With March Madness just under a week away, WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s Best Cities for College Basketball Fans.
To find 2020’s top spots for NCAA hoops, the company crunched the numbers on more than 290 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.
Charlotte as a College Hoops Haven (1=Best, 145=Avg.):
- 272nd – Winning Percentage
- 143rd – Conference Championships
- 280th – Social-Media Engagement
- 272nd – Stadium Capacity
Charlotte ranks 268th overall and 53rd among large cities.
| Rank (1=Best) |
Large City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Midsize City (Score) |
Rank (1=Best) |
Small City (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA (53.15) |
1 | Durham, NC (58.62) |
1 | Chapel Hill, NC (53.68) |
| 2 | Lexington, KY (52.60) |
2 | Ann Arbor, MI (38.29) |
2 | East Lansing, MI (53.60) |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA (48.43) |
3 | Norman, OK (35.76) |
3 | Lawrence, KS (53.52) |
| 4 | Washington, DC (42.69) |
4 | South Bend, IN (34.23) |
4 | Storrs, CT (51.07) |
| 5 | Boston, MA (41.68) |
5 | Salt Lake City, UT (33.43) |
5 | Loretto, PA (50.70) |
| 6 | New York, NY (41.00) |
6 | Provo, UT (30.96) |
6 | Fayette, MS (46.25) |
| 7 | Houston, TX (32.91) |
7 | Syracuse, NY (30.01) |
7 | Kingston, RI (42.65) |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH (32.03) |
8 | Columbia, SC (28.73) |
8 | Bloomington, IN (42.08) |
| 9 | Tulsa, OK (30.63) |
9 | Eugene, OR (28.47) |
9 | College Park, MD (41.49) |
| 10 | Long Beach, CA (30.61) |
10 | Providence, RI (28.12) |
10 | West Point, NY (40.83) |
| 11 | Omaha, NE (29.31) |
11 | Spokane, WA (27.89) |
11 | Morgantown, WV (40.51) |
| 12 | Nashville, TN (28.82) |
12 | Lafayette, LA (27.18) |
12 | Charlottesville, VA (38.92) |
| 13 | Chicago, IL (28.25) |
13 | Toledo, OH (27.13) |
13 | Lewiston, NY (36.92) |
| 14 | Louisville, KY (27.83) |
14 | Dayton, OH (27.05) |
14 | Buies Creek, NC (36.54) |
| 15 | Memphis, TN (27.41) |
15 | Knoxville, TN (26.68) |
15 | Ames, IA (35.92) |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD (27.34) |
16 | Irvine, CA (25.74) |
16 | Fayetteville, AR (34.96) |
| 17 | Dallas, TX (26.34) |
17 | Abilene, TX (25.36) |
17 | Itta Bena, MS (34.44) |
| 18 | Seattle, WA (26.32) |
18 | Boulder, CO (25.34) |
18 | Stillwater, OK (33.60) |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ (25.97) |
19 | Tempe, AZ (24.73) |
19 | Iowa City, IA (32.79) |
| 20 | Miami, FL (25.67) |
20 | Akron, OH (24.69) |
20 | Clemson, SC (32.68) |
| 21 | Milwaukee, WI (25.04) |
21 | Baton Rouge, LA (24.63) |
21 | West Lafayette, IN (32.34) |
| 22 | Pittsburgh, PA (24.63) |
22 | Tallahassee, FL (24.51) |
22 | Murray, KY (31.93) |
| 23 | Columbus, OH (24.52) |
23 | Greensboro, NC (24.48) |
23 | Spartanburg, SC (31.04) |
| 24 | Austin, TX (24.19) |
24 | Orlando, FL (24.42) |
24 | Champaign, IL (30.79) |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA (23.90) |
25 | New Haven, CT (24.37) |
25 | Hamilton, NY (30.53) |
| 26 | Arlington, TX (23.70) |
26 | Waco, TX (24.12) |
26 | Lewisburg, PA (29.99) |
| 27 | Tucson, AZ (23.65) |
27 | Lincoln, NE (23.88) |
27 | Huntsville, TX (29.78) |
| 28 | New Orleans, LA (23.64) |
28 | College Station, TX (23.79) |
28 | Princeton, NJ (29.73) |
| 29 | San Diego, CA (23.45) |
29 | Gainesville, FL (23.76) |
29 | Troy, AL (29.61) |
| 30 | San Antonio, TX (23.21) |
29 | Norfolk, VA (23.76) |
30 | Highland Heights, KY (29.61) |
| 31 | Jacksonville, FL (22.87) |
31 | Newark, NJ (23.69) |
31 | Boiling Springs, NC (28.97) |
| 32 | Portland, OR (22.46) |
32 | Charleston, SC (23.60) |
32 | Ogden, UT (28.94) |
| 33 | Sacramento, CA (22.37) |
33 | Lowell, MA (23.60) |
33 | Orangeburg, SC (28.54) |
| 34 | El Paso, TX (22.02) |
34 | Murfreesboro, TN (23.54) |
34 | Emmitsburg, MD (28.44) |
| 35 | Corpus Christi, TX (21.83) |
35 | Boise, ID (23.34) |
35 | Olean, NY (28.26) |
| 36 | St. Louis, MO (21.46) |
36 | Jackson, MS (23.31) |
36 | Prairie View, TX (28.17) |
| 37 | Bakersfield, CA (21.34) |
37 | High Point, NC (23.31) |
37 | Thibodaux, LA (27.37) |
| 38 | Fresno, CA (21.24) |
38 | Buffalo, NY (23.28) |
38 | Radford, VA (27.17) |
| 39 | Atlanta, GA (20.92) |
39 | Lubbock, TX (23.18) |
39 | Pullman, WA (26.85) |
| 40 | Raleigh, NC (20.69) |
40 | Hampton, VA (23.14) |
40 | Cullowhee, NC (26.76) |
| 41 | Riverside, CA (20.55) |
41 | Green Bay, WI (23.06) |
41 | Kent, OH (26.65) |
| 41 | Colorado Springs, CO (20.55) |
42 | Beaumont, TX (23.04) |
42 | Grambling, LA (26.53) |
| 43 | Indianapolis, IN (20.20) |
43 | Hartford, CT (23.00) |
43 | Davidson, NC (26.51) |
| 44 | Denver, CO (20.03) |
44 | Greeley, CO (22.90) |
44 | Stanford, CA (26.43) |
| 45 | Detroit, MI (19.79) |
45 | Clarksville, TN (22.67) |
45 | Cheney, WA (26.43) |
| 46 | Las Vegas, NV (19.32) |
46 | Columbia, MO (22.25) |
