Lawrence named among top 50 cities for basketball fans

LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - Lawrence - home of the University of Kansas Jayhawks - has been named among the top 50 best cities for basketball fans.

With NBA playoffs well underway and the league projected to welcome $10 billion in revenue this season, WalletHub.com says it released its report on 2022′s Best & Worst Cities for Basketball Fans - and Lawrence made the top 50 just after the Jayhawks clinched the 2022 National Championship Title.

To find the best cities for professional and college basketball fans, WalletHub said it compared more than 290 of the largest cities across metrics which range from the performance level of each city’s basketball teams to ticket prices to stadium accessibility.

Source: WalletHub

The report shows Lawrence ranked 32nd overall with a total score of 26.08, an NBA rank of 28 and an NCAA rank of 7. The city is home to 2022 NCAA National Champions the University of Kansas Jayhawks and Allen Fieldhouse - the team’s home court. The University of Kansas boasts some of the biggest names in basketball - James Naismith and Dr. Forrest C. “Phog” Allen.

The report indicated other cities in Kansas are not so basketball-friendly. Manhattan - home of the Kansas State University Wildcats - ranked 187th overall with a total score of 14.56, an NBA rank of 28 and an NCAA rank of 180. Kansas City - which has played host to NCAA Championship games - ranked 249th overall with a total score of 12.59, an NBA rank of 28 and an NCAA rank of 245. Lastly, Wichita - home of the Wichita State Shockers - came in at 277th overall with a total score of 10.58, an NBA rank of 28 and an NCAA rank of 275.

WalletHub noted that there were only 28 ranking spots for the NBA as there are only 28 teams and only 28 home cities.

The study also indicated that Lawrence was home to the fifth-best-performing college basketball team - just behind Spokane, Wa.; Lynchburg, Va.; Charlottesville, Va.; and Waco, Texas. It also found Lawrence tied for the city with the highest minimum season-ticket prices for college basketball games with Lexington, Ken., and Chapel Hill, N.C.

For more information or to see where other cities fall, click HERE.