While the COVID-19 pandemic will drastically limit in-person attendance at college basketball games this year, fans across the U.S. are still gearing up to watch March Madness on television. College basketball is a big deal in the U.S., and depending on where you live, it may have even more draw than the professional level does. For example, the most profitable team, the Kentucky Wildcats, has a three-year average revenue of $56 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 2021’s top spots for NCAA hoops, WalletHub crunched the numbers on more than 290 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. 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 Findings
Best College Basketball Cities
| Overall Rank (1=Best) | City | Total Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham, NC | 58.52 |
| 2 | Lexington, KY | 55.48 |
| 3 | East Lansing, MI | 54.29 |
| 4 | Lawrence, KS | 53.82 |
| 5 | Storrs, CT | 53.19 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | 52.68 |
| 7 | Chapel Hill, NC | 51.98 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | 48.39 |
| 9 | Fayette, MS | 45.99 |
| 10 | Kingston, RI | 43.89 |
| 11 | College Park, MD | 43.38 |
| 12 | Washington, DC | 43.02 |
| 13 | Bloomington, IN | 42.48 |
| 14 | West Point, NY | 41.9 |
| 15 | Boston, MA | 41.5 |
| 16 | Loretto, PA | 40.75 |
| 17 | New York, NY | 40.35 |
| 18 | Morgantown, WV | 40.17 |
| 19 | Charlottesville, VA | 39.52 |
| 20 | Fayetteville, AR | 39.4 |
| 21 | Norman, OK | 38.04 |
| 22 | Lewiston, NY | 37.94 |
| 23 | Ann Arbor, MI | 37.86 |
| 24 | Stillwater, OK | 36.75 |
| 25 | Buies Creek, NC | 36.21 |
| 26 | Murray, KY | 34.92 |
| 27 | Salt Lake City, UT | 34.63 |
| 28 | Hamilton, NY | 34.59 |
| 29 | Itta Bena, MS | 34.46 |
| 30 | Ames, IA | 34.27 |
Ranking by City Size
| Rank (1=Best) |
Large City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Midsize City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Small City (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lexington, KY (55.48) | 1 | Durham, NC (58.52) | 1 | East Lansing, MI (54.29) |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA (52.68) | 2 | Norman, OK (38.04) | 2 | Lawrence, KS (53.82) |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA (48.39) | 3 | Ann Arbor, MI (37.86) | 3 | Storrs, CT (53.19) |
| 4 | Washington, DC (43.02) | 4 | Salt Lake City, UT (34.63) | 4 | Chapel Hill, NC (51.98) |
| 5 | Boston, MA (41.50) | 5 | South Bend, IN (33.49) | 5 | Fayette, MS (45.99) |
| 6 | New York, NY (40.35) | 6 | Provo, UT (31.38) | 6 | Kingston, RI (43.89) |
| 7 | Omaha, NE (32.55) | 7 | Syracuse, NY (30.12) | 7 | College Park, MD (43.38) |
| 8 | Houston, TX (32.33) | 8 | Providence, RI (29.02) | 8 | Bloomington, IN (42.48) |
| 9 | Tulsa, OK (31.79) | 9 | Dayton, OH (28.99) | 9 | West Point, NY (41.90) |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH (31.78) | 10 | Knoxville, TN (28.52) | 10 | Loretto, PA (40.75) |
| 11 | Louisville, KY (30.81) | 11 | Eugene, OR (28.32) | 11 | Morgantown, WV (40.17) |
| 12 | Nashville, TN (28.62) | 12 | Columbia, SC (28.25) | 12 | Charlottesville, VA (39.52) |
| 13 | Chicago, IL (28.57) | 13 | Spokane, WA (27.98) | 13 | Fayetteville, AR (39.40) |
| 14 | Long Beach, CA (28.46) | 14 | Toledo, OH (27.27) | 14 | Lewiston, NY (37.94) |
| 15 | Memphis, TN (27.76) | 15 | Baton Rouge, LA (26.43) | 15 | Stillwater, OK (36.75) |
| 16 | San Francisco, CA (27.19) | 16 | Lafayette, LA (26.33) | 16 | Buies Creek, NC (36.21) |
| 17 | San Diego, CA (27.00) | 17 | Abilene, TX (26.21) | 17 | Murray, KY (34.92) |
| 18 | Miami, FL (26.89) | 18 | Tallahassee, FL (26.18) | 18 | Hamilton, NY (34.59) |
| 19 | Seattle, WA (26.78) | 19 | Irvine, CA (26.16) | 19 | Itta Bena, MS (34.46) |
| 20 | Pittsburgh, PA (25.42) | 20 | Boulder, CO (25.84) | 20 | Ames, IA (34.27) |
| 21 | Dallas, TX (25.41) | 21 | Tempe, AZ (25.58) | 21 | Iowa City, IA (33.50) |
| 22 | Austin, TX (25.37) | 22 | College Station, TX (25.43) | 22 | Clemson, SC (32.70) |
| 23 | Baltimore, MD (25.37) | 23 | Greensboro, NC (25.42) | 23 | Champaign, IL (31.58) |
| 24 | Milwaukee, WI (25.22) | 24 | New Haven, CT (25.20) | 24 | West Lafayette, IN (31.12) |
| 25 | Columbus, OH (25.13) | 25 | Akron, OH (24.92) | 25 | Spartanburg, SC (30.68) |
| 26 | New Orleans, LA (24.18) | 26 | Lubbock, TX (24.91) | 26 | Princeton, NJ (30.27) |
