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Thanks to FSU and FAMU, Tallahassee ranks in top 10 for college football fans in study

dan rorabaugh and lianna norman, usa today network - florida
·4 min read

Well, it's official: Tallahassee is one of the best college football towns in the U.S.

That's according to a recent study by WalletHub, which ranked the best cities for football fans ahead of the Super Bowl. And thanks to Florida State's return to prominence and Florida A&M winning the Celebration Bowl, Tallahassee placed in the top 10 (and just barely outside the top 5) of cities for college football.

WalletHub's list is actually three lists: one for NFL football fans, one for college football fans and one for overall football fans, including soccer.

“Deciding the best football cities ultimately comes down to a combination of how successful the cities’ teams are, how easy it is for spectators to enjoy games, and how dedicated the local fanbase is,” WalletHub Analyst Cassandra Happe said in the study.

Here are the best cities for professional and college football fans and where Tallahassee ranks on the list.

Which U.S. city loves football the most?

To determine the best cities for football fans, WalletHub analyzed 249 cities, all with at least one professional football team or at least one college football team. The cities were then grouped by division — pro and college football — and measured across 20 metrics, like the average ticket price for an NFL game, fan engagement, attendance, stadium capacity and number of coaches in the past 10 seasons.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ranks as the best city for football mostly because of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but partly because of its NCAA team, the Pittsburgh Panthers.

“When it comes to the NFL specifically, the Pittsburgh Steelers have some of the most engaged football fans in the country in terms of social media likes and followers per capita,” the study said.

“Pittsburgh has some of the most loyal fans, too, measured by ticket revenues, social media engagement, and the home team’s ability to outperform its payroll investments.”

Based on WalletHub's metrics, Tallahassee ranks as the No. 36 city overall for football fans. Miami was the highest ranked city in Florida at No. 7 thanks to the Miami Dolphins, coming off a playoff season in which they had one of the best offenses in the NFL, and Inter Miami CF, who brought soccer legend Lionel Messi to MLS.

The only other Florida cities ranked higher than Tallahassee were other NFL towns. Tampa is ranked 22nd overall, with Jacksonville coming in at No. 32.

Which Florida city loves college football most?

That would be Tallahassee, which ranks No. 6 in the nation for college football cities. Florida's capital boasted two college football teams that combined for just two losses in the 2023 season. FSU started 13-0 and won the ACC championship before being snubbed from the College Football Playoff and losing to Georgia in the Orange Bowl. FAMU rose to No. 5 in the FCS rankings and went 12-1 en route to winning the SWAC title and Celebration Bowl, the HBCU national championship.

Tallahassee ranked No. 5 nationally for midsize cities, ahead of Athens, Georgia, and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Miami ranked No. 44 for college football fans for the ACC rival Hurricanes. Gainesville, home of the Florida Gators, placed 209th for college football fans, behind Orlando (UCF Knights, No. 171), Boca Raton (Florida Atlantic Owls, No. 196) and Daytona Beach (Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, No. 201). A big reason for Gainesville's low ranking was the affordability of going to games, as The Swamp ranked as the fifth-most expensive average ticket in the nation.

Best cities for overall football fans, according to WalletHub

  1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  2. Dallas, Texas

  3. Green Bay, Wisconsin

  4. Los Angeles, California

  5. Boston, Massachusetts

  6. New York, New York

  7. Miami, Florida

  8. New Orleans, Louisiana

  9. San Francisco, California

  10. Kansas City, Missouri

WalletHub's best cities for college football fans

  1. Tuscaloosa, Alabama

  2. Clemson, South Carolina

  3. Fayette, Mississippi

  4. State College, Pennsylvania

  5. Fargo, North Dakota

  6. Tallahassee, Florida

  7. Stillwater, Oklahoma

  8. West Point, New York

  9. Athens, Georgia

  10. Ann Arbor, Michigan

WalletHub's best cities for NFL fans

  1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  2. Dallas, Texas

  3. Boston, Massachusetts

  4. Green Bay, Wisconsin

  5. Los Angeles, California

  6. San Francisco, California

  7. Kansas City, Missouri

  8. New Orleans, Louisiana

  9. New York, New York

  10. Miami, Florida

How much are FSU football tickets?

Tickets to see the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium cost an average of about $83, according to VividSeats.

It's not too early to start looking for tickets to FSU football games for the 2024 season. Season tickets require membership to the Seminole Booster Annual Fund.

How much are FAMU football tickets?

Tickets to see the Florida A&M Rattlers at Bragg Memorial Stadium cost an average of $85, according to VividSeats.

FAMU tickets for the 2024 season go on sale in the spring.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Tallahassee, Florida ranks among best college football cities in US