2019’s Best Cities for College Basketball Fans
3:48 AMPosted by: John S Kiernan
Depending on where you live, college basketball may have even more draw than the professional level does. For example, the most profitable team, the Louisville Cardinals, is worth an astounding $36.1 million. But the sport is about much more than the money; it’s about the players and the entertainment value. Which cities provide the most exciting teams to root for?
That’s a tough question to answer, as each city has its own unique basketball history and charm. Graduates also tend to favor their alma mater, while others may have an understandable loyalty to their hometown.
To find 2018’s top spots for NCAA hoops, WalletHub crunched the numbers on more than 280 U.S. cities using nine key metrics. They range from the number of teams per city and the winning percentage of each to stadium capacity and social-media engagement. You can find the results below, followed by a Q&A with a panel of leading college basketball experts. If you disagree with where the data led us, tell us why in the Comments section. Make sure to also check out WalletHub's March Madness Stats & Facts infographic for fun and interesting stats about the matchup.
Main FindingsEmbed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/32944/geochart-college-basketball.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="https://ift.tt/2FZaOsP>
Best College Basketball Cities
|
Rank (1=Best) |
Large City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Midsize City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Small City (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA (57.68) | 1 | Durham, NC (56.31) | 1 | Chapel Hill, NC (61.05) |
| 2 | Lexington, KY (49.55) | 2 | Ann Arbor, MI (38.60) | 2 | Lawrence, KS (58.98) |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA (49.51) | 3 | South Bend, IN (36.67) | 3 | Storrs, CT (49.40) |
| 4 | Washington, DC (41.21) | 4 | Norman, OK (36.15) | 4 | Bloomington, IN (47.68) |
| 5 | New York, NY (40.88) | 5 | Cincinnati, OH (30.26) | 5 | East Lansing, MI (47.58) |
| 6 | Boston, MA (37.18) | 6 | Salt Lake City, UT (28.10) | 6 | College Park, MD (44.97) |
| 7 | Louisville, KY (31.39) | 7 | Syracuse, NY (27.74) | 7 | Morgantown, WV (42.41) |
| 8 | Houston, TX (31.31) | 8 | Provo, UT (27.31) | 8 | Cullowhee, NC (37.52) |
| 9 | Tulsa, OK (29.76) | 9 | Madison, WI (25.92) | 9 | Kingston, RI (36.83) |
| 10 | Tucson, AZ (26.63) | 10 | Providence, RI (25.33) | 10 | Itta Bena, MS (36.31) |
| 11 | Omaha, NE (26.13) | 11 | Eugene, OR (25.15) | 11 | Ames, IA (36.18) |
| 12 | Long Beach, CA (25.90) | 12 | Spokane, WA (24.74) | 12 | West Point, NY (35.56) |
| 13 | Nashville, TN (25.59) | 13 | Akron, OH (23.88) | 13 | Iowa City, IA (35.45) |
| 14 | Dallas, TX (24.57) | 14 | Columbia, SC (23.76) | 14 | Charlottesville, VA (33.34) |
| 15 | Columbus, OH (24.07) | 15 | Dayton, OH (22.60) | 15 | Fayetteville, AR (33.10) |
| 16 | Seattle, WA (23.64) | 16 | New Haven, CT (22.40) | 16 | Loretto, PA (33.09) |
| 17 | Miami, FL (22.74) | 17 | Baton Rouge, LA (22.36) | 17 | Fayette, MS (31.25) |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD (22.45) | 18 | College Station, TX (21.94) | 18 | West Lafayette, IN (31.18) |
| 19 | Memphis, TN (22.07) | 19 | Gainesville, FL (21.21) | 19 | Spartanburg, SC (30.71) |
| 20 | Milwaukee, WI (21.74) | 20 | Fargo, ND (21.04) | 20 | Champaign, IL (29.23) |
