As a soccer program, few packages have had as a lot success or greater than the Oklahoma Sooners of their historical past. They’ve been the powerhouse within the Huge 12 for the final 20 years, successful extra convention championships than the remainder of the packages mixed.
Nestled within the coronary heart of Oklahoma, the Sooners have constructed themselves right into a blue blood program thanks partially to the work of Bennie Owen, Bud Wilkinson, Barry Switzer, Bob Stoops, and sure, even Lincoln Riley. They’re a staff synonymous with successful, offensive soccer, and Heisman trophies.
They’ve by no means been a flash-in-the-pan program. Whereas the Sooners have had short-lived durations of poor play on the sphere, they by no means lasted lengthy, and infrequently did it imply a dropping season. Based on Faculty Soccer Reference, the Oklahoma Sooners have had simply 11 dropping seasons of their 114-year run. That’s a exceptional run of success. By comparability, the Texas Longhorns have had 17 dropping seasons of their historical past.
That document of success has helped them construct one of many largest faculty soccer fanbases within the nation regardless of their residence state’s small inhabitants.
Technique analyst Tony Altimore underwent a course of to investigate the fan bases of Soccer Bowl Subdivision groups, and the Oklahoma Sooners got here in at No. 17 within the research.
Right here’s what they checked out of their research:
Contains inbound convention groups solely, excluding some newly promoted FCS groups missing prior knowledge. Source: New York Instances and NYT 538 research of fanbases in 2011 and 2014 and of Vivid Seats ticket gross sales knowledge in 2014, normalized with 2020 U.S. Census knowledge and Google tendencies knowledge and a number of research of general nationwide CFB fan help. Inputs from every research are averaged based mostly on variety of inputs to keep away from penalizing (primarily G-3) groups not included in all three research. – Tony Altimore
Ohio State got here in at No. 1, adopted by Notre Dame at No. 2. Texas, with Oklahoma heading to the SEC, had the third-biggest fanbase within the research’s estimation. Coming in forward of Penn State at No. 4 and Michigan to spherical out the highest 5.
The brand new-look SEC fared very effectively within the research as 15 of the 16 faculties made the highest 40 in estimated fan base. Vanderbilt, who has struggled in soccer in latest seasons, was tied at No. 63 with the Huge Ten’s Northwestern, who was the one faculty within the new-look convention exterior the highest 50.
Whereas Texas has a sizeable benefit within the fanbase measurement, one should additionally take into account that the state of Texas has a a lot bigger inhabitants than Oklahoma. It’s the age-old dialogue about why Oklahoma has so many gamers from Texas on the roster. There’s merely a bigger participant pool to recruit from.
The research has sure limitations, which is why it’s an estimate. The research used are almost a decade outdated. Nevertheless, it’s fascinating to see how the groups and leagues stack up based mostly on the numbers concerned. It’s unlikely issues have modified so radically in help that groups would drop off, however that’s to not say issues may look completely different in the event that they have been based mostly on newer numbers, have been they out there.
It’s not stunning that the SEC leads the way in which in common fanbase per faculty, adopted by the Huge Ten. These two conferences are thought-about one and two in unofficial rankings of the Energy 5. It’s additionally not stunning to see the Huge 12 fall to fifth among the many Energy 5, with Texas and Oklahoma shifting to the SEC.
As a result of this research got here out earlier than the strikes of USC and UCLA to the Huge Ten, it’s not been up to date to mirror the latest realignment. Nevertheless, once you add the previous Pac-12 faculties, they nonetheless lag behind the SEC.
And once you take out USC and UCLA from the Pac-12, they nonetheless rank forward of the Huge 12 in common fanbase per faculty by greater than half one million.
The ever-changing panorama of faculty soccer has led to discussions about model recognition and drawing energy. With that, let’s check out the highest 25 faculties in estimated fan base in line with this research.
25
Washington Huskies
Sep 28, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason (10) celebrates with followers after a sport towards the USC Trojans at Husky Stadium. Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports activities
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
2.46 million
24
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
2.55 million
23
Missouri Tigers
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
2.64 million
22
South Carolina Gamecocks
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
2.69 million
21
North Carolina Tar Heels
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
2.74 million
20
Florida State Seminoles
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
2.79 million
19
Miami Hurricanes
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
2.99 million
18
Michigan State Spartans
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
3.07 million
17
Oklahoma Sooners
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
3.22 million
81.5% of the inhabitants.
16
Tennessee Volunteers
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
3.27 million
15
Auburn Tigers
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
3.27 million
14
Syracuse Orangemen
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
3.45 million
13
Texas A&M Aggies
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
3.87 million
12
Georgia Bulldogs
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
3.99 million
11
LSU Tigers
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
4.02 million
10
USC Trojans
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
4.46 million
9
Wisconsin Badgers
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
4.57 million
8
Alabama Crimson Tide
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
5.34 million
7
Oregon Geese
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
5.54 million
6
Florida Gators
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
5.89 million
5
Michigan Wolverines
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
6.26 million
4
Penn State Nittany Lions
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
6.36 million
3
Texas Longhorns
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
7.82 million
2
Notre Dame Combating Irish
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
8.21 million
1
Ohio State Buckeyes
Whole Variety of Estimated Followers
11.26 million