, UT (15.08)		27	Martin, TN (16.84)
28	Albuquerque, NM (17.10)		28	Akron, OH (14.90)		28	Cheney, WA (16.83)
29	Colorado Springs, CO (15.52)		29	Mobile, AL (14.86)		29	Cullowhee, NC (16.81)
30	San Antonio, TX (15.13)		30	Lincoln, NE (14.77)		30	Harrisonburg, VA (16.79)
31	Fort Worth, TX (14.39)		31	Boulder, CO (14.62)		31	Brookings, SD (16.68)
32	Memphis, TN (13.88)		32	Abilene, TX (14.50)		32	Mount Pleasant, MI (16.59)
33	Columbus, OH (13.78)		33	Madison, WI (14.20)		33	Lake Charles, LA (16.57)
34	Tulsa, OK (13.55)		34	Montgomery, AL (14.07)		34	Morehead, KY (16.54)
35	Louisville, KY (13.27)		35	Chattanooga, TN (14.06)		35	Starkville, MS (16.47)
36	Austin, TX (13.03)		36	Gainesville, FL (13.85)		36	West Long Branch, NJ (16.43)
37	El Paso, TX (13.02)		37	Winston-Salem, NC (13.81)		37	Huntsville, TX (16.41)
38	Sacramento, CA (13.02)		38	Lafayette, LA (13.60)		38	Lewisburg, PA (16.27)
39	Fresno, CA (12.80)		39	Beaumont, TX (13.58)		39	Ruston, LA (16.23)
40	Lexington, KY (12.77)		40	Denton, TX (13.55)		T-40	Spartanburg, SC (16.20)
41	Honolulu, HI (12.41)		41	Hampton, VA (13.45)		T-40	Auburn, AL (16.20)
42	Las Vegas, NV (12.36)		42	Columbia, SC (13.38)		42	Evanston, IL (16.18)
43	Raleigh, NC (12.22)		43	Las Cruces, NM (13.32)		43	Cedar City, UT (16.11)
44	San Jose, CA (11.00)		44	Richmond, VA (13.14)		44	University Park, TX (16.05)
45	Portland, OR (9.90)		45	College Station, TX (13.08)		45	Bethlehem, PA (15.75)
46	Tucson, AZ (8.61)		46	Knoxville, TN (13.03)		46	Smithfield, RI (15.75)
			47	Reno, NV (13.01)		47	Newark, DE (15.67)
			48	Springfield, MO (13.01)		48	Macomb, IL (15.57)
			49	Waco, TX (12.97)		49	Kennesaw, GA (15.47)
			50	Eugene, OR (12.54)		50	Orangeburg, SC (15.38)
			51	Huntsville, AL (12.46)		51	Richmond, KY (15.28)
			52	Lubbock, TX (12.01)		52	Orono, ME (15.23)
			53	Fort Collins, CO (11.48)		53	Youngstown, OH (15.22)
			54	Dayton, OH (11.44)		54	Pullman, WA (15.18)
			55	Greensboro, NC (11.39)		55	Poughkeepsie, NY (15.15)
			56	Savannah, GA (10.67)		56	Grand Forks, ND (15.13)
			57	Columbia, MO (10.47)		57	Flagstaff, AZ (15.10)
			58	Tempe, AZ (9.39)		58	Itta Bena, MS (15.02)
			59	Macon, GA (9.32)		59	Conway, SC (14.99)
			60	Charleston, SC (9.20)		60	Normal, IL (14.96)
			61	Providence, RI (8.45)		61	College Park, MD (14.93)
			62	Syracuse, NY (6.65)		62	Hammond, LA (14.89)
			63	Jackson, MS (6.38)		63	Bowling Green, OH (14.68)
						64	Laramie, WY (14.60)
						65	Charleston, IL (14.60)
						66	Greenville, SC (14.59)
						67	Blacksburg, VA (14.46)
						68	Daytona Beach, FL (14.46)
						69	Greeley, CO (14.40)
						70	Nacogdoches, TX (14.36)
						71	Fayetteville, AR (14.31)
						72	Statesboro, GA (14.28)
						73	Towson, MD (14.27)
						74	Boiling Springs, NC (14.25)
						75	Hattiesburg, MS (14.24)
						76	Bowling Green, KY (14.19)
						77	Jonesboro, AR (14.14)
						78	Loretto, PA (14.13)
						79	Vermillion, SD (14.10)
						80	Manhattan, KS (14.05)
						81	Cookeville, TN (14.05)
						82	Elon, NC (13.93)
						83	Johnson City, TN (13.87)
						84	San Luis Obispo, CA (13.77)
						85	Ypsilanti, MI (13.63)
						86	DeLand, FL (13.53)
						87	Lexington, VA (13.50)
						88	Natchitoches, LA (13.46)
						89	Ames, IA (13.44)
						90	Murray, KY (13.38)
						91	Iowa City, IA (13.38)
						92	Boca Raton, FL (13.37)
						93	Thibodaux, LA (13.32)
						94	Charlottesville, VA (13.29)
						95	Kent, OH (13.28)
						96	Easton, PA (13.27)
						97	Muncie, IN (13.26)
						98	Oxford, OH (13.12)
						99	Kingston, RI (12.87)
						100	Missoula, MT (12.85)
						101	Monroe, LA (12.72)
						102	Champaign, IL (12.69)
						103	Clinton, SC (12.68)
						104	Terre Haute, IN (12.51)
						105	Pocatello, ID (12.32)
						106	Corvallis, OR (12.14)
						107	San Marcos, TX (12.11)
						108	Greenville, NC (12.06)
						109	Buies Creek, NC (12.04)
						110	Bloomington, IN (11.73)
						111	Davis, CA (11.50)
						112	Amherst, MA (11.28)
						113	Kalamazoo, MI (10.97)
						114	Lawrence, KS (10.84)
						115	Stony Brook, NY (10.80)
						116	Dover, DE (10.56)
						117	Cedar Falls, IA (10.54)
						118	Bozeman, MT (9.35)
						119	Lynchburg, VA (9.28)
						120	Ogden, UT (9.08)
						121	Piscatawayship, NJ (8.98)
						122	Moscow, ID (8.92)
						123	Fairfield, CT (8.81)
						124	Ithaca, NY (8.32)
						125	Carbondale, IL (8.30)
						126	Albany, NY (8.11)
						127	Logan, UT (8.05)
						128	New Britain, CT (7.96)
						129	West Lafayette, IN (7.96)
						130	East Hartford, CT (7.48)
						131	Cape Girardeau, MO (7.41)
						132	Valparaiso, IN (7.27)
						133	Pine Bluff, AR (7.04)
						134	Davidson, NC (6.69)