| 21 | El Paso, TX (21.62) | 21 | Lafayette, LA (20.99) | 21 | Stillwater, OK (28.59) |
| 22 | San Diego, CA (21.60) | 22 | Murfreesboro, TN (20.97) | 22 | Cheney, WA (28.38) |
| 23 | San Francisco, CA (21.00) | 23 | Norfolk, VA (20.77) | 23 | Lewiston, NY (28.34) |
| 24 | Pittsburgh, PA (20.90) | 24 | Newark, NJ (19.99) | 24 | Rosemont, IL (27.55) |
| 25 | Phoenix, AZ (20.44) | 25 | Boulder, CO (19.88) | 25 | Princeton, NJ (27.46) |
| 26 | Chicago, IL (20.09) | 26 | Wilmington, NC (19.60) | 26 | Buies Creek, NC (27.22) |
| 27 | Arlington, TX (19.82) | 27 | Fort Collins, CO (19.44) | 27 | Murray, KY (25.65) |
| 28 | Indianapolis, IN (19.52) | 28 | Boise, ID (19.17) | 28 | Allegany, NY (25.56) |
| 29 | Wichita, KS (19.21) | 29 | Irvine, CA (19.07) | 29 | Emmitsburg, MD (25.48) |
| 30 | Austin, TX (19.14) | 30 | Buffalo, NY (18.94) | 30 | Oxford, MS (25.09) |
| 31 | Raleigh, NC (19.06) | 31 | High Point, NC (18.78) | 31 | Stanford, CA (24.50) |
| 32 | Atlanta, GA (18.85) | 32 | Charleston, SC (18.50) | 32 | Orangeburg, SC (24.30) |
| 33 | San Antonio, TX (18.82) | 33 | Greensboro, NC (18.49) | 33 | Huntsville, TX (24.18) |
| 34 | Jacksonville, FL (18.64) | 34 | Lubbock, TX (18.31) | 34 | Lewisburg, PA (23.51) |
| 35 | Detroit, MI (18.44) | 35 | Las Cruces, NM (18.26) | 35 | Ruston, LA (23.36) |
| 36 | Fresno, CA (18.35) | 36 | Toledo, OH (18.25) | 36 | Nacogdoches, TX (23.05) |
| 37 | Bakersfield, CA (18.18) | 37 | Reno, NV (18.20) | 37 | Troy, AL (22.83) |
| 38 | Corpus Christi, TX (17.87) | 38 | Evansville, IN (18.08) | 38 | Davidson, NC (22.68) |
| 39 | Sacramento, CA (17.23) | 39 | Berkeley, CA (18.06) | 39 | Pullman, WA (22.62) |
| 40 | Portland, OR (17.22) | 40 | Birmingham, AL (17.86) | 40 | Ogden, UT (22.10) |
| 41 | New Orleans, LA (16.98) | 41 | Cambridge, MA (17.59) | 41 | Moraga, CA (22.05) |
| 42 | Las Vegas, NV (16.91) | 42 | Richmond, VA (17.57) | 42 | Princess Anne, MD (22.03) |
| 43 | Albuquerque, NM (16.75) | 43 | Green Bay, WI (17.56) | 43 | Clemson, SC (22.03) |
| 44 | Honolulu, HI (15.75) | 44 | Macon, GA (17.43) | 44 | Valparaiso, IN (22.00) |
| 45 | Denver, CO (15.67) | 45 | Little Rock, AR (17.43) | 45 | Albany, NY (21.96) |
| 46 | Kansas City, MO (15.50) | 46 | Tempe, AZ (17.36) | 46 | Amherst, MA (21.40) |
| 47 | Cleveland, OH (14.69) | 47 | Athens, GA (17.33) | 47 | Athens, OH (21.38) |
| 48 | Fort Worth, TX (14.67) | 48 | Lincoln, NE (17.13) | 48 | Durham, NH (21.37) |
| 49 | Charlotte, NC (13.90) | 49 | Fort Wayne, IN (17.06) | 49 | Williamsburg, VA (21.12) |
| 50 | St. Louis, MO (13.06) | 50 | Hampton, VA (16.94) | 50 | Highland Heights, KY (21.04) |
| 51 | Stockton, CA (12.57) | 51 | Clarksville, TN (16.83) | 51 | Long Branch, NJ (20.98) |
| 52 | Minneapolis, MN (12.51) | 52 | Waco, TX (16.76) | 52 | Cedar Falls, IA (20.95) |
| 53 | San Jose, CA (12.26) | 53 | Worcester, MA (16.36) | 53 | Stony Brook, NY (20.86) |
| 54 | Tampa, FL (11.69) | 54 | Abilene, TX (16.36) | 54 | Boiling Springs, NC (20.79) |
| 55 | Colorado Springs, CO (9.77) | 55 | Mobile, AL (16.18) | 55 | Normal, IL (20.73) |
| 56 | Riverside, CA (8.70) | 56 | North Charleston, SC (16.11) | 56 | Hamilton, NY (20.65) |
| 57 | Springfield, MO (16.06) | 57 | Mount Pleasant, MI (20.44) | ||
| 58 | Lowell, MA (15.94) | 58 | Kent, OH (20.42) | ||
| 59 | Beaumont, TX (15.93) | 59 | Rock Hill, SC (20.25) | ||
| 60 | Orlando, FL (15.84) | 60 | Evanston, IL (20.20) | ||
| 61 | Knoxville, TN (15.50) | 61 | Conway, SC (20.12) | ||
