Lubbock Ranks Low in Sports Study Despite Red Raider Success

Lubbock's sports passion isn't translating on a national level.

I’ll tell you truthfully—it feels like Lubbock is being swallowed up by sports right now. Between the roar of Jones AT&T Stadium and the energy inside the United Supermarkets Arena, it’s easy to think we’re living in one of the most sports-obsessed cities in the country. Yet, according to a new national survey, that may not be the case.

We’re currently in what might be a once-in-a-lifetime run for Texas Tech athletics. As of this week, Texas Tech Football is ranked #6, the men’s basketball team sits at #11 (though that may dip slightly after their loss to #14 Illinois), and the Lady Raiders are off to a hot 3-0 start. On top of that, Lubbock is still basking in the afterglow of ESPN’s College GameDay coming to town for the dominant Red Raider win over BYU. With all that going on, you’d think we’d be near the top of any list measuring sports excitement.

Why Lubbock’s Sports Ranking Misses the Mark

A recent WalletHub study, however, paints a different picture. Lubbock ranks #48 among midsize U.S. cities—and an even more humbling #198 out of 399 overall. The study scored cities by their strength in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and hockey. And no, hockey isn’t to blame here; surprisingly, Lubbock didn’t even score particularly high in football, despite Tech’s national success.

Read More: How Texas Tech's Rankings Shifted Ahead Of Key Matchups

So what’s the takeaway? It seems that while Lubbock bleeds scarlet and black, that love doesn’t extend far beyond the Red Raiders. Maybe we’re not a “sports city” in the broad sense—but we’re absolutely a college town with heart, loyalty, and one of the most passionate fan bases in America.