Is Sacramento the worst city for college basketball fans? Here’s where it ranked in new study
In Sacramento, the Kings rule the basketball court.
When March Madness arrives, however, college hoops play the role of jester in the capital region, according to a recent study by WalletHub.
The personal finance website recently released its list of the Best Cities for College Basketball Fans in the United States in 2025 — just in time for the NCAA Tournament.
Sacramento ranked among the worst cities in the country for college basketball fans, according to the study.
To find the top spots for NCAA hoops, WalletHub said it “crunched the numbers” on more than 290 U.S. cities using several key metrics, including the number of Division I teams per city, stadium capacity and social media engagement.
“The best cities for college basketball have high-performing teams, affordable and accessible games and strong fan engagement,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo wrote in a March 5 article.
Why is Sacramento a bad city for college basketball fans?
The Sacramento Kings enjoy a famously passionate fanbase, with supporters chanting “Light the Beam!” after every win at Golden 1 Center in downtown Sacramento.
The team also offers one of the most affordable in-game experiences in the NBA, according to a 2024 study by Bookies.com.
However, Sacramento doesn’t enjoy the same reputation when it comes to college ball, according to WalletHub.
California’s capital city ranked 289th out of 296 cities in terms of entertainment value for college basketball fans, the WalletHub study found, with a total score of 17.16 out of 100.
Sacramento was No. 58 among 60 large cities, according to WalletHub.
Sacramento State, a member of the NCAA’s 10-team Big Sky conference, ranked last in home attendance for men’s basketball games during the 2024-25 season, with an average of 649 fans per game, according to the league’s most recent statistics.
Women’s basketball games at Sacramento State drew an average of 475 fans per game over 15 home dates.
How did other California cities rank?
A total of 15 California cities landed on WalletHub’s list of the best cities for college basketball fans, with Los Angeles landing at No. 1.
The Southern California city, which scored 58.55 out of 100, is home to four Division 1 NCAA teams: the UCLA Bruins, Cal State Northridge Matadors, Loyola Marymount Lions and USC Trojans.
“These teams stand out even in a city that’s already known for its professional-level basketball,” WalletHub said.
The Bruins have the highest number of NCAA championship wins since 1938, with 11 total. Plus, Los Angeles is home to four Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coaches, the most of any city in the nation, WalletHub said.
Other California cities ranked lower on WalletHub’s list, with Long Beach landing at No. 39 and San Diego coming in at No. 63. San Francisco was No. 71.
What are top 10 cities for college basketball in US?
These were the top 10 cities for college basketball fans in the United States, according to the latest WalletHub study:
- Los Angeles
- Philadelphia
- Storrs, Connecticut
- Durham, North Carolina
- Lexington, Kentucky
- Lawrence, Kansas
- East Lansing, Michigan
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Washington, D.C.
- Boston
Where are the 10 worst cities for NCAA hoops?
According to WalletHub, these were the worst U.S. cities for college basketball fans:
Dover, Delaware
Daytona Beach, Florida
Pocatello, Idaho
Huntsville, Alabama
Austin, Texas
Stockton
Edinburg, Texas
Sacramento
Wichita, Kansas
Hampton, Virginia
How did WalletHub come up with its findings?
WalletHub compared 296 U.S. cities with a Division 1 basketball team using nine metrics, all of which were weighted differently and averaged on a 100-point scale.
These metrics included:
- Number of Division I teams
- Performance level of teams
- Number of championships
- Number of Hall of Fame coaches
- Minimum season ticket price
- Number of coaches in the past 10 seasons
Cities were also ranked by population size.
WalletHub defined small cities as those with a population of less than 100,000 people, midsize cities as those with a population between 100,000 and 300,000 and large cities as cities with more than 300,000 residents.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 6:00 AM.