While college basketball games may experience smaller crowds this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 Louisville Cardinals, has a yearly revenue of nearly $48.6 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 2022’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. 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 | 57.63 |
| 2 | Storrs, CT | 55.65 |
| 3 | Lexington, KY | 54.14 |
| 4 | Lawrence, KS | 53.42 |
| 5 | Los Angeles, CA | 53.31 |
| 6 | East Lansing, MI | 52.95 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | 51.11 |
| 8 | Chapel Hill, NC | 50.07 |
| 9 | Fayette, MS | 45.87 |
| 10 | Kingston, RI | 44.16 |
| 11 | College Park, MD | 43.19 |
| 12 | Loretto, PA | 43.02 |
| 13 | West Point, NY | 42.48 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | 42.1 |
| 15 | New York, NY | 41.55 |
| 16 | Boston, MA | 41.28 |
| 17 | Fayetteville, AR | 40.81 |
| 18 | Bloomington, IN | 40.62 |
| 19 | Morgantown, WV | 39.97 |
| 20 | Charlottesville, VA | 39.03 |
| 21 | Ann Arbor, MI | 38.43 |
| 22 | Lewiston, NY | 38.11 |
| 23 | Buies Creek, NC | 37.26 |
| 24 | Norman, OK | 36.74 |
| 25 | Hamilton, NY | 36.64 |
| 26 | Stillwater, OK | 36.14 |
| 27 | Itta Bena, MS | 36.13 |
| 28 | Champaign, IL | 35.26 |
| 29 | Iowa City, IA | 35.11 |
| 30 | Grambling, LA | 34.25 |
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 (54.14) | 1 | Durham, NC (57.63) | 1 | Storrs, CT (55.65) |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA (53.31) | 2 | Ann Arbor, MI (38.43) | 2 | Lawrence, KS (53.42) |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA (51.11) | 3 | Norman, OK (36.74) | 3 | East Lansing, MI (52.95) |
| 4 | Washington, DC (42.10) | 4 | South Bend, IN (32.70) | 4 | Chapel Hill, NC (50.07) |
| 5 | New York, NY (41.55) | 5 | Salt Lake City, UT (32.34) | 5 | Fayette, MS (45.87) |
| 6 | Boston, MA (41.28) | 6 | Provo, UT (31.67) | 6 | Kingston, RI (44.16) |
| 7 | Houston, TX (33.44) | 7 | Providence, RI (30.53) | 7 | College Park, MD (43.19) |
| 8 | Tulsa, OK (32.94) | 8 | Syracuse, NY (30.34) | 8 | Loretto, PA (43.02) |
| 9 | Omaha, NE (32.54) | 9 | Dayton, OH (29.64) | 9 | West Point, NY (42.48) |
| 10 | Louisville, KY (30.77) | 10 | Eugene, OR (28.99) | 10 | Fayetteville, AR (40.81) |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH (29.94) | 11 | Spokane, WA (28.93) | 11 | Bloomington, IN (40.62) |
| 12 | Nashville, TN (28.80) | 12 | Columbia, SC (28.92) | 12 | Morgantown, WV (39.97) |
| 13 | Memphis, TN (28.19) | 13 | Knoxville, TN (28.38) | 13 | Charlottesville, VA (39.03) |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD (28.08) | 14 | Waco, TX (27.75) | 14 | Lewiston, NY (38.11) |
| 15 | Long Beach, CA (27.96) | 15 | Baton Rouge, LA (27.54) | 15 | Buies Creek, NC (37.26) |
| 16 | Dallas, TX (27.52) | 16 | Toledo, OH (27.45) | 16 | Hamilton, NY (36.64) |
| 17 | Chicago, IL (27.19) | 17 | Tallahassee, FL (26.78) | 17 | Stillwater, OK (36.14) |
| 18 | Miami, FL (26.83) | 18 | Boulder, CO (26.69) | 18 | Itta Bena, MS (36.13) |
| 19 | San Francisco, CA (26.68) | 19 | Greensboro, NC (26.24) | 19 | Champaign, IL (35.26) |
| 20 | Pittsburgh, PA (25.86) | 20 | Abilene, TX (26.09) | 20 | Iowa City, IA (35.11) |
| 21 | San Diego, CA (25.40) | 21 | Akron, OH (25.83) | 21 | Grambling, LA (34.25) |
| 22 | St. Louis, MO (25.14) | 22 | New Haven, CT (25.81) | 22 | Murray, KY (33.90) |
| 23 | Seattle, WA (24.99) | 23 | Lafayette, LA (25.77) | 23 | Clemson, SC (32.98) |
| 24 | Columbus, OH (24.94) | 24 | Denton, TX (25.41) | 24 | Jacksonville, AL (32.60) |
| 25 | Austin, TX (24.45) | 25 | Irvine, CA (25.24) | 25 | Ames, IA (31.36) |
| 26 | New Orleans, LA (24.00) | 26 | Columbia, MO (24.94) | 26 | West Lafayette, IN (30.99) |
| 27 | Phoenix, AZ (23.66) | 27 | Tempe, AZ (24.84) | 27 | Princeton, NJ (30.73) |
| 28 | Sacramento, CA (23.61) | 28 | College Station, TX (24.75) | 28 | Spartanburg, SC (30.67) |
| 29 | Milwaukee, WI (23.37) | 29 | Jackson, MS (24.72) | 29 | Emmitsburg, MD (29.88) |
| 30 | Atlanta, GA (23.18) | 30 | Lubbock, TX (24.57) | 30 | Boiling Springs, NC (29.83) |
| 31 | San Antonio, TX (23.18) | 31 | Norfolk, VA (24.47) | 31 | Ruston, LA (29.46) |
| 32 | Raleigh, NC (22.57) | 32 | Mobile, AL (24.35) | 32 | Thibodaux, LA (29.32) |
| 33 | Jacksonville, FL (22.34) | 33 | Hartford, CT (24.34) | 33 | Highland Heights, KY (29.27) |