46 | Nacogdoches, TX (26.34) |
| 47 | Stockton, CA (19.20) |
47 | Worcester, MA (22.23) |
47 | Ruston, LA (26.28) |
| 48 | Tampa, FL (19.07) |
48 | North Charleston, SC (21.84) |
48 | Mount Pleasant, MI (26.21) |
| 49 | Kansas City, MO (18.75) |
49 | Denton, TX (21.57) |
49 | Terre Haute, IN (26.19) |
| 50 | Minneapolis, MN (18.57) |
50 | Little Rock, AR (21.34) |
50 | Jacksonville, AL (26.15) |
| 51 | Albuquerque, NM (18.42) |
51 | Mobile, AL (21.18) |
51 | Carbondale, IL (26.13) |
| 52 | Cleveland, OH (17.40) |
52 | Winston-Salem, NC (21.16) |
52 | Laramie, WY (26.08) |
| 53 | Charlotte, NC (17.13) |
53 | Peoria, IL (20.97) |
53 | New Rochelle, NY (25.91) |
| 54 | Wichita, KS (17.03) |
54 | Madison, WI (20.82) |
54 | Durham, NH (25.87) |
| 55 | San Jose, CA (16.91) |
55 | Fort Wayne, IN (20.77) |
55 | Athens, OH (25.84) |
| 56 | Fort Worth, TX (16.65) |
56 | Birmingham, AL (20.60) |
56 | Lexington, VA (25.83) |
| 57 | Chattanooga, TN (20.39) |
57 | Johnson City, TN (25.75) |
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| 58 | Fargo, ND (20.38) |
58 | Starkville, MS (25.55) |
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| 59 | Macon, GA (20.00) |
59 | Lynchburg, VA (25.55) |
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| 60 | Cambridge, MA (19.62) |
60 | Cedar Falls, IA (25.48) |
||
| 61 | Des Moines, IA (19.38) |
61 | Easton, PA (25.34) |
||
| 62 | Reno, NV (18.98) |
62 | Huntington, WV (25.26) |
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| 63 | Fort Collins, CO (18.92) |
63 | Ypsilanti, MI (25.25) |
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| 64 | Springfield, MO (18.51) |
64 | Ithaca, NY (25.19) |
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| 65 | Fullerton, CA (18.24) |
65 | Normal, IL (25.16) |
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| 66 | Las Cruces, NM (17.96) |
66 | Statesboro, GA (25.06) |
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| 67 | Athens, GA (17.52) |
67 | Williamsburg, VA (24.92) |
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| 68 | Richmond, VA (16.85) |
68 | Brookings, SD (24.76) |
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| 69 | Wilmington, NC (15.50) |
69 | Albany, NY (24.72) |
||
| 70 | Evansville, IN (14.23) |
70 | Hanover, NH (24.68) |
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| 71 | Huntsville, AL (13.03) |
71 | Amherst, MA (24.51) |
||
| 72 | Jersey City, NJ (12.92) |
72 | Morehead, KY (24.49) |
||
| 73 | Montgomery, AL (12.42) |
73 | Rochester Hills, MI (24.47) |
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| 74 | Berkeley, CA (12.17) |
74 | Rock Hill, SC (24.40) |
||
| 75 | Santa Clara, CA (11.93) |
75 | Princess Anne, MD (24.36) |
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| 76 | Oxford, MS (24.33) |
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| 77 | Orem, UT (24.27) |
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| 78 | Hammond, LA (24.21) |
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| 79 | San Marcos, TX (24.12) |
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| 80 | Bowling Green, KY (24.09) |
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| 81 | State College, PA (23.96) |
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| 82 | Greenville, SC (23.82) |
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| 83 | Logan, UT (23.71) |
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| 84 | Corvallis, OR (23.60) |
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| 84 | Annapolis, MD (23.60) |
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| 86 | DeKalb, IL (23.34) |
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| 87 | Trenton, NJ (23.32) |
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| 88 | Muncie, IN (23.30) |
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| 88 | Charleston, IL (23.30) |
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| 90 | Moraga, CA (23.19) |
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| 91 | Davis, CA (23.18) |
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| 92 | Burlington, VT (23.16) |
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| 93 | Farmville, VA (23.10) |
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| 94 | Cape Girardeau, MO (23.09) |
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| 95 | Long Branch, NJ (22.97) |
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| 96 | Natchitoches, LA (22.94) |
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| 97 | Richmond, KY (22.81) |
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| 98 | Hempstead, NY (22.81) |
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| 99 | Florence, AL (22.80) |
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| 100 | Monroe, LA (22.77) |
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| 101 | Pine Bluff, AR (22.77) |
