The latest in Nielsen Scarborough’s fandom index reports — following those for the NFL, college football and the NBA — focuses on local college basketball, spotlighting the 20 markets with the most engaged fan bases for the sport, for both men’s and women’s programs.

As with earlier reports, Nielsen Scarborough’s ranking reflects the importance of fandom metrics including radio listening, TV viewership, streaming, social media activity, game attendance, apparel purchases and overall interest level.

Leading the list are Lexington and Louisville, KY, home to the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Louisville Cardinals, respectively. According to Nielsen, both DMAs show heavy engagement with radio and digital streaming. That’s also true for fans of the Iowa State University Cyclones and University of Iowa Hawkeyes, in third-ranked Des Moines/Ames, IA. All three also score high in the other five metrics.

Also in the top five are Raleigh-Durham, NC — home to Duke, UNC and NC State — and Indianapolis, IN, with basketball powerhouses Butler, Indiana and Purdue. Other standout DMAs making the cut for the top 20 include Birmingham, AL, Omaha, NE, Knoxville, TN, Kansas City, MO, Syracuse, NY and Columbus, OH. “Mid-tier Southeast and Midwest markets frequently outperform larger metropolitan areas in concentrated passion,” Nielsen’s report says.

The analysis also notes how high fan interest manifests differently depending on the market, with team apparel purchasing most important to fans in Columbus and Omaha, while live event attendance and streaming platforms index highest in Raleigh-Durham. Additionally, it points out that smaller markets such as Birmingham and Knoxville tend to generate higher merchandise sales than DMAs with massive media hubs such as Atlanta, proving that deep local affinity often generates higher marketing ROI than sheer audience size.

“Nielsen’s Local College Basketball Fandom Index proves that college basketball enthusiasm is a multi-platform phenomenon,” the report says. “As viewership continues its rapid upward trajectory across both men’s and women’s games, understanding these distinct regional nuances will empower brands and media networks to craft smarter, higher-impact campaigns throughout the season.”