Most Popular Sports Team in Each US State

[Erzengel]

This is an article from Bleacher Report:

Alabama: University of Alabama Football
Alaska: University of Alaska-Anchorage Ice Hockey
Arizona: Phoenix Suns
Arkansas: University of Arkansas Football
California: Los Angeles Lakers
Colorado: Denver Broncos
Connecticut: University of Connecticut Men's & Women's Basketball
Delaware: Philadelphia Eagles
District of Columbia: Washington Redskins
Florida: University of Florida Football
Georgia: University of Georgia Football
Hawaii: University of Hawaii Football
Idaho: Boise State Football
Illinois: Chicago Cubs
Indiana: Indianapolis Colts
Iowa: University of Iowa Football
Kansas: Kansas University Basketball
Kentucky: University of Kentucky Basketball
Louisiana: LSU Football
Maine: Boston Red Sox
Maryland: Baltimore Ravens
Massachusetts: Boston Red Sox
Michigan: University of Michigan Football
Minnesota: Minnesota Vikings
Mississippi: Ole Miss Football
Missouri: St. Louis Cardinals
Montana: University of Montana Football
Nebraska: University of Nebraska Football
Nevada: Los Angeles Lakers/Los Angeles Dodgers
New Hampshire: Boston Red Sox
New Jersey: New York Yankees
New Mexico: University of New Mexico Men's Basketball
New York: New York Yankees
North Carolina: University of North Carolina Men's Basketball
North Dakota: Minnesota Vikings
Ohio: Ohio State Football
Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Football
Oregon: University of Oregon Football
Pennsylvania: Penn State Football
Rhode Island: New England Patriots
South Carolina: University of South Carolina Football
South Dakota: Minnesota Vikings
Tennessee: University of Tennessee Football
Texas: Dallas Cowboys
Utah: Brigham Young Football
Vermont: Boston Red Sox
Virginia: Washington Redskins
Washington: Seattle Mariners
West Virginia: West Virginia Football
Wisconsin: Green Bay Packers
Wyoming: Denver Broncos

I can attest to NY/NJ being primarily NY Yankees fans. NYC is essentially a baseball town with the Yankees as the favorite team. NJ is split between NY and Philadelphia but for the most part I think it's the NY Yankees as the article said, football is split and the Mets not as popular.

What about your state?

 

[Immortalfire]

I'd say that's a pretty accurate list.

 

[Scarlet spidey]

I'd love to see one with only professional teams.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I find that living in South Carolina, most people don't care for professional teams. A lot of them don't like that the pros get paid so much and make the argument that college teams play for the love of the game, pros play for money. I personally don't like college sports.

 

[Scarlet spidey]

I don't follow college at all. I'm sort of weird with my sports though. I like pro football. And eSports(Mostly that Starcraft thing). Nothing else, really.
I watch NFL, CFL, and watched UFL when it wasn't the most impossible thing on the face of the planet to do.

 

[Themanofbat]

I think it's both sad AND hilarious that the states that have Major league teams still lose out to College teams as far as being the fan favourite...

 

[jacobed]

I'm going to disagree with Minnesota. Id say the Twins and Wild are both higher than the Vikes

 

[Immortalfire]

I think it's both sad AND hilarious that the states that have Major league teams still lose out to College teams as far as being the fan favourite...

College has, and probably always will have more power than pros. Especially football.

 

[Scarlet spidey]

College has, and probably always will have more power than pros. Especially football.

I think it depends on the region. I don't know any college football fans here in Minnesota. Same goes for basketball. There are a few college hockey fans I know, but it is Minnesota after all.

 

[Poetic Chaos]

I wonder if the 49ers can overtake the Lakers once Kobe retires. Assuming they become playoff mainstays and win at least one Superbowl in the next 3 years.

 

[Immortalfire]

A man at my church has a son that was a teacher at the University of Minnesota. He said that our high school team here in GA, could beat the Gophers in football. lol

But yes...I know Minnesota is hockey state USA. It is on my to do list to see some ice action live and in person someday.

 

[Erzengel]

College has, and probably always will have more power than pros. Especially football.

Well mostly in the South and Midwest in general. I know Connecticut is different but NY and NJ are more about the pro teams.

