It’s the most exciting time of the year for college basketball fans: March Madness.
Fortunately, California is home to the No. 1 city in the nation for college ball, according to WalletHub.
The personal finance company recently went in search of the best — and worst — cities for college basketball fans in 2026, based on team win records, stadium capacity and other factors.
“The best cities for college basketball have high-performing teams, affordable and accessible games and strong fan engagement,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a March 4 article.
How did your city fare? Here’s what to know:
Tarris Reed Jr. (5) of the UConn Huskies posts up against Steven Jamerson II (24) of the UCLA Bruins during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Philadelphia. Emilee Chinn Getty Images/TNS What makes Los Angeles the No. 1 for college basketball?
Los Angeles took first on WalletHub’s 2026 list of the top spots for college basketball lovers in the United States.
The City of Angels has four different NCAA Division 1 teams, including the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans. California State University, Northridge, and Loyola Marymount University also call the Los Angeles area home.
“These teams stand out even in a city that’s already known for its professional-level basketball,” WalletHub managing editor John S. Kiernan wrote in the article.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts (51) and Charlisse Leger-Walker (5) celebrate together on the bench during an 87-68 win against Oklahoma State in the NCAA Tournament round of 32 at Pauley Pavilion on March 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. Ronaldo Bolanos Los Angeles Times/TNS
Los Angeles has the largest number of NCAA championship wins since 1938, with 11 total, WalletHub said, as well as the most Hall of Fame coaches, at four.
WalletHub also ranked college basketball towns by size, with Los Angeles claiming the No. 1 spot in the large city category.
Durham, North Carolina, was named the top midsize city, and Lawrence, Kansas, was the best small city, according to WalletHub.
Ushers wait for fans to file into the venue before the UCLA vs. Abilene Christian NCAA men s basketball tournament game Monday, March 22, 2021 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indy Hoops Feature | Tribune Photo/MICHAEL CATERINA / USA TODAY NETWORK How did other California cities rank?
Los Angeles was the only California city to find a spot in the top 20, according to WalletHub.
California cities that landed lower on the list included Long Beach at No. 54, San Diego at No. 74 and San Francisco at No. 80.
Stanford was No. 88 and Santa Clara was No. 96.
Sacramento State Hornets forward Shaqir O’Neal (8) and Idaho State Bengals guard Lachlan Brewer (12) battle for rebound during a game at Sacramento State on Monday, March 2, 2026. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. pkitagaki@sacbee.com What are worst California spots for college basketball fans?
A number of California cities ranked toward the bottom of WalletHub’s list, including San Luis Obispo at No. 267, Fresno at No. 286 and Berkeley at No. 295.
In fact, Sacramento ranked only one spot above dead last.
It came in at No. 296 out of 297 cities.
A general view of March Madness center court logo during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. Steph Chambers Getty Images What are top 10 cities for college basketball in the US?
According to WalletHub, these were the top 10 cities for college basketball in 2026:
Los AngelesDurham, North CarolinaLexington, KentuckyPhiladelphiaLawrence, KansasEast Lansing, MichiganStorrs, ConnecticutChapel Hill, North CarolinaNew York CityBostonHow did WalletHub come up with its list?
WalletHub compared a total of 297 U.S. cities with at least one Division 1 basketball team across nine metrics:
Number of Division 1 basketball teamsPerformance level of college basketball teamsNumber of basketball championship winsNumber of conference regular season winsNumber of Hall of Fame head coachesSeason ticket pricesSocial media engagementNumber of coaches in past 10 seasonsCollege basketball stadium capacity
Data came from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, ESPN and NCAA.org.
Loading…
Related Stories from Fresno Bee
McClatchy DC
Brooke (they/them) covers Fresno and California news as the Fresno Bee’s service journalism reporter. They previously covered wildlife and national parks out west for the national real-time team at McClatchy News. Originally from Florida, they studied journalism at the University of Florida and previously covered LGBTQ+ news for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, their hometown newspaper. When they’re not writing stories, they enjoy hanging out with their cats, riding horses or spending time outdoors.