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| 102 | Stony Brook, NY (22.73) |
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| 103 | Martin, TN (22.54) |
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| 104 | Elon, NC (22.51) |
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| 105 | Boone, NC (22.41) |
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| 106 | Bowling Green, OH (22.39) |
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| 107 | Conway, SC (22.38) |
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| 108 | Fairfield, CT (22.22) |
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| 109 | Santa Barbara, CA (22.21) |
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| 110 | Towson, MD (21.86) |
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| 111 | Harrisonburg, VA (21.80) |
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| 112 | Valparaiso, IN (21.74) |
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| 113 | Fairfax, VA (21.68) |
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| 114 | Moscow, ID (21.44) |
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| 115 | Kalamazoo, MI (21.20) |
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| 116 | Tuscaloosa, AL (21.17) |
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| 117 | Newark, DE (21.17) |
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| 118 | Macomb, IL (21.08) |
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| 119 | Oxford, OH (20.49) |
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| 120 | Clinton, SC (20.41) |
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| 121 | Lake Charles, LA (20.31) |
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| 122 | Cookeville, TN (20.18) |
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| 123 | Grand Forks, ND (20.15) |
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| 124 | Asheville, NC (20.07) |
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| 125 | Jonesboro, AR (20.01) |
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| 126 | Bozeman, MT (19.98) |
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| 127 | Greenville, NC (19.92) |
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| 128 | North Andover, MA (19.92) |
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| 129 | Blacksburg, VA (19.90) |
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| 130 | San Luis Obispo, CA (19.89) |
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| 131 | Edwardsville, IL (19.73) |
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| 132 | Fort Myers, FL (19.68) |
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| 133 | Cedar City, UT (19.60) |
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| 134 | Manhattan, KS (19.57) |
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| 135 | Edinburg, TX (19.41) |
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| 136 | Missoula, MT (19.33) |
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| 137 | Hattiesburg, MS (19.25) |
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| 138 | Auburn, AL (19.04) |
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| 139 | Binghamton, NY (18.95) |
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| 140 | Conway, AR (18.91) |
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| 141 | Youngstown, OH (18.63) |
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| 142 | Hackensack, NJ (18.62) |
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| 143 | Vermillion, SD (18.55) |
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| 144 | Boca Raton, FL (18.34) |
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| 145 | Orono, ME (18.24) |
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| 146 | DeLand, FL (18.04) |
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| 147 | Evanston, IL (17.49) |
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| 148 | Poughkeepsie, NY (17.48) |
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| 149 | Kennesaw, GA (17.10) |
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| 150 | Bethlehem, PA (17.07) |
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| 151 | Flagstaff, AZ (16.70) |
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| 152 | Dover, DE (15.71) |
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| 153 | New Brunswick, NJ (15.36) |
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| 154 | Malibu, CA (14.19) |
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| 155 | Daytona Beach, FL (11.01) |
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| 156 | New Britain, CT (10.99) |
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| 157 | Pocatello, ID (7.97) |
What do you think Charlotte should do to improve?