The Luker on Trends - ESPN Sports Poll marks its 25th year tracking college basketball fan preferences and metrics since 1994, showing a consistent popularity for teams like Duke and North Carolina. Interest in college basketball peaks in March with a significant seasonal fluctuation in fan engagement levels throughout the year. The document also highlights the varying regional favorites and the impact of championship wins on a team's popularity.

1. TOURNAMENT
trends
PAST,PRESENT,FUTURE
The love of the game

2. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
2 0 1 8 M A R KS T H E 2 5 T H Y E A R O F T H E L U K E R O N T R E N D S - E S P N
S P O RT S P O L L , T H E F I RS T A N D L O N G E S T - R U N N I N G T R A C K I N G
S E RV I C E O N S P O RT S FA N S I N T H E W O R L D . T H E S P O RT S P O L L
C U R R E N T LY T R A C KS I N T E R E S T I N 3 4 D I F F E R E N T S P O RT S ,
T E C H N O L O GY E N G A G E M E N T , M E D I A U SA G E , AT T E N D A N C E
B E H AV I O RS , A N D S P O N S O RS H I P S U P P O RT . I N T I M E F O R M A R C H ,
W E W O U L D L I K E T O I N T R O D U C E YO U T O T H E P O W E R O F T H E
S P O RT S P O L L BY U S I N G C O L L E G E B AS K E T B A L L AS A N E X A M P L E .

3. TOURNAMENT
trends
25 YEARS OF INTELLIGENCE
THE SPORTS POLL HAS TRACKED CORE FAN
METRICS, INCLUDING FAVORITE COLLEGE
BASKETBALL TEAM, SINCE 1994.

4. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
T H E L U K E R O N T R E N D S - E S P N S P O R T S P O L L H A S T R A C K E D FAV O R I T E C O L L E G E
B A S K E T B A L L T E A M S S I N C E 1 9 9 4 . O V E R T H AT T I M E , T H E T O P T E N FAV O R I T E
T E A M S H AV E B E E N R E M A R K A B LY C O N S I S T E N T . D U K E , N O R T H C A R O L I N A , A N D
K E N T U C K Y H AV E T R A D I T I O N A L LY R A N K E D AT T H E T O P . E I T H E R D U K E O R U N C
H A S R A N K E D A S T H E # 1 FAV O R I T E E V E RY Y E A R S I N C E 1 9 9 4 .
8.0%
5.9%
4.5%
3.3%
3.2%
2.7%
2.5%
2.4%
1.9%
1.6%
NorthCarolina
Kentucky
Duke
Michigan
UCLA
Georgetown
Indiana
Kansas
Arkansas
Syracuse
1997
5.6%
4.9%
3.9%
3.0%
2.8%
2.8%
1.9%
1.8%
1.5%
1.5%
Duke
NorthCarolina
OhioState
UCLA
Florida
Kentucky
Wisconsin
Texas
Indiana
Illinois
2007
5.0%
4.0%
2.8%
2.6%
1.9%
1.6%
1.5%
1.4%
1.2%
1.2%
Duke
NorthCarolina
Kentucky
UCLA
OhioState
Michigan
Kansas
Wisconsin
Syracuse
MichiganState
2017

5. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
O V E R T H E S E PA S T 2 5 Y E A R S , D U K E S 2 0 0 2 T E A M WA S T H E M O S T
P O P U L A R , F O L L O W E D BY U N C S 1 9 9 8 T E A M . O D D LY E N O U G H , N E I T H E R
O F T H O S E T E A M S W O N T H E N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N S H I P . T H E M O S T
P O P U L A R N O N - D U K E O R U N C T E A M WA S K E N T U C K Y I N 1 9 9 8 . T H E O N LY
O T H E R S C H O O L I N C L U D E D B E L O W I S T H E 1 9 9 4 M I C H I G A N T E A M ( T H AT
F E AT U R E D F O U R O F T H E O R I G I N A L FA B 5 P L AY E R S ) .
10.5%
10.3%
9.2%
9.1%
8.2%
Duke2002
NorthCarolina1998
Duke2001
Duke2006
NorthCarolina1995
MOSTPOPULARTEAMSSINCE1994
6.1%
5.9%
5.4%
5.3%
4.9%
Kentucky1998
Kentucky1997
Michigan1994
Kentucky1996
Kentucky2015
MostPopularTeamsSince1994
(BesidesDuke&UNC)
% o f C o l l e g e B B F a n s s a y i n g t e a m i s t h e i r f a v o r i t e

6. TOURNAMENT
trends
DATA COLLECTED YEAR-ROUND
SPO RTS FANS CHANG E TH EI R PR EFER ENCES
OVER TH E COURSE OF TH E YEAR. COLLEGE
BASKETBALL PROVI DES A PER FECT EXAM PLE O F
SEASO NALITY.

7. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
14.7
19.6
26.2
10.3
6.7
10.7
5.5 6.3 4.5 5.4
13.5
9.5
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
N U M B E R O F C o l l e g e B A S K E T B A L L fa n s
w h o a r e m o s t i n t e r e s t e d i n C o l l e g e B A S K E T B A L L b y
m o n t h ( i n m i l l i o n s )
N = 9 0 2 0 C o l l e g e B a s k e t b a l l F a n s
I n 2 0 1 7 , 2 6 m i l l i o n C o l l e g e B a s k e t b a l l fa n s s a i d t h e y w e r e
m o s t i n t e r e s t e d i n C o l l e g e B a s k e t b a l l d u r i n g M a r c h . T h e r e
i s a b u i l d u p a s i n t e r e s t i n c r e a s e s f r o m J a n u a ry t o F e b r u a ry
a n d t h e n p e a ks d u r i n g M a r c h . N o s p o r t e n j o ys a g r e at e r
s e a s o n a l s p i k e t h a n C o l l e g e B a s k e t b a l l .

8. TOURNAMENT
trends
COVERAGE OF THE ENTIRE US POPULATION
INTEREST IN SPORTS VARIES
DRAMATICALLY WITHIN DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE COUNTRY. SO DO SCHOOL
PREFERENCES.

9. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
D u k e i s t h e n at i o n a l fav o r i t e , b u t n o t # 1 i n a n y r e g i o n
Pa c i f i c :
U C L A
N e w
E n g l a n d :
U C o n n
M i d - At l a n t i c :
V i l l a n o va
E a s t N o r t h
C e n t r a l :
O h i o S tat e
W e s t N o r t h C e n t r a l :
K a n s a s
S o u t h At l a n t i c :
N o r t h C a r o l i n a
E a s t S o u t h
C e n t r a l :
K e n t u c k y
W e s t S o u t h C e n t r a l :
T e x a s
M o u n ta i n :
BY U

10. TOURNAMENT
trends
INTELLIGENCE BEYOND DATA
EVERY MONTH LUKER ON TRENDS
PROVIDES INTELLIGENCE THAT LOOKS AT
TRENDS AND EMERGING ISSUES IN
GREATER DEPTH.

11. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
• S I N C E 1 9 9 4 , T H E C O L L E G E B A S K E T B A L L N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N H A S
R E C E I V E D A N AV E R A G E B U M P O F 5 7 % I N P O P U L A R I T Y A S FAV O R I T E T E A M
D U R I N G T H E Y E A R T H E Y W O N T H E T I T L E . T H E H A L O T Y P I C A L LY L A S T S
M O R E T H A N J U S T T H AT Y E A R T O O . P O P U L A R I T Y WA S 4 8 % H I G H E R F O R
N AT I O N A L C H A M P S I N T H E S E C O N D Y E A R ( C O M PA R E D T O P R E -
C H A M P I O N S H I P ) . *
• U N C R E C E I V E D A 1 3 % B O O S T D U R I N G T H E I R C H A M P I O N S H I P Y E A R I N 2 0 1 7 .
V I L L A N O VA R E C E I V E D T H E H I G H E S T S I N G L E - Y E A R B O O S T ( 1 3 1 % ) I N 2 0 1 6 .
• A F I N A L F O U R R U N C A N H AV E N E A R LY A S G R E AT A N I M PA C T . S C H O O L S
T H AT M A D E T H E F I N A L F O U R R E C E I V E D A N AV E R A G E B U M P O F 47 % D U R I N G
T H AT Y E A R * * .
* E X C L U D E S F L O R I D A ( W H I C H W O N B A C K - T O - B A C K N A T I O N A L T I T L E S )
* * E X C L U D E S S C H O O L S T H A T S T A R T E D A T 0 % F A V O R I T E I N P R E V I O U S Y E A R

