The experts have reviewed all the available evidence, and it turns out it does, in fact, mean more. It also means a heckuva lot in the Midwest, and not so much on the coasts.
That's the top-line takeaway of the inaugural Nielsen Scarborough College Football Fandom Index, launched by the TV rating monitoring service Nielsen. The Fandom Index "draws on eight distinct metrics to capture the full spectrum of fan engagement: apparel purchases, general interest levels, live-event attendance, betting intent, social media engagement, radio listenership, streaming habits, and linear TV viewership," Nielsen said.
Markets without pro sports teams, particularly the NFL, but with major college programs scored the highest, in news that won't surprise anyone. Birmingham, of course, led the way, followed by Des Moines/Ames, Iowa, Columbus and Omaha. SEC country occupied the rest of the top 10: Knoxville, Oklahoma City, Chattanooga, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Memphis. Only five NFL markets (Atlanta, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Jacksonville and Cleveland) cracked the top 20.
Jacksonville was the only city touching either ocean to make the list. Interestingly, the NFL Fandom Index was topped by the league's most college-like markets: Buffalo, Kansas City, Green Bay, and Cincinnati. The Bay Area, Miami, Los Angeles and New York were the bottom four markets in NFL fandom saturation, and are of course nowhere to be seen on this list, nor at the USC-San Jose State game. "In these saturated markets, a wealth of entertainment options and split team loyalties often dilute per-capita intensity," Nielsen said.
The only college market outside the SEC/Big Ten footprint to rank among Nielsen's top 20 was Charleston/Huntington, W. Va., where love for the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd reigns supreme.
1. Birmingham
2. Des Moines/Ames
3. Columbus
4. Omaha
5. Knoxville
6. Oklahoma City
7. Chattanooga
8. New Orleans
9. Atlanta
10. Memphis
11. Charleston/Huntington, W.Va.
12. Austin
13. Cincinnati
14. Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, Mich.
14. Lexington, Ky.
16. Jacksonville
17. Tulsa
18. Dayton, Ohio
19. Little Rock/Pine Bluff, Ark.
20. Cleveland/Akron
20. Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville/Anderson, S.C.