Are there any schools where football and basketball are equally loved?
This is a question that has been heating up Reddit with some passionate debates, and I’m not really sure there are. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
As the Reddit thread points out, we’re not talking about schools that are equally great in both programs, but schools that love both programs the same amount.
There is a difference.
Is there a school that can genuinely claim to be both a basketball AND football school? from CFB
Honestly, outside of Wisconsin, I’m not sure I can think of a single school that might love football and basketball equally.
It’s always one or the other. Outside of Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Michigan State and Kentucky, I think every program loves football more.
Michigan has a passionate basketball fanbase, but the Wolverines are still all about football. If you polled the fans on which team they like more, the vast majority would say the football team.
As for Wisconsin, I can safely say I think they’re pretty close. However, in 2020, the football team has the edge.
However, when Bo Ryan was doing his thing with the basketball program, his squad was every bit as loved as the football team, perhaps even more so.
If you polled people in Wisconsin, it might be a 60/40 or 55/45 split in favor of the football team, which is about as close as you’re going to find in America.
The reality of the situation is that football drives the money and the TV ratings. Plus, boosters simply love it more. That means the fanbase will naturally gravitate to it over basketball.
Maybe there’s a school that’s slipping my mind, but outside of Wisconsin, I can’t think of a single program where the basketball and football programs are equally loved.