For many people, football is far more than just a game: it’s a sacred American tradition. These fans aren’t just spectators but are also participants. They do more than just proudly wear a team’s jersey, perfect game-day chili or tailgate with fellow fans. They show their passion by roaring in approval when their team scores a touchdown or crying out in disappointment when they fumble their way to failure. Football is by far Americans’ favorite sport to watch, with more popularity than basketball, baseball and soccer combined. In fact, 62% of Americans consider themselves either a fan or “somewhat” of a fan of professional football, and 54% say the same for college football.
Certain cities provide a better football experience than others, though. With Super Bowl LVII 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 the number of NFL and college football teams to stadium capacity to fan engagement.