| 34 | Bakersfield, CA (22.28) | 34 | Lowell, MA (24.15) | 34 | Huntsville, TX (29.25) |
| 35 | Riverside, CA (21.54) | 35 | Buffalo, NY (23.53) | 35 | Kent, OH (29.04) |
| 36 | El Paso, TX (21.33) | 36 | Newark, NJ (23.43) | 36 | Olean, NY (28.89) |
| 37 | Fresno, CA (21.16) | 37 | Orlando, FL (23.39) | 37 | Morehead, KY (28.77) |
| 38 | Detroit, MI (21.03) | 38 | Gainesville, FL (23.33) | 38 | Prairie View, TX (28.62) |
| 39 | Tucson, AZ (20.70) | 39 | Little Rock, AR (23.20) | 39 | Ogden, UT (28.49) |
| 40 | Tampa, FL (20.39) | 40 | Boise, ID (23.19) | 40 | Athens, OH (28.47) |
| 41 | Arlington, TX (20.35) | 41 | Lincoln, NE (23.13) | 41 | Troy, AL (28.30) |
| 42 | Corpus Christi, TX (20.18) | 42 | Peoria, IL (23.03) | 42 | Starkville, MS (28.25) |
| 43 | Colorado Springs, CO (19.82) | 43 | Charleston, SC (22.76) | 43 | Cheney, WA (28.00) |
| 44 | Portland, OR (19.75) | 44 | Des Moines, IA (22.37) | 44 | Conway, SC (27.97) |
| 45 | Kansas City, MO (19.44) | 45 | Clarksville, TN (22.18) | 45 | Nacogdoches, TX (27.94) |
| 46 | Indianapolis, IN (19.44) | 46 | High Point, NC (22.12) | 46 | Easton, PA (27.91) |
| 47 | Las Vegas, NV (19.43) | 47 | Beaumont, TX (22.07) | 47 | Pullman, WA (27.90) |
| 48 | Stockton, CA (19.43) | 48 | Greeley, CO (22.00) | 48 | Lewisburg, PA (27.75) |
| 49 | Cleveland, OH (19.25) | 49 | Chattanooga, TN (22.00) | 49 | Lexington, VA (27.69) |
| 50 | Charlotte, NC (18.27) | 50 | Fort Collins, CO (21.89) | 50 | Lynchburg, VA (27.69) |
| 51 | Albuquerque, NM (17.36) | 51 | Fargo, ND (21.44) | 51 | Cullowhee, NC (27.59) |
| 52 | Fort Worth, TX (17.01) | 52 | Madison, WI (21.19) | 52 | Carbondale, IL (27.57) |
| 53 | Honolulu, HI (16.30) | 53 | Hampton, VA (21.15) | 53 | Stanford, CA (27.26) |
| 54 | Minneapolis, MN (16.17) | 54 | Birmingham, AL (21.04) | 54 | New Rochelle, NY (27.09) |
| 55 | Denver, CO (15.48) | 55 | Green Bay, WI (21.01) | 55 | Radford, VA (27.04) |
| 56 | Wichita, KS (15.03) | 56 | Fort Wayne, IN (20.75) | 56 | Davidson, NC (26.95) |
| 57 | San Jose, CA (14.78) | 57 | North Charleston, SC (20.66) | 57 | Bowling Green, KY (26.86) |
| 58 | St. Paul, MN (8.41) | 58 | Springfield, MO (20.65) | 58 | Durham, NH (26.50) |
| Info | Info | 59 | Macon, GA (20.56) | 59 | Hanover, NH (26.25) |
| Info | Info | 60 | Cambridge, MA (20.43) | 60 | Corvallis, OR (26.02) |
| Info | Info | 61 | Worcester, MA (20.37) | 61 | Annapolis, MD (25.93) |
| Info | Info | 62 | Murfreesboro, TN (18.76) | 62 | Rock Hill, SC (25.67) |
| Info | Info | 63 | Winston-Salem, NC (18.65) | 63 | Hempstead, NY (25.55) |
| Info | Info | 64 | Richmond, VA (17.76) | 64 | Farmville, VA (25.55) |
| Info | Info | 65 | Fullerton, CA (17.74) | 65 | Brookings, SD (25.54) |
| Info | Info | 66 | Reno, NV (17.50) | 66 | Terre Haute, IN (25.27) |
| Info | Info | 67 | Athens, GA (17.37) | 67 | Huntington, WV (25.24) |
| Info | Info | 68 | Las Cruces, NM (17.16) | 68 | Cedar Falls, IA (25.21) |
| Info | Info | 69 | Huntsville, AL (16.73) | 69 | Amherst, MA (25.20) |
| Info | Info | 70 | Santa Clara, CA (13.36) | 70 | Richmond, KY (25.09) |
| Info | Info | 71 | Jersey City, NJ (13.34) | 71 | Ithaca, NY (24.96) |
| Info | Info | 72 | Wilmington, NC (12.06) | 72 | Mount Pleasant, MI (24.91) |
| Info | Info | 73 | Berkeley, CA (11.69) | 73 | Long Branch, NJ (24.85) |
| Info | Info | 74 | Evansville, IN (11.13) | 74 | North Andover, MA (24.80) |
| Info | Info | 75 | Montgomery, AL (10.51) | 75 | Albany, NY (24.75) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 76 | Williamsburg, VA (24.74) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 77 | Cedar City, UT (24.72) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 78 | Laramie, WY (24.67) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 79 | Burlington, VT (24.47) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 80 | Florence, AL (24.44) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 81 | Boone, NC (24.43) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 82 | Logan, UT (24.42) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 83 | Natchitoches, LA (24.37) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 84 | Santa Barbara, CA (24.30) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 85 | Greenville, SC (24.16) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 86 | Oxford, MS (24.07) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 87 | San Marcos, TX (24.05) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 88 | Princess Anne, MD (23.93) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 89 | Bowling Green, OH (23.90) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 90 | Orangeburg, SC (23.83) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 91 | Ypsilanti, MI (23.79) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 92 | Normal, IL (23.68) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 93 | Charleston, IL (23.55) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 94 | Davis, CA (23.47) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 95 | Trenton, NJ (23.38) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 96 | Statesboro, GA (23.32) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 97 | Fairfield, CT (23.30) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 98 | Stony Brook, NY (23.23) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 99 | Tuscaloosa, AL (23.13) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 100 | Orem, UT (23.01) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 101 | State College, PA (22.89) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 102 | DeKalb, IL (22.87) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 103 | Oxford, OH (22.68) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 104 | Muncie, IN (22.60) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 105 | Newark, DE (22.59) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 106 | Rochester Hills, MI (22.51) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 107 | Johnson City, TN (22.41) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 108 | Elon, NC (22.35) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 109 | Fairfax, VA (22.28) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 110 | Harrisonburg, VA (22.07) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 111 | Hammond, LA (22.05) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 112 | Monroe, LA (22.05) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 113 | Moraga, CA (22.00) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 114 | Manhattan, KS (21.89) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 115 | Clinton, SC (21.52) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 116 | Flagstaff, AZ (21.42) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 117 | Blacksburg, VA (21.36) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 118 | Bozeman, MT (20.85) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 119 | Cape Girardeau, MO (20.80) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 120 | DeLand, FL (20.72) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 121 | Youngstown, OH (20.67) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 122 | Towson, MD (20.43) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 123 | Valparaiso, IN (20.38) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 124 | Edwardsville, IL (20.35) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 125 | Hattiesburg, MS (20.33) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 126 | Jonesboro, AR (20.18) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 127 | Pine Bluff, AR (20.04) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 128 | Boca Raton, FL (19.94) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 129 | Greenville, NC (19.91) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 130 | Cookeville, TN (19.88) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 131 | Lake Charles, LA (19.87) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 132 | Auburn, AL (19.80) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 133 | Martin, TN (19.29) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 134 | Poughkeepsie, NY (19.16) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 135 | Grand Forks, ND (19.10) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 136 | Macomb, IL (19.04) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 137 | Orono, ME (18.95) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 138 | San Luis Obispo, CA (18.91) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 139 | Fort Myers, FL (18.88) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 140 | Missoula, MT (18.75) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 141 | Edinburg, TX (18.62) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 142 | Hackensack, NJ (18.60) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 143 | Malibu, CA (18.47) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 144 | Binghamton, NY (18.34) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 145 | Kalamazoo, MI (18.08) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 146 | Vermillion, SD (18.07) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 147 | Conway, AR (17.36) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 148 | Moscow, ID (17.32) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 149 | New Brunswick, NJ (17.26) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 150 | Asheville, NC (17.16) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 151 | Kennesaw, GA (16.58) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 152 | Evanston, IL (15.47) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 153 | Bethlehem, PA (14.50) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 154 | Stephenville, TX (14.18) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 155 | Dover, DE (13.80) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 156 | St. George, UT (12.94) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 157 | Pocatello, ID (12.52) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 158 | Daytona Beach, FL (11.90) |
| Info | Info | Info | Info | 159 | New Britain, CT (7.97) |
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
Billy Hawkins
Ph.D. – Professor, Department of Health and Human Performance – University of Houston
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Ph.D. – Professor, Department of Health and Human Performance – University of Houston
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Robert C. Schneider
Distinguished Service Professor, Sport Management; Coordinator, Sport Management Program; Coordinator, Sport Management Study Abroad Experiences – The College at Brockport, State University of New York
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Distinguished Service Professor, Sport Management; Coordinator, Sport Management Program; Coordinator, Sport Management Study Abroad Experiences – The College at Brockport, State University of New York
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Jeff Noble
Ed.D. – Associate Professor, Undergraduate Coordinator-Department of Sport Management, Applied Learning Coordinator-Organizational Leadership Degree Program – Wichita State University
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Ed.D. – Associate Professor, Undergraduate Coordinator-Department of Sport Management, Applied Learning Coordinator-Organizational Leadership Degree Program – Wichita State University
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Meg Hancock
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Sport Administration, College of Education & Human Development – University of Louisville
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Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Sport Administration, College of Education & Human Development – University of Louisville
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Brian Hofman
Associate Professor of Sport Management, Dicke College of Business of Administration – Ohio Northern University
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Associate Professor of Sport Management, Dicke College of Business of Administration – Ohio Northern University
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Rodney Caughron
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Sport Management, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, College of Education – Northern Illinois University
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Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Sport Management, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, College of Education – Northern Illinois University
Read More
More Experts
Methodology
In order to identify the best and worst cities for college basketball fans, WalletHub compared the 292 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 (~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 2012–2013 to 2021–2022. - 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.