| 61 | Winston-Salem, NC (15.50) | 62 | Johnson City, TN (20.11) | ||
| 63 | Denton, TX (15.14) | 63 | Richmond, KY (20.06) | ||
| 64 | Chattanooga, TN (14.82) | 64 | Bowling Green, KY (19.86) | ||
| 65 | Hartford, CT (14.26) | 65 | Brookings, SD (19.85) | ||
| 66 | Tallahassee, FL (14.15) | 66 | Fairfield, CT (19.67) | ||
| 67 | Columbia, MO (14.11) | 67 | New Rochelle, NY (19.61) | ||
| 68 | Peoria, IL (13.22) | 68 | Starkville, MS (19.32) | ||
| 69 | Fullerton, CA (13.08) | 69 | Laramie, WY (19.32) | ||
| 70 | Des Moines, IA (12.50) | 70 | State College, PA (19.07) | ||
| 71 | Huntsville, AL (12.04) | 71 | Fort Myers, FL (19.04) | ||
| 72 | Jersey City, NJ (11.99) | 72 | Lexington, VA (19.02) | ||
| 73 | Savannah, GA (11.67) | 73 | Martin, TN (18.79) | ||
| 74 | Jackson, MS (11.45) | 74 | Ypsilanti, MI (18.77) | ||
| 75 | Montgomery, AL (11.33) | 75 | Easton, PA (18.63) | ||
| 76 | Santa Clara, CA (11.05) | 76 | Tuscaloosa, AL (18.50) | ||
| 77 | Morehead, KY (18.44) | ||||
| 78 | DeKalb, IL (18.44) | ||||
| 79 | Corvallis, OR (18.38) | ||||
| 80 | Harrisonburg, VA (18.32) | ||||
| 81 | Rochester Hills, MI (18.26) | ||||
| 82 | Terre Haute, IN (18.20) | ||||
| 83 | Davis, CA (18.19) | ||||
| 84 | Asheville, NC (18.12) | ||||
| 85 | Vermillion, SD (18.02) | ||||
| 86 | Statesboro, GA (17.90) | ||||
| 87 | Farmville, VA (17.74) | ||||
| 88 | Grand Forks, ND (17.73) | ||||
| 89 | Annapolis, MD (17.65) | ||||
| 90 | Logan, UT (17.64) | ||||
| 91 | Elon, NC (17.62) | ||||
| 92 | Boone, NC (17.48) | ||||
| 93 | Natchitoches, LA (17.41) | ||||
| 93 | Carbondale, IL (17.41) | ||||
| 95 | Charleston, IL (17.31) | ||||
| 96 | Monroe, LA (17.31) | ||||
| 97 | San Marcos, TX (17.25) | ||||
| 98 | Hempstead, NY (17.09) | ||||
| 99 | Santa Barbara, CA (17.01) | ||||
| 100 | Muncie, IN (16.94) | ||||
| 101 | Towson, MD (16.91) | ||||
| 102 | Manhattan, KS (16.89) | ||||
| 103 | Greenville, SC (16.82) | ||||
| 104 | Auburn, AL (16.71) | ||||
| 105 | Blacksburg, VA (16.69) | ||||
| 106 | Bowling Green, OH (16.61) | ||||
| 107 | Huntington, WV (16.59) | ||||
| 108 | Oxford, OH (16.47) | ||||
| 109 | Trenton, NJ (16.43) | ||||
| 110 | Ithaca, NY (16.34) | ||||
| 111 | Hammond, LA (16.17) | ||||
| 112 | Hanover, NH (15.90) | ||||
| 113 | Thibodaux, LA (15.74) | ||||
| 114 | Orem, UT (15.54) | ||||
| 115 | Greenville, NC (15.48) | ||||
| 116 | Cape Girardeau, MO (15.40) | ||||
| 117 | San Luis Obispo, CA (15.38) | ||||
| 118 | Burlington, VT (15.20) | ||||
| 119 | Bozeman, MT (15.16) | ||||
| 120 | Kennesaw, GA (15.14) | ||||
| 121 | Edwardsville, IL (14.92) | ||||
| 122 | Pine Bluff, AR (14.89) | ||||
| 123 | Youngstown, OH (14.85) | ||||
| 124 | Dover, DE (14.75) | ||||
| 125 | Macomb, IL (14.66) | ||||
| 126 | Lake Charles, LA (14.61) | ||||
| 127 | Orono, ME (14.38) | ||||
| 128 | Newark, DE (14.38) | ||||
| 129 | Grambling, LA (14.21) | ||||
| 130 | Greeley, CO (14.09) | ||||
| 131 | Moscow, ID (13.96) | ||||
| 132 | Flagstaff, AZ (13.93) | ||||
| 133 | DeLand, FL (13.93) | ||||
| 134 | Missoula, MT (13.82) | ||||
| 135 | Poughkeepsie, NY (13.68) | ||||
| 136 | Boca Raton, FL (13.50) | ||||
| 137 | Bethlehem, PA (13.47) | ||||
| 138 | Radford, VA (13.45) | ||||
| 139 | Prairie View, TX (12.90) | ||||
| 140 | New Brunswick, NJ (12.84) | ||||
| 141 | Kalamazoo, MI (12.66) | ||||
| 142 | Hattiesburg, MS (12.65) | ||||
| 143 | Binghamton, NY (12.39) | ||||
| 144 | Cedar City, UT (12.25) | ||||
| 145 | Malibu, CA (12.20) | ||||
