Lexington Ranks No. 1 College Basketball Market

Nielsen's new fandom index places Lexington ahead of Louisville, with Des Moines/Ames third among markets measured.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive sports illustration in Kentucky blue and white, showing a gestural basketball player driving toward the hoop above a blurred crowd. — Lexington, Kentucky ranked first among college basketball markets in Nielsen's new Scarborough Fandom Index, ahead of Louisville and Des Moines/Ames. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Nielsen ranked Lexington, Kentucky as the top college basketball market in the country on its Scarborough Fandom Index, released Tuesday, November 3. Louisville, Kentucky finished second, with Des Moines/Ames third.

Why it matters

The index weighs apparel purchases, event attendance, streaming, social media, TV viewership, radio listening and overall interest, offering a broad measure of local fan engagement. Michigan and UCLA, last season's NCAA champions, did not make the top 20.

Lexington scored 289 and Louisville 277 on the index, ahead of Des Moines/Ames at 256, Raleigh/Durham at 193 and Indianapolis at 190. The index combines seven metrics, though the source does not detail how each is weighted within the composite.

The players

Nielsen

Nielsen is a global audience measurement and data company known for its television ratings and media research.

The details

Nielsen built the index from apparel purchases, event attendance, streaming, social media following, TV viewership, radio listening and overall interest level. Birmingham and Knoxville made the list because their merchandise sales outpaced their TV viewership, while Columbus led all markets in apparel purchases but ranked 17th overall.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Nielsen released the Scarborough Fandom Index rankings.

Season Trajectory

The Nielsen Scarborough Fandom Index places Kentucky's two markets at the top of its college basketball rankings, measured across apparel, attendance, streaming, social, TV, radio and general interest. Michigan and UCLA, last season's NCAA champions, sit outside the top 20, which suggests that title success alone does not drive a market's fandom score.

Fans and fantasy managers tracking college basketball interest can use these rankings as a broad indicator of where demand for games, merchandise and broadcasts is concentrated. Markets like Lexington and Louisville may see continued strong attendance and viewership signals that shape how programming and events are planned.

The takeaway

College basketball fandom is measured not only by ticket sales but also by merchandise, streaming and social engagement, and a market's standing can differ sharply from recent championship results.