Where in Alabama do Tide fans most outnumber Auburn fans?
Look out, Auburn fans. You’re outnumbered. Especially in the larger cities.
Based on a recent analysis of social media data, Alabama football fans outnumber Auburn football fans more than 2-to-1 in the state of Alabama. And in many cities, the ratios are even higher.
Among Alabama’s four largest cities, Huntsville had the largest ratio of Tide to Tigers. Alabama fans in the Rocket city outnumbered Auburn fans nearly 4-to-1, while Birmingham and Mobile both saw nearly 3-to-1 Tide leads.
Even Montgomery, just an hour west of Auburn on I-85, had more Alabama fans – though the ratio there was just 1.1-to-1, the smallest difference in the state.
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The Center for Sports Analytics at Samford University analyzed data from tens of thousands of social media accounts for people living in 18 cities across Alabama. Based on that analysis, 15 of those 18 cities had more Alabama fans than Auburn fans – and the biggest difference ought to surprise no one.
Unsurprisingly, Tuscaloosa, home to the University of Alabama itself, had nearly 30 Alabama fans for each Auburn fan. That was by far the biggest ratio in the state – for either school. Tigers fans had a firm hold over the city of Auburn, home to Auburn University, where there were shouts of “War Eagle!” beat out “Roll Tide!” 22-to-1.
Auburn fans also outnumbered Alabama fans in the nearby cities of Opelika and Phenix City – but that cluster of three cities in east Alabama was the Tigers’ only stronghold in the state.
[Can’t see the map? Click here.]
Every other city where there was enough data to make a determination saw most people pulling for the Crimson Tide.
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To find these numbers, the Center for Sports Analytics gathered data on social media accounts – and the accounts they follow – using data compiled by the digital marketing company Zoomph. The analysis looked at people who follow specific city’s official twitter accounts – for instance, @tuscaloosacity for Tuscaloosa – and also followed Alabama football’s official account, but not Auburn’s, and vice versa.
Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Email Ramsey Archibald at [email protected], and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. Read more Alabama data stories here.