| 146 | Edinburg, TX (11.43) | ||||
| 147 | Conway, AR (11.37) | ||||
| 148 | Cookeville, TN (11.03) | ||||
| 149 | Jacksonville, AL (10.85) | ||||
| 150 | Fairfax, VA (10.59) | ||||
| 151 | Jonesboro, AR (10.52) | ||||
| 152 | Lynchburg, VA (10.37) | ||||
| 153 | Hackensack, NJ (8.75) | ||||
| 154 | Pocatello, ID (8.67) | ||||
| 155 | Clinton, SC (8.56) | ||||
| 156 | Daytona Beach, FL (8.18) | ||||
| 157 | New Britain, CT (6.19) |
For more input on what makes for a great college basketball city and how residents can ramp up their fandom without spending too much, we asked the following questions to a panel of leading industry experts. You can check out their bios and responses below.
- What, in your mind, makes a good college basketball fan?
- What do you think is the best city for college basketball fans and why?
- Do you have any tips for how basketball fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank?
Brendan Dwyer Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Director of Research & Distance Learning, Center for Sport Leadership, School of Business, Virginia Commonwealth University
Perry Lowe Marketing Professor and Founder of the Corporate Immersion Institute at Bentley University
Brendan Dwyer Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Director of Research & Distance Learning, Center for Sport Leadership, School of Business, Virginia Commonwealth University
Perry Lowe Marketing Professor and Founder of the Corporate Immersion Institute at Bentley UniversityIn order to identify the best and worst cities for college basketball fans, WalletHub compared the 289 U.S. cities with at least one college (Division 1) team using nine 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 college basketball fans.
We determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. Cities were also ranked based on population size, using the following groupings:
- Large Cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize Cities: 100,000 to 300,000 people
- Small Cities: Fewer than 100,000 people
NCAA Basketball
- Number of College Basketball (Division 1) Teams: Full Weight (~14.29 Points)
- Performance Level of College Basketball (Division 1) Team(s): Full Weight (~14.29 Points)Note: This metric was calculated by dividing “Number of Wins” by “Total Games Played” and using the past three seasons’ averages.
- Number of Basketball (Division 1) Championship Wins: Full Weight (~14.29 Points)
- Number of College Basketball (Division 1) Regular Season Championship Wins: Half Weight (~7.14 Points)
- Number of National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Full Weight (~14.29 Points)
- Minimum College Basketball (Division 1) Season Ticket Price: Half Weight (~7.14 Points)
- College-Basketball Fans Engagement: Sesqui-Weight (~21.43 Points)Note: This metric was calculated by adding “Number of Twitter Followers” and “Number of Facebook ‘Likes’ per Capita.”
- Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons: Quarter Weight (~3.57 Points)Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2008–2009 to 2017–2018.
- College-Basketball Stadium Capacity: Quarter Weight (~3.57 Points)Note: This metric was calculated by dividing “Stadium Capacity” by “City Population.”
Sources: Data used to create these rankings were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, ESPN, NCAA.org and each team’s website.
Image: Alex Kravtsov / Shutterstock.com
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