21 U.S. States 'Prefer' College Football to the NFL
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Football season is approaching.
July is here and, before you know it, college football and NFL teams will be reporting for preseason practices. Things heat up at the end of the month and preseason games for the NFL will start for most in August. The 2026 college football season starts in basically two months, while the NFL season begins in mid-September.
What do you prefer – the NFL or college football?
You can probably guess which states prefer college football and which states prefer the NFL. However, a study has made the numbers exact.
A study conducted by Civic Science determined that a little less than half of the country prefers college football to the NFL.
In total, 21 U.S. states prefer college football over the NFL. Meanwhile, 29 states prefer the NFL to college football.
What states prefer college football vs. NFL
The 21 U.S. states that prefer college football over the NFL are mostly in the South and the Midwest:
- Oregon
- Idaho
- Utah
- Colorado
- South Dakota
- Iowa
- Oklahoma
- Michigan
- Ohio
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Nebraska
- Missouri
Meanwhile, 29 U.S. states prefer the NFL to college football, including:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
The numbers make sense, for the most part.
Where you stand personally? Sound off in the comment section below and make your pick for college football or the NFL.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jul 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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