 

[Erzengel]

I wonder if the 49ers can overtake the Lakers once Kobe retires. Assuming they become playoff mainstays and win at least one Superbowl in the next 3 years.

In the article they did say that California is sectioned off but a consensus of the entire state and it was the Lakers.

You also have to remember the 49ers had one window in the 80s. Lakers have been successful in 5-6 different decades.

 

[Scarlet spidey]

A man at my church has a son that was a teacher at the University of Minnesota. He said that our high school team here in GA, could beat the Gophers in football. lol

But yes...I know Minnesota is hockey state USA. It is on my to do list to see some ice action live and in person someday.

I wouldn't even be remotely surprised. I don't pay too much attention, but when the Golphers win I know it's usually a big deal, which means they rarely win, haha.

I'm not a big hockey fan, but I've had a chance to see the Wild play live a few times. It's pretty fun. Our arena is nice too.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Need some more context on this in terms of how they measure popularity but I'm not buying that on Michigan. The state is too split between UM and MSU, and that doesnt even factor in the other schools like WMU, CMU, and EMU that have large followings.

State team would have to be either the Tigers, Red Wings, or Lions, where there's more of a consensus due to lack of other pro options.

Although again, it's hard to tell without a link what the author of article used to grade "popularity"

 

[zeroapoc]

I think it's both sad AND hilarious that the states that have Major league teams still lose out to College teams as far as being the fan favourite...

I honestly don't see your point. I don't see why it's sad for a college team to be popular.

 

[zeroapoc]

A man at my church has a son that was a teacher at the University of Minnesota. He said that our high school team here in GA, could beat the Gophers in football. lol

But yes...I know Minnesota is hockey state USA. It is on my to do list to see some ice action live and in person someday.

Who's your high school team? I'm in GA too.

Northside Eagles for the record.

 

[Erzengel]

I honestly don't see your point. I don't see why it's sad for a college team to be popular.

I live in an area where college sports isn't as popular as in some areas.

But I never saw how people could get so into college sports when you didn't go to the school.

At least pro sports, if you're from the area, I understand that.

 

[Immortalfire]

Who's your high school team? I'm in GA too.

Classified.

I do know who Northside is, but we're not even remotely nearby.

 

[zeroapoc]

I live in an area where college sports isn't as popular as in some areas.

But I never saw how people could get so into college sports when you didn't go to the school.

At least pro sports, if you're from the area, I understand that.

Most areas of the country didn't have pros sports until the 60's at the earliest. Outside of Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit, pro sports were confined to the Northeast for decades. Even Los Angeles was excluded.

College teams were all the areas had.

 

[Immortalfire]

Good point. The Giants and Dodgers moved to the west in the late fifties, in the midwest the Cowboys didn't come along til 1960. And the southeast was totally devoid of pro teams until the Braves arrived in '66.

 

[Hush]

Yeah Missouri is spot on even though I hate Baseball.

 

[BatSpider]

I'm going to disagree with Minnesota. Id say the Twins and Wild are both higher than the Vikes

Uh no

 

[Lantern Venom]

I'd say that's a pretty accurate list.

I have a hard time believing the PSU fanbase is bigger than that of the Steelers. Likewise, I have a hard time believing that the BoSox boast more fans than the Celtics or Patriots. Other than that, the list seems plausible.

My home state is sports crazy, but there are divided loyalites. While the Redskins are #1, the Cowboys, Steelers, and Ravens all have huge fanbases here. Although the Nationals are gaining a large following in pro baseball as well. No one seems to remember that the Wizards exist.

 

[Lantern Venom]

I live in an area where college sports isn't as popular as in some areas.

But I never saw how people could get so into college sports when you didn't go to the school.

At least pro sports, if you're from the area, I understand that.

Prolonged success has a lot to do with it, I think. When I moved to Lexington, KY in the mid-90s, I didn't watch college sports at all. 3 months later, I was a raving UK fan due in no small part to the fact that all other sports, college and pro, were a distant second to the Cats. Every able-bodied kid in the state dreams of playing in Rupp Arena one day because they have heard their parents and grandparents cheering the Cats.

While I've never been to Alabama, I can imagine it's the same way for the football team down there. They have been winning championships for decades, so I'm guessing fandom gets handed down like a family keepsake.