 

Ask the Experts

Certain qualities make a city a good environment for football fans. For more insight, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?
2. How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long-term health and safety of players?
3. What makes a good football fan?
4. What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football — at home, in a bar or at the stadium, for instance — without breaking the bank?
5. Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?
6. Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?

< >

• Windy Dees Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Sport Sciences and Graduate Program Director of Sport Administration at the University of Miami
• Timothy Mirabito Assistant Professor of Journalism and Sport Media at Ithaca College
• Joshua D. Pitts Assistant Professor of Sport Management and Economics in the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management at Kennesaw State University
• Tom Bell Associate Professor of Sport Management at Campbellsville Uni
• George B. Cunningham Professor of Sport Management in the Department of Health and Kinesiology & Faculty Affiliate in the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Texas A&M University
• Lenny Kaplan Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology

Windy Dees Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Sport Sciences and Graduate Program Director of Sport Administration at the University of Miami

What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?

Safety is still the biggest issue facing football at all levels today. The continued concern over concussions and players’ long-term health have impacted participation at the youth level, but even professional players have retired early citing similar concerns.

How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long term health and safety of players?

Helmet technology is evolving to protect better against concussions and rule changes have minimized impact during practice and play. Player education on safety issues is also dramatically changing the way football players approach the game and their long-term health.

How have or will the recent player protests affect the sport?

At the NFL level, it still hard to determine if social issues surrounding the sport have truly impacted attendance and ratings. Despite media attention surrounding the NFL kneel downs, NFL ratings continue to be higher than anything else on TV. It seems more plausible that oversaturation of NFL games televised multiple nights a week have negatively influenced the ratings.

What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football (at home, in a bar, at the stadium) without breaking the bank?

