Hey, new member here. I'm a little bored of the other Chicago message boards, and with the Cubs being so horrible right now, the NBA over, college football a couple of months away, etc., I thought I'd start off my posting career here with an interesting topic: What are everyone's favorite NCAA teams? According to Common Census (a website that maps sports loyalties across the country), Chicagoland's NCAAF fan breakdown is something like this (according to their survey):

Illinois - 364
Northwestern - 169
Notre Dame - 153
Michigan - 95
Northern Illinois - 81
Wisconsin - 63
Iowa - 51
Ohio State - 47
Purdue - 40
Michigan State - 33
Indiana - 29
Penn State - 22
Minnesota - 12

I was wondering if this board matched that at all ... so, post your favorite NCAA teams like I do below!

Favorite NCAAF Team: Illinois
Least Favorite NCAAF Team: Ohio State
Favorite NCAAB Team: Illinois
Least Favorite NCAAB Team: Indiana
Location: Chicago (North Side)

Welcome and I like the Topic

Favorite College Football- The U Miami
Least Favorite College Football- Boise State
Favorite College Basketball- Duke
Least Favorite College Basketball- Butler

Small town in Indiana

BRick could only stuff the ballot box 40 times?

_________________

Illinois alumni here.

Like: Purdue football/basketball
Dislike: Indiana football/Notre Dame basketball

Oh wait, reverse those.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I live and die Northwestern football. I have a poster of Pat Fitzgerald above my bed.

_________________
Fire Phil Emery

Favorite NCAAF Team: Iowa State
Least Favorite NCAAF Team: Notre Dame
Favorite NCAAB Team: Duke/Iowa State
Least Favorite NCAAB Team: UConn
Location: Iowa (the part with corn)

Irish Boy is not my mult!

#gocats

Favorite NCAAF Team: Northwestern
Least Favorite NCAAF Team: USC
Favorite NCAAB Team: Northwestern
Least Favorite NCAAB Team: don't have one!
Location: West Suburb

Hi Tom...welcome to the board. Be sure to read the Welcome Section!

Favorite NCAAF Team: ND
Least Favorite NCAAF Team: FSU/Miami
Favorite NCAAB Team: UIC FLAMES!!!! Woot Woot....(Illinois)
Least Favorite NCAAB Team: Duke
Location: Mundelein

_________________
@audioidkid

I would be VERY surprised if the above poll is true. Northwestern has the SECOND FEWEST number of alumni of the Big 10 teams in the Chicagoland area. I would absolutely love it if Chicago embraced the Purple, but fact remains that NU is an afterthought in this town. Hence why AD Jim Phillips felt the need to step-up the marketing efforts. Let's be honest "Chicago's Big Ten Team" is an aspiration... not a fact. I would love it if the opposite were true, but one has to only look into Dick's Sporting Goods to find Illinois, Notre Dame, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa apparrel.... but no Purple despite being the closest major D1 program to Chicago.

I hear ya Mud....try to find some UIC gear without going to the bookstore on campus. Impossible.

_________________
@audioidkid

And I have zero problem with that... supply and demand. Fitz has got to put a compelling product on the field if NU ever has aspirations of growing its fanbase. No one is impressed with a marginal bowl program. If I'm running a store, I'm putting what sells on my shelves. And right now, I might be the only one buying a Kain Colter jersey (by the way, I'm told NU is going to unveil its new Under Armour jerseys on July 1).

Favorite NCAAF Team: Michigan
Least Favorite NCAAF Team: Notre Dame
Favorite NCAAB Team (if they put forth legitimate effort): DePaul, if no effort....Kansas
Least Favorite NCAAB Team: Duke
Location: Chicago (South Side)

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Boooooo!!!

_________________
My Maserati does 186.

Welcome to the bored

Favorite NCAAF Team: Florida
Least Favorite NCAAF Team: Arkansas*
Favorite NCAAB Team: Duke
Least Favorite NCAAB Team: North Carolina
Location: Gurnee



*please note that the correct answer is actually Alabama. I only do this to piss off Hawg Ass

_________________

Favorite NCAAF Team: Illinois
Least Favorite NCAAF Team: Illinois
Favorite NCAAB Team: Illinois
Least Favorite NCAAB Team: Kansas
Location: Here

_________________
My Maserati does 186.

You mean you didn't enjoy that 67 pt. explosion they put on......oh wait.

Nevermind

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

So so petty.

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

I gotta good grip on this grudge and I'm not going to let it go.

We would have also accepted "Indiana".

_________________
My Maserati does 186.

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Favorite Football Team: Arkansas
Least Favorite NCAAF: Tennessee
Favorite NCAAB: Arkansas
Least Favorite: Kentucky
Location: Above the cheddar curtain

_________________
2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

What's the genesis of the Illini nation's hate of Michigan? You aren't the first Illini that told me they hate Michigan.

I have the sufficient degree of hate for Michigan.

It's Regular Reader I hate. He's a traitor.

_________________
My Maserati does 186.

Favorite Football Team: The U
Least Favorite NCAAF: Ohio State and Notre Dame in a tie
Favorite NCAAB: Whoever is playing Duke
Least Favorite: Duke
Location: Ohio

_________________
That's my purse! I don't know you!

Favorite: Football-ND, Basketball-IU
Least Favorite: Football-Boston College (I never have let go of that loss in 93, I was still young enough to let sports make me cry), Basketball-Duke
Location:Indiana

_________________

One of those.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Thanks for the replies. Yeah, I have to admit the NU marketing campaign did get under my skin as a life long Illini fan from the city, but at the same time, I think I'd be doing the same thing if I were the AD at NU. In fact, I'm quite pleased that the new AD at UI, Mike Thomas, is really stepping up his efforts (or at least promises to) in regards to marketing up here. I've seen before that Illinois has almost a quarter of a million alumni in the Chicagoland area ...... the fact that they've been so indifferent to reaching out to that many fans all concentrated in one area for so long is beyond me. However, thankfully, I think that's about to change. I have a skewed vision because I live in Wrigleyville with a bunch of other college graduates (and let me tell you, out of towners who move to Chicago wear their college stuff ALL the time, whereas Illini fans more often wear Cubs, Bears, Bulls, etc. unless it's an Illini event ----> stereotype that there are as many fans of other Big Ten schools in Chicago as there are Illini fans), but I'd say of the people I know, my completely unscientific breakdown would be like this:

FOOTBALL:

Illinois - 35%
Notre Dame - 20%
Northwestern - 7%
Other Big Ten schools - 28%
Other - 10%

BASKETBALL:

Illinois - 40%
DePaul - 10%
Notre Dame - 10%
Northwestern - 5%
Other Big Ten schools - 28%
Other - 7%

Just a complete guess based on the people I know and grew up with, though. People often confuse rabid with big. For example, by any measuring stick, there are probably more UI fans than UND fans in Chicago, but Notre Dame has much better fans, so you notice about as much Irish love, if not more, than you do Illini or Northwestern.

If you are breaking it down by football, then Notre Dame is the #1 school in the Chicago area without question.

_________________
You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

10% of people care about DePaul basketball? Maybe in 1981.

Yeah the last time anyone really cared about DePaul, even a little bit, was the Quentin Richardson teams with Lance Williams, Bobby Simmons, and Steven Hunter. That was over 10 years ago.

_________________