Laramie Ranked on List of Best Cities for College Basketball Fans

It is that time of year for the 'Big Dance'. March Madness is here as the college basketball national tournament tips off next week as conference tournaments are still being played out this week. And every college town is getting hyped regardless of whether their team makes the tournament. So which of these college towns or cities are the best for college basketball fans?

The NCAA Tournament for 2022 is back and there seems to be more and more parity in recent years when anyone can beat anyone. And recently WalletHub did some research to find out what cities across the nation are the best for college basketball fans. Their research had college towns and cities from all around the U.S., which of course included Laramie since it's the home of the Wyoming Cowboys. But just where does Laramie fall when ranked with these other college basketball cities and towns?

Of the 292 college towns and cities on the list, it turns out that Laramie finished with an overall ranking of 131st. Before you think that might be a bad ranking on the list, first know that that's one spot ahead of Lubbock, TX, which is the home of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who were the 2019 national championship runner-up, and also have a very solid team that will be in the tournament this year.

Not only that, but that 131st ranking is three spots ahead of Austin, TX, where the University of Texas is located. In case you've been too busy binge watching 'Yellowstone', '1883', or whatever show you're into right now instead of what's been happening this season in college basketball, then you should know that some of these cities Laramie is ranked right along with have some pretty perennial powerhouse teams that are typically contenders for the national championship year-in, year-out.

The point is, Laramie's 131st ranking on the list of best cities for college basketball is a solid showing, regardless of what seed the Pokes will wind up with in this year's tournament. Laramie also ranked 78th among small cities on the list. Not too shabby at all. Especially when you consider some of the main determining factors were things like 'teams per city, winning percentage, stadium capacity and social media engagement. Laramie is definitely doing some things right to snag that ranking.

The top five cities for college basketball fans were Durham, NC (go figure), Storrs, CT, Lexington, KY (eye roll), Lawrence, KS (hi, Bill Self), and Los Angeles, CA (really, they just celebrated a Super Bowl). You can check out the full rankings by scrolling over the map below. In any event, not a bad showing at all, Laramie! Go Pokes!

Source: WalletHub

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