Clemson named best ‘small’ sports city in the country

CLEMSON, S.C. (WBTV) – A newly released analysis ranked Clemson as the top “small” sports city in the United States, thanks in part to its championship pedigree.

The study put together by WalletHub analyzed 400 cities across 50 key metrics, and ranked them in terms of small, medium and large markets, as well overall sports appeal.

Clemson of course topped the small market category, and ranked 30th overall – just two spots behind Charlotte and above college football strongholds Tuscaloosa and Ann Arbor.

WalletHub said Clemson University has “extremely engaged fans,” and cited its football program’s 21 ACC championships and three national titles as reasons for its high ranking.

Dabo Swinney has long been a household name among college football fans, and is once again chasing a playoff berth in 2024.

On the basketball court, Clemson is coming off another successful season, having won 24 games during the 2023-24 campaign. So far this season, Brad Brownell’s team is 3-0 and has won each game by at least 13 points.

The Tigers also have an emerging new program as the university wrapped up its inaugural women’s gymnastics season this spring.

While the city does not have any teams in the four major U.S. professional sports, Clemson is only about two hours from both Charlotte and Atlanta.

Related: Cade Klubnik leads Clemson past Virginia Tech

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