Published March 24th, 2026.
Some fans watch a game. Others rearrange their weekend, refresh scores like it is a part-time job, and feel a loss in their bones.
To find out where sports fandom runs hottest, we surveyed thousands of Americans across the U.S. and ranked states based on five equal parts: Identity, Emotion, Time/Attention, Behavior, and Financial.
Which states have the most passionate sports fans?
Top 5 States
No. 1 Texas
- 65% watch sports 6+ hours per week during their busiest season (vs 42% nationally).
- 76% describe themselves as a die-hard sports fan (vs 55% nationally).
- 57% strongly agree they often talk about sports with friends, family, or coworkers (vs 38% nationally).
No. 2 Georgia
- 43% strongly agree they actively celebrate big wins (vs 28% nationally).
- 55% say their primary team or program is located in-state (vs 43% nationally).
- 76% attended a sporting event in the last year.
No. 3 Illinois
- 94% agree they often talk sports with friends, family, or coworkers (vs 84% nationally).
- 40% check sports scores or news daily or more during their busiest season (vs 30% nationally).
- 67% describe themselves as a die-hard sports fan (vs 55% nationally).
No. 4 Mississippi
- 26% say they participate in sports-related rituals, watch parties, or tailgates most times or every time they can (vs 12% nationally).
- 36% traveled overnight primarily to attend a sports game or event in the last year (vs 23% nationally).
- Only 8% spent $0 on sports merchandise or apparel in the last year (vs 26% nationally).
No. 5 New Jersey
- 44% strongly agree it is hard to ignore sports news or updates after a big game (vs 28% nationally).
- 42% strongly agree they feel personally invested in the teams or programs they follow (vs 26% nationally).
- 42% check sports scores or news daily or more during their busiest season (vs 30% nationally).
Bottom 5 States
These states are not “bad fan” states. They simply report less intense behavior, emotion, and time commitment, on average.
No. 1 Idaho
- Only 57% of Idaho residents follow sports at least weekly (vs 77% nationally).
- 50% disagree that game outcomes affect their mood that day (vs 32% nationally).
- 31% disagree that they feel nervous or excited before big games (vs 14% nationally).
No. 2 New Hampshire
- 51% disagree that they regularly plan their schedule around sports (vs 30% nationally).
- Only 39% describe themselves as a die-hard sports fan (vs 55% nationally).
- Only 12% attended 4+ live sports events in the last year (vs 25% nationally).
No. 3 Minnesota
- 39% say they never participate in sports-related rituals, watch parties, or tailgates (vs 19% nationally).
- 39% spent $0 on sports merchandise or apparel in the last year (vs 26% nationally).
- Only 53% say they actively celebrate big wins (vs 68% nationally).
No. 4 Kentucky
- 46% disagree that game outcomes affect their mood that day (vs 32% nationally).
- 38% spent $0 on sports merchandise or apparel in the last year (vs 26% nationally).
- Only 19% check sports scores or news daily or more during their busiest season (vs 30% nationally).
No. 5 Iowa
- 43% disagree that they would describe themselves as a die-hard sports fan (vs 27% nationally).
- Only 24% watch sports 6+ hours per week during their busiest season (vs 42% nationally).
- Only 51% say they actively celebrate big wins (vs 68% nationally).
What Americans told us about sports fandom in 2026
Sports are a regular part of life for most Americans. Nearly 77% follow sports at least once a week, and 22% engage with sports content daily.
That attention comes with a real time commitment. More than 60% spend at least three hours a week watching sports, including 34% who watch three to five hours and 27% who watch six to 10 hours. About one in eight report watching more than 11 hours per week.
For many fans, loyalty is not limited by geography. A majority of respondents (57%) say their primary team or program is not located in the state where they currently live.
Sports also shape schedules. Nearly 51% of Americans say they plan their schedules around sports, with 12% strongly agreeing and 39% agreeing.
Fandom is as much identity as it is entertainment. More than half of respondents (55%) consider themselves die-hard sports fans, including 21% who strongly agree and 34% who somewhat agree.
It is also deeply emotional. More than 80% of sports fans say they feel personally invested in the teams and programs they follow, with 26% strongly agreeing. More than half (55%) say game outcomes affect their mood that day, and 76% say they feel nervous or excited before big games, including nearly 30% who strongly agree.
Sports passion shows up in how people celebrate and gather. Eighty-one percent participate in sports-related rituals like watch parties or tailgates. Nearly seven in 10 (68%) say they actively celebrate big wins, and 28% strongly agree they mark major victories with posts, calls, or gatherings.
Fandom also drives spending and travel. Twenty-three percent traveled overnight in the past year primarily to attend a sports game or event. And 28% of sports fans spent over $300 in the past year on tickets, parking, concessions, or paid sports viewing subscriptions. One in 10 Americans report being season ticket holders.
How fandom differs by sport
When you break fandom down by sport, you start seeing different fan personalities. The NFL still anchors the national conversation. About 80% of respondents say they follow the NFL at least monthly, and more than 40% say it is the sport they follow most closely. NFL fans are also the most likely to plan their schedules around sports, with 56% agreeing or strongly agreeing.
Daily engagement looks different once you move past overall reach. NBA and MLB fans are the most devoted daily followers, with 33% of each consuming sports content every day, compared with 23% of NFL fans.
NBA fandom stands out for emotional intensity and postgame behavior. NBA fans are the most likely to strongly agree they feel personally connected to their teams (31%). They also lead after big moments, with 33% strongly agreeing they actively celebrate big wins and 37% strongly agreeing they cannot ignore sports news after a big game.MLB fandom shows up most clearly in time, spending, and travel.
MLB fans are the most likely to be heavy viewers, with 19% watching over 10 hours per week, and they are the biggest spenders, with 39% spending over $300 in the past year on tickets, parking, concessions, or paid sports viewing subscriptions. MLB also has the strongest travel component, with nearly 30% traveling overnight for sports in the past year, compared with 19% of NFL and NBA fans.
Sports passion can get…extreme
Numbers tell you where passion lives. Open-ended answers tell you what it looks like in the real world.
When we asked fans to describe the most extreme reaction they have had after a team or program they care about lost, we got responses that were funny, dramatic, and very, very human. A few that capture the vibe:
That is the fun and the chaos of being a sports fan: the highs feel like a holiday, the lows feel personal, and then you do it again next week.
If you are bringing that energy into baseball season, make sure you are ready for the first practice, the first pitch, and every backyard rep in between. Shop bats, gloves, training gear, and apparel and take your passion from the couch to the field.
Methodology
This study is based on an online survey of 2,243 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 5 to Feb. 23, 2026. Respondents answered 20 questions measuring sports fandom across five categories: Identity, Emotion, Time and Attention, Behavior, and Financial.
We converted responses into numeric values where higher scores indicate more passion. Each scored item was standardized to a 0 to 100 scale and averaged into the five component scores above. The overall Sports Fan Passion Index is the average of those five components, weighted equally.
State rankings are based on the average index score among respondents in each state. To avoid small-sample noise, we only ranked states with at least 30 completed responses.
Excluded for low survey volume (n under 30): District of Columbia, Montana, South Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming.
Fair Use
You are welcome to use, reference, and share non-commercial excerpts of this study with proper attribution. If you cite or cover our findings, please link back to this page so readers can view the full methodology, charts, and context.
