LA, Philly & Storrs: America's Top 3 Cities for College Basketball Fans

College basketball fans across the U.S. are gearing up for the most exciting time of year – March Madness. College basketball is a big deal in many places across the country, and depending on where you live, it may have even more appeal than the professional level. 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 2024’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.

The top three Best Cities for College Basketball Fans:  Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Storrs.

Of Storrs, Wallet Hub wrote:  “It’s only home to one Division 1 team, the University of Connecticut Huskies, but that’s because the city is essentially built around UConn’s campus. Plus, the city really only needs one team to succeed – the UConn Huskies have won five national championships by themselves.

Storrs also boasts one of the best fan engagement, based on UConn’s social media followers and likes. It also has a large stadium capacity, so fans can enjoy seeing games in person.  In addition, UConn’s women have an even better performance level than the men, with 11 national titles.”

In addition to ranking #3 among the nearly 300 cities compared in the survey, Storrs finished #1 among small cities, ahead of Lawrence, KS, East Lansing, MI and Chapel Hill, NC. 

Among the 160 small cities included in the analysis, the only other Connecticut city to earn a place on the list is New Britain, at number 160.  New Haven earned a place on the list ranking 74 mid-sized cities, at #19; a list that was topped by #1 Durham, NC.

“March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for sports fans, with 67 games packed into 21 days. You can enjoy the action from anywhere with a TV or an internet connection, but a good environment enhances the experience. The best cities for college basketball have high-performing teams, affordable and accessible games, and strong fan engagement,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst.