Study Lists Maryland Basketball Among Nation's Most Popular, Successful Programs
3/5/2004 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 5, 2004
Click here for the complete results of the study.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A recent study by the Leisure Intelligence Group (LIG) tabbed the University of Maryland men's basketball program among the five most popular teams in NCAA Division I.
LIG, using ESPN sports poll data measuring fan interest, loyalty and behavior relevant to basketball "brands," found that the top five Division I programs in terms of national popularity are Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA and Maryland. The study indicates that history, tradition and past successes are primary influences of fan interest.
Maryland's on-court success includes 10-consecutive berths in the NCAA Tournament, seven Sweet Sixteen appearances since 1994, Final Four showings in 2001 and 2002, and the 2002 national championship. Head coach Gary Williams has taken his alma mater's program from the depths of inherited NCAA sanctions and elevated it to a position among the nation's elite.
The Terrapins have announced sellout crowds in each of their 15 home games to date, for a total attendance mark of 269,250, and each of Maryland's 27 regular-season games is scheduled to appear on live national or regional television for the second-straight season. Last season the Terrapins finished fifth in the nation in terms of home attendance, with an overall mark of 281,057 and a per game average of 17,566. Maryland's on-line merchandise store on umterps.com is perennially among the most visited in college sports.
According to the study, conducted by LIG founder Richard Luker, Ph.D., the Atlantic Coast Conference holds the highest measurable level of national fan interest and competitiveness of any league in NCAA Division I basketball.
The ACC has been the nation's highest rated league all season according to the RPI report, currently with five teams ranked in the Top 25 and seven that have appeared in the polls over the course of the 2003-04 season. ACC teams posted a 91-16 (.850) record against non-conference opponents this season, including a 7-2 record in winning the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Luker is an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, best known for his creation of the ESPN (Chilton) Sports Poll in 1994, which was the first dedicated ongoing intelligence service to collect information from Americans on their interests and activities related to sports.
Click here for the complete results of the study.