| 27 | Phoenix, AZ (23.27) | 27 | Columbia, MO (24.82) | 27 | Highland Heights, KY (30.07) |
| 28 | Jacksonville, FL (23.26) | 28 | Waco, TX (24.60) | 28 | Radford, VA (29.82) |
| 29 | St. Louis, MO (22.93) | 29 | Beaumont, TX (24.51) | 29 | Huntsville, TX (29.67) |
| 30 | Raleigh, NC (22.89) | 30 | Hartford, CT (24.12) | 30 | Boiling Springs, NC (29.19) |
| 31 | Sacramento, CA (22.85) | 31 | Newark, NJ (23.87) | 31 | Lewisburg, PA (28.77) |
| 32 | Tucson, AZ (22.75) | 32 | Orlando, FL (23.86) | 32 | Cheney, WA (28.76) |
| 33 | San Antonio, TX (22.55) | 33 | Lowell, MA (23.81) | 33 | Thibodaux, LA (28.62) |
| 34 | Corpus Christi, TX (22.44) | 34 | Clarksville, TN (23.80) | 34 | Troy, AL (28.52) |
| 35 | Atlanta, GA (22.42) | 35 | Peoria, IL (23.75) | 35 | Cullowhee, NC (28.41) |
| 36 | Arlington, TX (22.40) | 36 | Jackson, MS (23.47) | 36 | Olean, NY (28.39) |
| 37 | El Paso, TX (22.28) | 37 | Boise, ID (23.34) | 37 | Kent, OH (28.32) |
| 38 | Fresno, CA (21.81) | 38 | Denton, TX (23.28) | 38 | Ruston, LA (28.09) |
| 39 | Portland, OR (21.74) | 39 | Gainesville, FL (23.27) | 39 | Ogden, UT (28.06) |
| 40 | Las Vegas, NV (21.66) | 40 | Lincoln, NE (23.18) | 40 | Nacogdoches, TX (28.04) |
| 41 | Bakersfield, CA (21.54) | 41 | Buffalo, NY (23.16) | 41 | Emmitsburg, MD (27.57) |
| 42 | Riverside, CA (20.87) | 42 | Norfolk, VA (23.13) | 42 | Pullman, WA (27.23) |
| 43 | Stockton, CA (20.72) | 43 | Hampton, VA (23.11) | 43 | Stanford, CA (27.16) |
| 44 | Tampa, FL (19.98) | 44 | Charleston, SC (22.94) | 44 | Cedar Falls, IA (27.13) |
| 45 | Detroit, MI (19.79) | 45 | Greeley, CO (22.74) | 45 | Grambling, LA (26.93) |
| 46 | Indianapolis, IN (19.69) | 46 | Jersey City, NJ (22.55) | 46 | Lynchburg, VA (26.93) |
| 47 | Colorado Springs, CO (19.04) | 47 | High Point, NC (22.47) | 47 | Prairie View, TX (26.85) |
| 48 | Kansas City, MO (18.83) | 48 | Little Rock, AR (22.34) | 48 | Davidson, NC (26.70) |
| 49 | Denver, CO (18.75) | 49 | Mobile, AL (22.07) | 49 | New Rochelle, NY (26.68) |
| 50 | Albuquerque, NM (18.54) | 50 | North Charleston, SC (22.06) | 50 | Easton, PA (26.67) |
| 51 | Minneapolis, MN (17.65) | 51 | Fort Wayne, IN (21.57) | 51 | Orangeburg, SC (26.59) |
| 52 | Charlotte, NC (17.63) | 52 | Green Bay, WI (21.31) | 52 | Starkville, MS (26.50) |
| 52 | Cleveland, OH (17.63) | 53 | Fargo, ND (21.04) | 53 | Ypsilanti, MI (26.45) |
| 54 | Honolulu, HI (16.47) | 54 | Murfreesboro, TN (21.00) | 54 | Carbondale, IL (26.41) |
| 55 | Fort Worth, TX (16.17) | 55 | Des Moines, IA (20.92) | 55 | Terre Haute, IN (26.35) |
| 56 | San Jose, CA (15.90) | 56 | Worcester, MA (20.68) | 56 | Lexington, VA (26.32) |
| Info | Info | 57 | Madison, WI (20.61) | 57 | Mount Pleasant, MI (26.00) |
| Info | Info | 58 | Chattanooga, TN (20.36) | 58 | Brookings, SD (25.70) |
| Info | Info | 59 | Macon, GA (20.29) | 59 | North Andover, MA (25.66) |
| Info | Info | 60 | Cambridge, MA (19.97) | 60 | Jacksonville, AL (25.62) |
| Info | Info | 61 | Springfield, MO (19.96) | 61 | Hanover, NH (25.54) |
| Info | Info | 62 | Birmingham, AL (19.10) | 62 | Williamsburg, VA (25.49) |
| Info | Info | 63 | Winston-Salem, NC (18.97) | 63 | Durham, NH (25.48) |
| Info | Info | 64 | Fort Collins, CO (18.75) | 64 | Athens, OH (25.44) |
| Info | Info | 65 | Reno, NV (18.19) | 65 | DeKalb, IL (25.40) |
| Info | Info | 66 | Las Cruces, NM (18.06) | 66 | Corvallis, OR (25.33) |
| Info | Info | 67 | Athens, GA (17.33) | 67 | Huntington, WV (25.20) |
| Info | Info | 68 | Fullerton, CA (17.21) | 68 | State College, PA (25.18) |
| Info | Info | 69 | Richmond, VA (16.85) | 69 | Ithaca, NY (25.16) |
| Info | Info | 70 | Huntsville, AL (15.45) | 70 | Logan, UT (25.10) |
| Info | Info | 71 | Santa Clara, CA (12.33) | 71 | Annapolis, MD (25.04) |
| Info | Info | 72 | Evansville, IN (11.83) | 72 | Bowling Green, KY (24.96) |
| Info | Info | 73 | Wilmington, NC (11.77) | 73 | Albany, NY (24.91) |
| Info | Info | 74 | Berkeley, CA (11.42) | 74 | Johnson City, TN (24.82) |
