H.V. Porter of Illinois coined the term 'March Madness' — here's his amazing story
H.V. Porter wrote that passionate Illinois high school hoops fans were possessed by "March Madness" in 1939. The phrase, now attributed to the NCAA college basketball tourney, has entered American mainstream language.
March is here, which means just one thing for college basketball lovers: March Madness.
The annual NCAA college basketball tournament begins on March 19, 2024, when 64 collegiate teams will take their turns playing for the championship title.
This year, games will be held across the country — from Dayton, Ohio, to Charlotte, North Carolina, from Los Angeles, California, to many other places.
College basketball fans will gather for the occasion, many hoping their bracket could bring in some cash.
WalletHub released a list of the top cities for college basketball lovers ahead of the annual tournament.
March Madness is an annual NCAA basketball tournament. (Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Divided into three categories based on population and size, the WalletHub list has many metrics — including the number of college basketball teams in the town, the performance level of the college basketball teams, the number of Hall of Fame head coaches and the college basketball stadium capacity.
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The overall top 10 cities for college basketball fans are — counting down — the following.
10. New York, New York
9. Boston, Massachusetts
8. Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was on the top list as it's home to the University of North Carolina which is known for having a winning men's basketball team. (iStock)
7. East Lansing, Michigan
6. Lawrence, Kansas
5. Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, made the list of top towns for college basketball fans. (iStock)
4. Durham, North Carolina
3. Storrs, Connecticut
2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1. Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles was determined by WalletHub to be the top city for NCAA college basketball fans. (iStock)
Los Angeles was the top city for college basketball fans due to its four Division 1 NCAA teams: the UCLA Bruins, CSU Northridge Matadors, Loyola Marymount Lions and USC Trojans.
The city, according to WalletHub, also has the largest number of NCAA championship wins since 1938, with 11 total.
WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe discussed the ranking with Fox News Digital.
"The dominance of UCLA in Los Angeles, with its rich history of NCAA championship wins and Hall of Fame coaches, reinforces the city's status as a basketball mecca," she said.
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Philadelphia took the No. 2 spot and ranked high due to its having the highest number of Division 1 NCAA teams of any city at six.
Philadelphia also has four Hall of Fame coaches.
WalletHub released a list of the top cities for college basketball fans ahead of March Madness. (iStock)
Storrs, Connecticut, is home of the University of Connecticut Huskies — who have won five national championships, according to WalletHub analysts.
"Despite being home to only one Division 1 team, the University of Connecticut Huskies, Storrs stands out due to its close-knit relationship with the team and the passionate fan base of the city," she said.
The city also has one of the best fan engagement numbers — and fans are known for liking to see games in person.
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Other placements included Ann Arbor, Michigan, at No. 29, Salt Lake City, Utah, at No. 50 and Lynchurg, Virginia, at No. 87.
WalletHub also found that the best-performing team came from Spokane, Washington, home of Gonzaga University — while the worst-performing team was Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi.
Fox News Digital reached out to WalletHub for further comment.
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