College Basketball Fans; the Best Cities for College Hoops

Basketballs fans just may get into the game a little more than fans at professional games. The NCAA reports that the average Kentucky basketball game attracts nearly 22,000 people. Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium may hold only 9,314 fans but they generate noise that reaches 121 decibels in the stadium.

To find 2019’s top spots for NCAA hoops, WalletHub crunched the numbers on more than 280 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.

Best vs. Worst

• The Villanova Wildcats have the highest current winning percentage among college basketball teams, 88.80%, which is 6.6 times higher than the Chicago State Cougars, the team with the lowest at 13.54%.
• Hamilton, New York, and Jackson, Mississippi, both have the least expensive season tickets, starting at $45, 25.9 times less than a season of hoops in Lexington, Kentucky ($1,166).
• hanks to John Wooden and UCLA, Los Angeles is home to the country’s most national championship banners (11), while Philadelphia has the most regular season titles (91).

For more input on what makes for a great college basketball city and how residents can ramp up their fandom without spending too much, WalletHub asked questions to a panel of leading industry experts. One question asked; What, in your mind, makes a good college basketball fan?

“That is pretty simple, passion, said Brendan Dwyer, PhD, Associate Professor, Director of Research & Distance Learning, Center for Sport Leadership, School of Business, Virginia Commonwealth University. “Whether you scream from your socks when your team is on defense or you argue with the official over a bad call in the first five minutes of the game, basketball fandom is all about commitment and energy. Plus, your team isn't going to win every game. There will be some difficult losses, and if you don't have passion, it is hard to come back week in and week out. Some on the outside may find this passion crazy, but those on the inside understand, and when your devotion is met with a team win, you will understand too. It is magical.”

To read the full report and to see where your city ranks, please visit:

http://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-college-basketball/32944/

To view the 2019 March Madness Facts & Stats please visit:

https://wallethub.com/blog/march-madness-statistics/11016/

Courtesy: Wallet Hub