The increase in live streaming of games allows fans to watch their favorite team anywhere without actually going to the stadium. All the sports apps help fans keep up with NFL content and even manage their fantasy teams. Online purchases of licensed merchandise can help fans find the latest and greatest gear without the high cost of buying in-stadium.

Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?

The trend now is renovating or building new multi-purpose football stadiums that can be used year-round for a plethora of entertainment. Gone are the days where venues only host football games and lie dormant throughout the year. These stadiums are hosting other sports competitions, concerts, and a multitude of community events and activities.

Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?

Hosting the Super Bowl is a mega event that brings millions of tourist dollars into a city. Since most Super Bowl host cities have not had their own team participating in the big game, the event brings in most fans, sponsors, and other major business entities from outside the area. The Super Bowl has also grown into a week-long event with parties, networking events, ancillary entertainment and a host of other activities that keep people in the city for multiple nights. This has made producing the Super Bowl much more lucrative for the region hosting the big game.

Timothy Mirabito Assistant Professor of Journalism and Sport Media at Ithaca College

What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?

From my perspective, the NFL has two major issues that are inextricably linked: messaging and perception. The league’s inability to consistently be transparent with its public has disenchanted many of its stakeholders. For instance, the albatross around their neck for two seasons now has been the dialogue Colin Kaepernick started with his anthem protests. The league went as far as to have a meeting with players and owners in October. Then, inexplicably, the league does not invite Kaepernick to the meeting and, it refused to divulge any of the outcomes from the meeting other than to say it was “productive.” This is just one of a number of instances where a little transparency would have gone a long way in moving forward on an issue. Of course, this all occurred on the heels of the concussion debacle.

How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long term health and safety of players?

Stop playing it. Honestly, I know it’s not the best answer and certainly not one people want to hear, but it’s an extremely dangerous and violent game and it’s trending the wrong way. If 110 of 111 NFL brains are found to have CTE, which is exactly what happened in a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, then there’s a problem. Education is great, technology is improving, rules are changing and there is an overall greater acknowledgement of the dangers, which are all positives. However, to play the sport in its current form is to be complicit in perpetuating the problem. There’s no getting around it. Either stop playing it or play flag football.

How have or will the recent player protests affect the sport?

Hopefully, it harkens sport back to a time when athletes are more involved in civic discourse. There’s been a lot of conversation about the decrease in ratings for the NFL this year. Some, including the president, are blaming the protests for the decline. I think it’s more likely the quality of play and the injuries that deteriorated the product. Media has made the NFL a star-centric sport, just like the NBA and other leagues. When a number of your established and budding stars aren’t playing, the product is less interesting. Just ask Texans fans. As far as the protests, sport is much more interesting when it’s actively involved in the world around it. Hopefully, athletes will see they have an important, albeit sometimes polarizing, voice in social matters. Maybe the protests will inspire more, important conversations.

What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football (at home, in a bar, at the stadium) without breaking the bank?

Fantasy football has been a solution for a lot of people. There are negatives to it, specifically dehumanizing athletes and further commodifying performance, but it has also attracted new fans. If you are playing year-long fantasy football, the cost is likely minimal and the emotional investment in games is higher. Another strategy I would suggest is couchgating (tailgating at home). Home theaters and broadcast platforms are making it much more enticing to watch the games at home. Spending a little more upfront for a nice home entertainment system would pay for itself in no time. Add the second screen (social media) experience, and it’s tough to understand why people would want to go to games from an experiential or cost perspective.

Finally, think about satisfying your appetite for watching football with playing football. There are countless city or county leagues in most areas. If it’s not football, try playing or doing something else that’s more cost effective. I think church still happens on weekends, too.

Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?

There are so many factors on whether cities benefit from having professional teams or hosting Super Bowls. The Miami Marlins promised their community that the investments made by the team and the business leaders surrounding the Marlins’ stadium would benefit the city and that has been completely unfounded. The Chargers’ stadium was essentially empty for half of the season this year. A lot is dependent on improvements made to infrastructure, tourism, ancillary businesses coming in and other revenue streams that are mostly outside of the organization’s control. The burden, however, is often on the tax payer and the organizations tend to leverage their positions in the community to secure sweetheart deals.

