Birmingham, Alabama, is the top college football media market in the United States, according to the inaugural Nielsen Scarborough Local College Football Fandom Index.
The Des Moines and Ames market in Iowa ranked second in the nation for fandom, while Columbus, Ohio, finished third.
Nielsen, a global data firm best known for audience measurement and television ratings, organized its research by media market. The study evaluated eight separate metrics to determine local passion: television viewership, radio listening, event attendance, apparel purchases, digital streaming, social media following, sports betting intent, and overall interest.
The Birmingham market represents fanbases for both the University of Alabama and Auburn University. Second-placed Des Moines and Ames serves supporters of the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, while Columbus hosts Ohio State University.
Omaha, the largest city in Nebraska, ranked fourth in the index, followed by Knoxville, Tennessee, home to the University of Tennessee, in fifth place. Out of the top five markets, only Columbus is represented by a team in North America's Big Four professional sports leagues, hosting the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets.
Top Ten Fandom Markets
Oklahoma City ranked sixth in the fandom list, driven by support for the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. Chattanooga, Tennessee, placed seventh, while New Orleans, home to Louisiana State University, finished eighth.
Atlanta ranked ninth, with college football fandom centered on the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. Memphis, Tennessee, rounded out the top ten with support for the University of Memphis and the University of Mississippi, known as Ole Miss.
Professional Sports Impact
Of the locations ranked from sixth to tenth, every market except Chattanooga features at least one Big Four professional sports team. The Big Four leagues comprise Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League.
Across the entire top 20 rankings in the Nielsen report, Atlanta and Cleveland, which tied for 20th place, were the only two markets represented that feature at least three Big Four professional sports franchises.
Nielsen published the fandom index as the college football season got underway, with television viewership set to pick up significantly over the weekend.