| Info | Info | 75 | Montgomery, AL (10.64) | 75 | Laramie, WY (24.76) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 76 | Burlington, VT (24.73) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 77 | Morehead, KY (24.64) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 78 | Amherst, MA (24.54) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 79 | Greenville, SC (24.35) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 80 | Farmville, VA (24.29) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 81 | Rock Hill, SC (24.22) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 82 | Hempstead, NY (24.21) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 83 | Santa Barbara, CA (24.15) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 84 | Davis, CA (23.91) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 85 | Statesboro, GA (23.82) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 86 | Orem, UT (23.72) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 87 | Bowling Green, OH (23.66) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 88 | Long Branch, NJ (23.65) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 89 | Florence, AL (23.63) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 89 | Charleston, IL (23.63) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 91 | Trenton, NJ (23.57) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 92 | Princess Anne, MD (23.55) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 93 | Boone, NC (23.52) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 94 | Towson, MD (23.39) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 95 | Hammond, LA (23.32) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 96 | Fairfax, VA (23.31) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 97 | Richmond, KY (23.28) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 98 | Natchitoches, LA (23.26) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 99 | Muncie, IN (23.21) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 100 | Rochester Hills, MI (23.20) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 101 | Normal, IL (23.19) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 102 | Fairfield, CT (23.18) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 103 | Stony Brook, NY (23.13) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 104 | Monroe, LA (22.97) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 105 | Moraga, CA (22.94) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 106 | Oxford, MS (22.81) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 107 | San Marcos, TX (22.76) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 108 | Valparaiso, IN (22.54) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 109 | Pine Bluff, AR (22.49) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 110 | Newark, DE (22.36) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 111 | Conway, SC (22.28) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 112 | Elon, NC (21.74) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 113 | Cookeville, TN (21.43) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 114 | Tuscaloosa, AL (21.34) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 115 | Lake Charles, LA (21.30) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 116 | Clinton, SC (21.25) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 117 | Cedar City, UT (21.14) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 118 | Oxford, OH (20.79) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 119 | Cape Girardeau, MO (20.73) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 120 | Auburn, AL (20.52) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 121 | DeLand, FL (20.31) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 122 | Harrisonburg, VA (20.27) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 123 | Moscow, ID (20.16) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 124 | Bozeman, MT (20.10) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 125 | Edinburg, TX (20.07) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 126 | Martin, TN (20.05) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 127 | Edwardsville, IL (20.04) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 128 | Missoula, MT (19.67) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 129 | Jonesboro, AR (19.62) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 130 | Greenville, NC (19.52) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 131 | San Luis Obispo, CA (19.40) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 132 | Blacksburg, VA (19.37) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 133 | Macomb, IL (19.36) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 134 | Flagstaff, AZ (19.34) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 135 | Youngstown, OH (19.33) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 136 | Hattiesburg, MS (19.33) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 137 | Fort Myers, FL (19.29) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 138 | Kalamazoo, MI (19.27) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 139 | Grand Forks, ND (19.19) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 140 | Asheville, NC (19.19) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 141 | Boca Raton, FL (19.17) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 142 | Binghamton, NY (18.85) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 143 | Orono, ME (18.69) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 144 | Hackensack, NJ (18.65) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 145 | Vermillion, SD (18.62) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 146 | Manhattan, KS (18.60) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 147 | Conway, AR (18.58) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 148 | Poughkeepsie, NY (17.49) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 149 | Kennesaw, GA (17.01) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 150 | Malibu, CA (16.82) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 151 | New Brunswick, NJ (16.45) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 152 | Evanston, IL (15.82) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 153 | Bethlehem, PA (15.75) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 154 | Dover, DE (14.89) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 155 | Daytona Beach, FL (13.87) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 156 | New Britain, CT (10.65) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 157 | Pocatello, ID (10.30) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 158 | St. George, UT (8.73) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 159 | Stephenville, TX (8.09) |
Ask the Experts
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?
- In your opinion, what will be the financial toll of the pandemic on the basketball industry?
Ask the Experts
- Cory Hillman
Ph.D. – Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, College of Arts and Sciences – Ashland University
Read More
- Jay Gilmore
M.A. – Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Strategic Media – University of Memphis
Read More
- Micah J. Natale
Ed. D – Chairperson of the Sport Management Department, Ledbetter College of Business – Shorter University
Read More
- Alan Zaremba
Ph.D. – Department of Communication Studies – Northeastern University; Author of The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas
Read More
- Matt Fine
Associate Professor of Practice, Klein College of Media and Communication, Department of Media Studies and Production – Temple University
Read More
Methodology
In order to identify the best and worst cities for college basketball fans, WalletHub compared the 291 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
Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NCAA schedule for the 2019-2020 season, for some metrics we considered the values up to the 2018-2019 season. This helps to ensure a level comparison field among the teams.
NCAA Basketball
- Number of College Basketball (Division 1) Teams: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)
- Performance Level of College Basketball (Division 1) Team(s): Full Weight (~12.50 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 (~12.50 Points)
- Number of College Basketball (Division 1) Conference Regular Season Championship Wins: Half Weight (~6.25 Points)
- Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)
- Minimum Season Ticket Price for a College Basketball (Division 1) Game: Full Weight (~12.50 Points)
- College-Basketball Fans Engagement: Sesqui-Weight (~18.75 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: Half Weight (~6.25 Points)
Note: “Past 10 Seasons” include seasons 2010–2012 to 2020–2021. - College-Basketball Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~6.25 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, Sports Reference, NCAA.org, each team’s website and social media accounts.