March Madness season is almost upon us, as well as spring break season. That means that people across the U.S. are looking for places to travel while they check out their brackets.
This Tuesday, personal finance website WalletHub released a ranking of the best cities for college basketball fans. March Madness devotees might even want to head to these towns for their spring break
“March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for sports fans, with 67 games packed into 21 days,” said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. “You can enjoy the action from anywhere with a TV or an internet connection, but a good environment enhances the experience. The best cities for college basketball have high-performing teams, affordable and accessible games, and strong fan engagement.”
March Madness begins with Selection Sunday on March 17 for both the men’s and women’s teams. This year, it concludes with the women’s NCAA Championship game in Ohio on April 7 and the men’s NCAA Championship game in Arizona on April 8.
WalletHub noted that each city on its list “has its own unique basketball history and charm,” and that “graduates also tend to favor their alma mater, while others may have an understandable loyalty to their hometown.”
Overall, the site ranked 290 U.S. municipalities based on the following metrics: number of college basketball (Division 1) teams, performance level of college basketball (Division 1) teams, number of basketball (Division 1) championship wins, number of college basketball (Division 1) conference regular season championship wins, number of Hall of Fame head coaches, minimum season ticket price for a college basketball (Division 1) game, college-basketball fans engagement, number of coaches in past 10 seasons and college-basketball stadium capacity.
Here are the top 10 towns for March Madness fun:
1. Los Angeles, Calif.
2. Philadelphia, Penn.
3. Storrs, Conn.
4. Durham, N.C.
5. Lexington, Ky.
6. Lawrence, Kan.
7. East Lansing, Mich.
8. Chapel Hill, N.C.
9. Boston, Mass.
10. New York, N.Y.