Top 10 cities for college basketball fans ahead of March Madness 2024 tournament games

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.

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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.  

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)

Lexington, Kentucky, made the list of top towns for college basketball fans.  (iStock)

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