Sports Spot: The Top Ten States For Sports Fans To Go

Sports tourism has surged in popularity, and is expected to reach a valuation of $53.5 billion by the end of 202. There has been a notable 3.25% increase in NFL attendance in 2022 to 69,442 per game, which is the second-highest figure in the last 19 years. With this in mind, Viator sought to uncover the best US states for sports fans to visit as part of their “All-American” Index.1,2

To accomplish this, the experts created a points-based index system that analyzed various metrics. These included the number of sports venues per state, average stadium capacities, number of male professional sports teams and college football teams, as well as the average attendance to ultimately uncover the best US states for sports tourism.

Florida is the ultimate US state for sports tourism

Viator can reveal that Florida is the top US state for sports enthusiasts to visit, with an overall sports tourism score of 9.24/10. With a total average of 341,978 fans per game across all sports, it secures the second-highest spot nationally and is more than double that of North Carolina (143,445), despite having a similar population. Visitors can immerse themselves in Florida’s sports culture, whether it’s by tailgating in the sunshine before a Florida Gators college football game or watching the Miami Dolphins, the highest scoring team in the NFL,3 amongst 65,000 passionate fans at the Hard Rock Stadium; one of the confirmed host venues for the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and six-time host of the Super Bowl.4,5

Texas claims the second top spot for traveling sports enthusiasts, with a sports tourism score of 9.19 out of 10. The state stands out for the highest number of college football teams in the country (12), as well as having the highest average attendance at college football games (479,127). Not only this, but Texas had the third-highest average attendance across professional sports teams per game in 2023 at 338,687. Visitors can experience the baseball culture in Texas by celebrating the Texas Rangers’ recent World Series victory or travel to San Antonio to see the NBA’s number one draft pick, Victor Wembamyama, in his rookie season with the Spurs. Texas is home to 116 sports venues, headlined by the AT&T stadium—the largest stadium in the NFL—with a seating capacity of up to 100,000.6

California takes the third spot, with an overall sports tourism score of 8.99/10. California is home to the most professional sports teams at 18 which include some of the most successful teams in professional sports. Visitors can admire the 17 NBA championship banners hanging in the rafters at the Staples Centre whilst watching Lebron James or catch a game at Dodger Stadium, the largest baseball stadium in the world and home to seven-time World Series champions the LA Dodgers. Additionally, with the relocation of the LA Rams and LA Chargers in recent years, NFL tickets are more accessible for visitors heading to California.7

Ohio places tenth for sports destinations, with 8 professional sports teams Rounding off the top 10 is Ohio, with an overall sports tourism score of 8.41/10. Ohio is home to the second-highest number of college football teams nationwide, including the Ohio State Buckeyes, which are currently one of the top-ranked college football teams in the country. Visitors to the state can watch the Buckeyes at 104,000-seater Ohio Stadium as they strive to secure their ninth college football national championship.

Methodology:

1. Viator sought to discover which US state is the best for sports travel. This press release is part of a wider Viator study into the most “All-American” states.

2. To analyze which state could boast the most sporting venues, the number of stadiums (football, soccer, baseball) was sourced, as were indoor arenas (basketball and hockey). College sports venues were also included.

3. The total number of professional and college sporting venues per 100 square miles was calculated for each state. As well as the number of average attendances per professional games per state including NFL, NHL, MLS, MBS, NBA and the average number of attendances to college football games per state. To supplement the number of venues the average capacity per state was calculated. We also used Wikipedia to source the number of professional teams per state in NFL, NHL, MLS, MBS, NBA.

4. *NHL attendance records are reported from the year 2021/22, whereas the other leagues were calculated on 2023 attendance.

5. **This data focuses on only male sports teams across the US, therefore all rankings are not including the success of US female sports teams.

6. ***The Canadian major sports teams that play alongside US teams were not counted in this data.

7. ****Numbers have been rounded up in the table above, find full figures in the dataset.

8. The full dataset used throughout this study can be found here.