That said, try to remove the Packers or the Bills from those communities and watch pandemonium ensue. There’s also a lot of symbiosis in social responsibility efforts the organizations make. I think MetLife Stadium hosts something like 500 events a year. Athletes also tend to give back in a variety of ways. And, outside money is uniquely brought into the community through out-of-town attendees or visiting team supporters. Hosting a Super Bowl is actually a little less risky, in that the city is usually already set up to handle the influx of visitors. It’s been a boon for Indianapolis, which is convention central.

However, it’s unlikely that the economists who estimate millions upon millions of dollars that will come into the economy are accurate. The multipliers are usually inflated and the induced spending is exceptionally difficult to quantify. So, again, it’s probably a benefit for most, but unlikely anywhere near the high-end estimates. Good news, it’s not nearly as tragic as the Olympics and the facility graveyard that comes along with that.

Joshua D. Pitts Assistant Professor of Sport Management and Economics in the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management at Kennesaw State University

What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?

Obviously, the concussion issue is a big one. Given recent comments by current players regarding the deficiencies in the NFL's current concussion protocol, it would behoove the league to show more concern for and be more innovative in addressing player safety. It is in their best interests to be the leader on all things related to player safety in the sport. If safety concerns lead to less youth participating in football and increasingly participating in other sports such as basketball instead, it could contribute to the NBA or another sports league replacing the NFL in the future as America's favorite professional sport.

How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long term health and safety of players?

The NFL needs to be stricter on players who perform hits or other actions that are associated with long-term health issues. Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan was suspended for one game for his illegal hit on Packers receiver Davante Adams. The punishment for taking PEDs is much more severe. Sports leagues in general have taken substantial measures to reduce player use of PEDs with severe punishments for violating the rules, and it seems to have had at least some impact on player behavior. A similar crackdown with more severe punishments for players who put the safety of other players in jeopardy with illegal actions would likely deter this unwanted behavior as well.

How have or will the recent player protests affect the sport?

The protests issue is bad all the way around for NFL business. Some people are protesting NFL games as an objection to the league allowing players to take a knee, while others are protesting NFL games because they believe the league hasn't done enough to support the players taking a knee, and because they believe the league has blackballed Colin Kaepernick. There's a line in the Bible that reads, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." That seems relevant here for the NFL.

Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?

The answer to this question depends on the extent to which the city is financing the team's stadium. Generally, for most NFL teams, the taxpayers are footing much of the bill for the stadium. This is a huge economic drain for cities. The economic impact on the city will always be negative, because there are many other things on which the city could spend taxpayer money that would lead to more jobs, more income per capita, and a better standard of living for the city's residents. For example, if cities used that taxpayer money to build a cardboard box plant as opposed to a stadium for a professional football team, we would expect income and employment in the city to go up by about three times as much.

Sports teams do provide some positive externalities to their cities and, thus, there is some reason for providing subsidies to these teams. However, these positive externalities only warrant very small subsidies as opposed to the large, hundreds of millions of dollars subsidies teams receive from local governments. If teams only received small subsidies of around $25-$50 million for stadium construction or if owners simply paid for their own stadiums, then the answer to this question would be that professional football teams do provide a positive economic impact to their cities. However, the large subsidies most teams receive are much larger than the economic benefits they provide, making their economic impact negative.

Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?

This is also a question on which the answer depends. Economists estimate that hosting the Super Bowl generates an economic impact of about $50-$100 million for the host city. If a city is hosting the Super Bowl and didn't do anything special for the rights to host the Super Bowl, then the economic impact on the host city will be positive. However, it is typically the case that teams use hosting the Super Bowl as a means with which to garner taxpayer support for the funding of a new stadium. One need not be Isaac Newton to figure out that the economic impact generated by hosting the Super Bowl, even multiple times in the life of a stadium, is not going to be enough to cover the enormous subsidies provided to many NFL teams by local governments. Again, though, if owners paid for their own stadiums, then it would obviously be very attractive to a city to host the Super Bowl.

Tom Bell Associate Professor of Sport Management at Campbellsville Uni

What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?

