North Carolina is home to the two best cities for college basketball fans, study says
The best two cities for college hoops fans are right here in North Carolina, a new study finds.
So in a state where sports rivalries run deep, which city earned the top spot?
The honor goes to Durham, home of the Duke Blue Devils, according to the results released Wednesday.
And coming just behind onthe list is Chapel Hill, which earned a No. 2 ranking.
But in a frustrating season for its UNC Tar Heels men’s basketball team, how did Chapel Hill gain national acclaim?
The personal finance website WalletHub conducted the study and says it weighed the performance of 289 cities’ Division I basketball teams and their coaches. Cities also earned scores for fan experiences, including season ticket costs and arena capacity, findings show.
Chapel Hill tied for the No. 1 spot in a category that measured social media engagement, WalletHub says.
The results were released just before NCAA March Madness games kick off next week.
This week, the ACC men’s basketball tournament is underway in Greensboro. Among the teams facing off are Duke, which has a 25-6 overall record, and UNC, standing at 14-18.
What about nearby Raleigh, home to the N.C. State Wolfpack?
The city didn’t fare too well, landing at the No. 213 spot, according to WalletHub.
So how did other North Carolina cities rank?
The highest spots went to the college towns of Buies Creek at No. 22, Boiling Springs at No. 49, Cullowhee at No. 70, Davidson at No. 74, Greensboro at No. 118, High Point at No. 153, Elon at No. 180, and Boone at No. 182.
Toward the bottom of the list were Winston-Salem at No. 207, Asheville at No. 225, Greenville at No. 230, Charlotte at No. 268 and Wilmington at No. 278, results show.
But it wasn’t all bad for the lowest-ranking cities.
Charlotte fans pay the “lowest minimum season ticket prices,” while Chapel Hill spectators have the highest, according to WalletHub. Due to similar costs, the cities’ scores tied with others in that category.
Overall, the worst place to root for college basketball is Pocatello, Idaho, home of the Idaho State Bengals, according to the study.
