…I just said it matters less, as in less than it used to. Fans exist everywhere especially when looking at alumni. People go to a school, graduate then move when they get their first job. They often move again when they get their 2nd job, etc. I attended BYU but live in Anchorage, Alaska.

The impact of BYU’s fan ship is an example of that. BYU isn’t the #1 favorite college football team in a big market like Phoenix, LA or Seattle but they do have an impact in many of those markets. For example they’re No. 2 most popular team in Tempe, Ariz., No. 3 in Tucson, Ariz., No. 3 in the Pacific Northwest, No. 4 in Los Angeles, No. 5 in Dallas-Fort Worth, No. 5 in San Diego, No. 6 in the Bay Area, No. 9 in Houston and No. 10 in Lexington, Ky. The Cougars are also found in the top 20 in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and New England.

No doubt that the market that a school exists in has importance but that importance is changing.