Remaining relevant in an ever-expanding entertainment community will be the most difficult challenge the NFL will face in the future. The number of outlets which people can have their entertainment quota satisfied is large and growing. So, to grow the NFL’s significance to the culture, they will need to be able to communicate their superior relevance to the world. In addition, the canvas of fans is also changing, so the NFL must market themselves to this multi-ethnic group of fans. With limited amount of marketing dollars available, it will be more difficult than it has been in the past. However, with the advent of the social media craze, it is possible to become viral overnight. The key will be finding that niche that will attract the attention of the fans. With our culture moving from city to city more often than previous generations, remaining relevant will be a constant battle sport marketers will face.

How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long term health and safety of players?

Modified equipment can only protect the players to a limited capacity. Modifying the rules has helped, however, the fact remains that human beings are running at full speed and throwing their bodies into other human bodies, who are often moving in the opposite direction. This is always traumatic to the body and due to the nature of football, this will probably not stop. It would be ridiculous to eliminate tackling from the NFL, so it is something that players must be educated about, and notified of the dangers they are preparing to undertake. If they accept the risk, then it should be documented legally so that the NFL will not be held responsible for future injuries while they play and after they retire. If you wanted to ensure the long-term health of the players, then you would have to do some or all of the following:

• Limit the number of years a player could play.
• Make tackling a penalty and play flag football.
• Disqualify any player from a team who has had “X” amount of concussions during their career. (“X” would be determined by the medical community).
• Eliminate crossing patterns or any other “dangerous” play run by an offensive team.
• If players could play football in a virtual environment and have the computer bring those player produced images together, a game could be played where the players never actually see one another. All movement would be done through the computer. The computer will bring the different player’s movements together into one image, which the fans would watch. Adjustments would be made in real time, so the fans would see what looks like a football game, and the players would not get injured.
• Limit the weight and speed a player can have to play in the NFL.

Keep in mind that concussions and other injuries are normally caused by inequalities to the personal equations of “Mass X Speed.” So, if you decrease the mass and speed of the players, you will decrease injuries.

How have or will the recent player protests affect the sport?

I think it has already had a significant negative effect already. Some fans were lost and others gained, depending on their worldview. Presently, it is a net negative due to the anti-establishment and disrespectful image this behavior promotes. People who are patriotic will not, and have not tolerated it because it is counter to their self-image as a patriot. For a large portion of the public to embrace this movement, they will have to change their world paradigm, and that doesn’t happen very easily.

What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football (at home, in a bar, at the stadium) without breaking the bank?

• Purchase virtual reality goggles and watch the game that way.
• Install cameras in every helmet and allow players to view the game from the player of their choice’s helmet.
• Invent a chair, like a La-Z-Boy, that is capable of shaking and moving in a manner that would reflect the action on the football field.
• Since viewing a game is better when with other likeminded people, I would suggest finding a way for likeminded fans to watch the game together. This may be face-to-face in a common venue or through an iPhone, i.e., Snapchat, etc.

Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?

It is always a benefit to have a football team in a large city.

• It provides the citizens with a significant form of entertainment.
• Citizens translate themselves into being a part of the team (BIRGing).
• People will move to a city with a sports team, especially if it is a successful team.
• If the city would force the teams to pay for their own stadiums, then it will never be a drain.
• It promotes secondary businesses and jobs (sports bars, restaurants, transportation, hotels, etc.).

Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?

It always helps the host city. The branding value of the city skyrockets during a Super Bowl. There are a significant number of short-term jobs created during the Super Bowl, so that will help the city. In addition, the name recognition of the city will benefit for weeks or months after the event.

George B. Cunningham Professor of Sport Management in the Department of Health and Kinesiology & Faculty Affiliate in the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Texas A&M University

What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?

There are a number of challenges facing professional football. Safety issues are front and center. Concerns about CTE and concussions make consumers pause to consider the ethical nature of their support. Additional considerations include perceptions of a product that has decreased in quality, competition among other sport and entertainment opportunities, and less buying power by the average consumer.

How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long-term health and safety of players?

At the youth levels, the scientific evidence shows the folly of young kids playing tackle football. This is especially the case when you consider that skill development can be enhanced through flag or touch options, like we see in 7v7. Moving to 7v7 also helps quell concerns that children who play tackle football do not necessarily do so on their own volition. At the higher levels, including high school, college and professional levels, I am not convinced that new helmets necessarily make things better. My concerns are amplified by recent scientific evidence showing that it is routine hits, made over and over, that likely cause lasting brain injuries. Certainly, targeting and other such rules that eliminate helmet-to-helmet collisions are needed.

