CFB Fan Map
The CFB risk game got me into spending a small amount of time on reddit's r/CFB. An intrepid set of users took a survey of fans and their county's across the U.S. and made a map.
As expected, Michigan owns much of Michigan, some Ohio, New York City and surrounds, San Francisco, and central Massachusetts for some reason, among other random counties. I thought it was pretty fun for the off-season.
Link to thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/8yb0qz/2017_rcfb_fan_map_completed/
Link to Map: https://i.imgur.com/8CyDLyz.png
Looks like the Mass counties are Boston-adjacent, which makes sense. Michigan's fan base in big cities is enviable.
Also, "counties". Ugh, I am embarrassed and would kill (something small and ugly, like a fruit fly) for an edit button...
You know, I was in Berrien County over the weekend a couple weeks ago. I had no idea I was in an outpost of OSU fandom. If anything, I would have guessed Notre Dame - the Cracker Barrel in Stevensville was full of ND gear and the liquor store that I stopped at on the way to had ND flags hung inside it.
Kick em the fuck out.
As a Berrien resident, definitely agree. It's a pretty even split of ND, Michigan and MSU fans with ND probably having the edge.
I was raised in Allegan County and the idea that it is an OSU exclave is a laughable fiction. It slightly favors M over MSU. I don't know ANY OSU fans from home.
Used to live there for a while. It's definitely not an OSU outpost. I'd say fandom distribution is 30% ND, 25% UM, 25% MSU, 20% Other
What struck me about that map is how little of the country ND claims. I'm sure if that map was interactive with a "decades" slide control, you'd see the ND area shrink every decade from the 60's. They're not really a "national" team any more.
I've occasionally---but very seldom--- seen someone wearing OSU gear in Berrien County, but there's no possible way Ohio State rules the CFB fanbase here.
I'd call it approximately 30% ND, 25% Michigan, 20% Staee, <10% WMU, and about an even mix of Wisconsin, Purdue, Northwestern, and CMU fans taking up most of the remainder of the pie. Illinois, OSU and IU are about dead even somewhere < 1%.
We own New York City, San Francisco, and DC! Nice.
I'm ashamed of the area that I grew up in Southern Illinois pulling for Ohio State. I am almost convinced it's my asshole friends that are voting in pure spite of me.
I guess this should be taken with a grain of salt since I think it's dependent on various fanbases inclination to vote and enthusiasm for online polls (looking at you Nebraska), but it is fascinating that Michigan has San Francisco, NYC, and DC (plus the Boston suburbs)
I think this map also tells us that America's Bandwagon Team is OSU. So many random, rural counties with the block O. I imagine they're also big Yankees, Man U, and Dallas Cowboys fans. Maybe some Duke basketball too
These again?
A useless 'UM Fan from Sydney' comment again?
OOOOOOOOOOOH YOU GOT ME THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's me holding down that random county in Texas for the Ohio Bobcats lmao.
The funny thing about that ----- that looks like it is either Midland or Ector County in Texas. E.g., the hometown of either Midland or Odessa (of Friday Night Lights fame).
As opposed to most counties in West Texas which is mostly populated by rattlesnakes (and Mike Gundy hunting them), people actually live in those two counties!
It's Midland County.
Midland (Michigan) roots for 'Bama?
I lived in the Midland area for a couple years and don't recall EVER seeing evidence of anyone supporting the Crimson Tide.
OSU has inland empire. LOL
One thing I noticed is that there is no possibility that the Grand Rapids area is full of Wisconsin fans.