REVEALED: America’s Most NFL-Obsessed States

In the build-up to the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, Nevada, new research has revealed that North Dakota is the nation’s most NFL-obsessed state.

The analysis by odds comparison experts sidelines.io looked at Google Trends data to score each state out of 100 based on its search levels for the phrases “NFL,” “NFL Draft,” and “NFL Combine” over the past 12 months.

North Dakota tops the pile, ahead of Green Bay’s Wisconsin in second and Ohio in third, and the top five is completed by Minnesota in fourth and Pennsylvania in fifth.

South Dakota sits in sixth place and records the highest proportion of searches for “NFL,” but its lower interest levels in the draft and the combine mean that it can’t match its neighbor to the north for all-around NFL obsession.

North Dakota has a proud college football heritage but has never been home to an NFL team. If football fans from the state want to root for the nearest team geographically, then they would need to choose between the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, or Denver Broncos. However, the lack of local representation hasn’t stopped fans in the state from Googling the league, the draft, and the combine at a higher rate than anywhere else.

Alaska records the lowest search levels for the NFL-related terms at the other end of the scale, with Oregon just above it. California sits third from the bottom, despite being home to reigning Super Bowl Champions, the LA Rams.

The study was conducted by sidelines.io, which offers betting odds comparison, analysis, and tools to help you make data-driven decisions.

The Most Obsessed NFL States:

1. North Dakota
2. Wisconsin
3. Ohio
4. Minnesota
5. Pennsylvania
6. South Dakota
7. Iowa
8. Montana
9. Michigan
10. Nebraska
11. Indiana
12. Kansas
13. Maryland
14. Delaware
15. Wyoming
16. District of Columbia
17. Colorado
18. New Jersey
19. Missouri
20. Virginia
21. Arizona
22. Nevada
23. Connecticut
24. Hawaii
25. North Carolina
26. South Carolina
27. Georgia
28. Massachusetts
29. Louisiana
30. Rhode Island
31. New Hampshire
32. Mississippi
33. Florida
34. New Mexico
35. Illinois
36. Texas
37. Tennessee
38. Maine
39. Idaho
40. Washington
41. Utah
42. Alabama
43. West Virginia
44. Arkansas
45. Oklahoma
46. New York
47. Kentucky
48. Vermont
49. California
50. Oregon
51. Alaska

Featured Image: The Atlantic