How have or will the recent player protests affect the sport?

When you look around at other sports or settings, you do not see a decline in viewership, beyond what would be expected by other economic and entertainment pressures. So, to pin a decrease in television viewership on protests -- a protected form of civic engagement -- is disingenuous, at best. Further, when we consider alternative modes of viewership, such as streaming, consumption of professional football has not dipped beyond what would be expected, given other trends.

What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football (at home, in a bar, at the stadium) without breaking the bank?

I think the best strategy, with any form of discretionary spending, is to set a budget and stick to it. There is no need to attend a sport event at the venue if doing so means going broke or putting a strain on your financial situation. For some, the budget will allow routine attendance at live events. For most, that is not a possibility, so watching from home, on your phone, at a restaurant, or at a bar are all feasible options. Given the technological advances available through television and streaming, many actually prefer watching in venues other than the stadium -- and they do so at a fraction of the cost.

Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?

Sports economists have long shown that there is no credible evidence that professional sport teams add meaningful economic benefits for cities. This is not to say, though, that they do not add value in other ways, such as being a source of pride for the community or putting the city “on the map,” such as Oklahoma City and the Thunder.

Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?

Sports economists have shown that hosting a Super Bowl might provide an initial infusion of new monies into the economy -- which is the true measure of impact. But, it is not lasting, and the impact of new jobs is minimal. So, there might be many reasons to host the Super Bowl, but generating substantial economic impact is not one of them.

Lenny Kaplan Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology

What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?

Individuality and the need to show up opponents.

How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long-term health and safety of players?

• Better teaching at youth level;
• Limit contact at youth level until kids are older;
• Limit contact in practices.

How have or will the recent player protests affect the sport?

Not sure they have. I believe players should protest on their own time, and use their celebrity for more productive change. Many don't know why protests started.

What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football (at home, in a bar, at the stadium) without breaking the bank?

You only break the bank if you buy overpriced tickets.

Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?

It is an economic benefit.

Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?

I would think it helps in more ways than just directly related to the game.

Methodology

In order to determine the best and worst cities for football fans, WalletHub compared 243 U.S. cities based on 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for football fans.

For our sample, we chose cities with at least one professional football team (NFL) and at least one college football team (NCAA, including FBS and FCS). We then grouped the cities by division — “Pro Football” and “College Football” — and assigned weights to each divisional category based on its popularity among fans.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. For our “Ranking by City Size,” we categorized each city according to the following population-size guidelines:

• Large cities: More than 300,000 people
• Midsize cities: 100,000 to 300,000 people
• Small cities: Fewer than 100,000 people

Pro Football – Total Points = 75

• Number of NFL Teams: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)
• Performance Level of NFL Team: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the past three seasons’ averages and the following formula: Number of Wins / Total Number of Games Played.
• Number of NFL Championships Wins: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)
• Number of NFL Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)
• Number of Hall-of-Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)
• Franchise Value: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: This metric measures the team(s) estimated value in millions of dollars.
• Average Ticket Price for an NFL Game: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)
• NFL Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~8.82 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” (on each team’s official accounts) per capita.
• Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
• NFL Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / Total City Population.
• Attendance: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Average Home-Fan Attendance / Stadium Capacity.
• Popularity Index: Half Weight (~4.41 Points)

College Football – Total Points = 25

• Number of College Football (FBS & FCS) Teams: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Performance Level of College Football (FBS & FCS) Team(s): Full Weight (~3.57 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the past three seasons’ averages and the following formula: Number of Wins / Total Number of Games Played.
• Number of College Football (FBS & FCS) Championship Wins: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Number of College Football (FBS & FCS) Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
• Number of Hall-of-Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
• Minimum Season-Ticket Price for College Football (FBS & FCS) Game: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• College Football Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes” (on each team’s official accounts) per capita.
• Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2007–2008 to 2016–2017.
• College Football (FBS & FCS) Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Stadium Capacity / Total City Population.

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Team Marketing Report, ESPN, NCAA, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sports Reference, Forbes, CBS Sports and each team’s website.

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