A new study was just released that breaks down the best and worst ranked cities for football fans.
The average football fan will tell you it’s just a game, but for most Americans, it’s a way of life. It’s showing up to tailgate on game day in matching team jerseys with facepaint. It’s never missing a game. It’s knowing the names of all the players on your favorite team and being able to rattle off stats like it’s second nature. It’s the camaraderie of fans from across the country cheering on their teams together.
Football continues to be has been America’s favorite sport to watch since 1972. The stadiums get packed with fans during the game season in a typical setting, but the pandemic put a damper on everyone’s plans. The new study from WalletHub breaks down the best and worst city rankings for overall experiences that don’t just include a stadium experience. A total of 240 cities across America were used for the study and analyzed data across 21 key metrics.
It may come as no surprise that Pittsburgh is named number one in the rankings. Steeler stadium is easy to access, offers decently priced game tickets, and has the most “engaged fans” in the sport. Green Bay came close with fan engagement but was beat out by Dallas for obvious reasons.
Best Cities for Football Fans
1. Pittsburgh, PA
2. Dallas, TX
3. Green Bay, WI
4. Boston, MA
5. Los Angeles, CA
6. New York, NY
7. Miami, FL
8. New Orleans, LA
9. Cincinnati, OH
10. Indianapolis, IN
The worst-ranked cities might surprise you as some tourist favorites but were lacking in many of the study categories. Not having an accessible stadium and having unengaged fans are the cities biggest contributors to bad football experiences.
Worst Cities for Football Fans
236. Columbia, SC
237. Louisville, KY
238. Lawrence, KS
239. Davidson, NC
240. New Britain, CT
241. Stephenville, TX
242. Ithaca, NY
243. Providence, RI
244. Valparaiso, IN
245. St. George, UT
Experts also weighed in during the study on what exactly made a city a good environment and were asked the following questions.
- What are the biggest challenges facing professional football today?
- How can the game be adapted to better ensure the long-term health and safety of players?
- What are some strategies for fans to enjoy watching football (at home, in a bar, at the stadium) without breaking the bank?
- Is having a professional football team an economic drain or benefit for cities?
- Does hosting the Super Bowl economically help or hurt the host city?
Some of the best-ranked cities happen to be home to NFL franchises which usually means bigger budgets for stadiums and other infrastructure. It also means that the city is bigger, which means more citizens could have disposable income to spend on NFL-related events and products. However, the least expensive cities in the country are not exactly hubs for NFL fandom. Some of them are not home to NFL teams but only college football teams where performance, popularity and fan engagement aren’t high.
Sports are extremely competitive so these rankings will likely change a lot in the years to come, especially as new fans emerge and underdogs take over.
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