Best Cities for College Basketball Fans (Infographic and Activity Idea)

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 the U.S., 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.

Click here to read the story at wallethub.com.

Discussion Guide:

The results are in!  The link above will guide you to WalletHub’s 2024 ranking of the best and worst cities for college basketball fans.  The cities were analyzed through various metrics, and the link allows you to review the data.  The report also includes an interactive infographic.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is fandom? 
2. How might the concept of fandom influence a list of “best cities for basketball fans” like this one?
3. How might the rankings of most “engaged” fans illustrate the varying levels of fandom in college sports?
4. Who might find the results of this report to be valuable?
5. What criteria did WalletHub use to determine which cities are the best for college basketball fans?
6. Why would something like most “accessible” stadiums have any impact on which cities are the best for college basketball?
7. Do you think those factors are enough to identify the “best” college basketball cities? Why or why not?
8. What is market segmentation? 
9. How might the concept of fandom help a sports marketing professional identify a target audience?
10. How might fandom and market segmentation help a brand to make decisions relating to sponsorship?
11. Do you think college basketball fans and NBA fans might have different consumer preferences?
12. Do you think the best NBA basketball cities might be different from the best college basketball cities?  Why or why not?
13. In your opinion, what is the best college basketball city in America?

Activity Suggestion:

1. Break your class into small groups or pairs.
2. Assign each group a specific consumer brand (or brand category like “soda” or “auto”).
3. Utilizing the data from this study, have them identify the top three markets where their brand might consider investing in college basketball-related sponsorship programs. Use this exercise to help students to understand the concept of geographic market segmentation.