12. TOURNAMENT
trends
COVERAG E O F US PO PU LATIO N 12 AN D O LDER
12-17 YEAR-O LDS HAVE TRADITIO NALLY BEEN
TH E BIGGEST SPORTS FANS. TH EY HAVE ALSO
BEEN TH E MOST LI KELY TO CHANG E TH EI R
I NTER ESTS, FAVO R ITE CO LLEGE BASKETBALL
TEAMS I NCLU DED.

13. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
• T H E N AT I O N A L C H A M P I O N H AS I N C R E AS E D I N P O P U L A R I T Y BY
A N AV E R A G E O F 1 8 7 % W I T H 1 2 - 1 7 Y E A R - O L D S S I N C E 1 9 9 4 .
U N C R E C E I V E D A 4 6 % B O O S T AS FAV O R I T E T E A M W I T H 1 2 - 1 7
Y E A R - O L D S I N 2 0 1 7 .
• T H E B A N D WA G O N E F F E C T G O E S B E YO N D T H E N AT I O N A L
C H A M P S T O O . U C L A ( L E D BY L O N Z O B A L L ) R A N K E D AS 1 2 - 1 7
Y E A R - O L D S FAV O R I T E C O L L E G E B AS K E T B A L L T E A M I N 2 0 1 7 -
M O R E T H A N T W I C E AS P O P U L A R T H A N T H E Y W E R E W I T H A L L
C O L L E G E B AS K E T B A L L FA N S .

14. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
D u k e 1
K e n t u c k y 3
M i c h i g a n 6
K a n s a s 7
S y r a c u s e 9
V i l l a n o va 1 1
G o n z a g a 1 3
W e s t V i r g i n i a 2 5
F l o r i d a S tat e 3 5
P u r d u e 41
T e x a s A & M 4 5
C l e m s o n 5 3
T e x a s T e c h 5 9
K a n s a s S tat e 7 6
N e va d a 8 0
L o y o l a ( C h i c a g o ) N R
* N o t e : 2 2 2 s c h o o l s r e c e i v e d a t l e a s t o n e m e n t i o n i n 2 0 1 7

15. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
• T H E L U K E R O N T R E N D S - E S P N S P O R T S P O L L I S C O N D U C T E D F R O M A
R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S A M P L E O F A M E R I C A N S 1 2 A N D O L D E R B Y S S R S . T H E
S P O R T S P O L L T R A C K S I N T E R E S T I N 3 4 D I F F E R E N T S P O R T S ( 4 5 ,
I N C L U D I N G S O C C E R L E A G U E S ) , T E C H N O L O G Y E N G A G E M E N T , S P O R T S
T E L E V I S I O N V I E W E R S H I P , AT T E N D A N C E B E H AV I O R S , A N D S P O N S O R S H I P
S U P P O R T .
• D ATA I S C O L L E C T E D 3 5 0 D AY S A Y E A R F R O M A N AT I O N A L LY
R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S A M P L E O F A M E R I C A N S A G E 1 2 A N D O L D E R B Y S S R S .
I N T E R V I E W S A R E C O N D U C T E D W I T H 1 , 5 0 0 A M E R I C A N S E A C H M O N T H V I A
L A N D L I N E A N D C E L L P H O N E , A N D O F F E R E D I N B O T H E N G L I S H A N D
S PA N I S H .
• T H E 2 0 1 7 D ATA I N T H I S R E P O R T I S B A S E D O N A N AT I O N A L LY
R E P R E S E N TAT I V E S A M P L E O F 9 0 2 0 C O L L E G E B A S K E T B A L L FA N S A G E 1 2
A N D O L D E R .

16. S o u r c e : L u k e r o n T r e n d s - E S P N S p o r t s P o l l
MELISSA HERRMANN
P R E S I D E N T
M H E R R M A N N @ S S RS . C O M
@ H E R R M A N N M J
CHAD MENEFEE
S E N I O R PA RT N E R
C H A D @ L U K E R O N T R E N D S . C O M