Discover Fan Loyalty Poll: College Football Fans Say The Best Seats In The House Are On The Couch

October 18, 2012

83% of College Football Fans Prefer to Watch Games at Home Rather than at a Stadium

RIVERWOODS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2012-- College football fans say the best seats in the house for watching games are in their houses when it comes down to a choice between going to a game or watching it on TV. In this week’s Discover Fan Loyalty Poll, 83 percent of fans said they prefer watching the game at home in front of a TV, compared to 12 percent who would rather watch the game live at a stadium, and 4 percent who are partial to bars or restaurants.

When it comes to preferences of fans among the major conferences, Big East fans are the most willing to go out to a game, 42 percent, compared with their counterparts in the PAC 12, 23 percent; ACC, 16 percent; SEC, 10 percent; Big Ten, 9 percent; Big 12, 4 percent; and independents, 1 percent.

College football fans also proved this week that loyalty runs deeper than just wins and losses. When asked if they were at the game and their team was losing badly, would they stay or leave? The majority, 71 percent, would stay and cheer to the bitter end, while 21 percent would leave early to beat the crowd and traffic and, 8 percent were unsure. Eighty five percent of fans said they would still follow their teams every week – even during a bad season.

The top college football polls all agreed on the five best teams in the country right now; however, Discover Fan Loyalty Poll respondents had a difference of opinion on order. Alabama and Oregon were the same across the board, but Notre Dame sneaked into third as 56 percent of fans with no conference affiliation or preference chose the Fighting Irish. The rankings are as follows:

  • Alabama, 47 percent
  • Oregon, 9 percent
  • Notre Dame, 7 percent
  • Ohio State, 6 percent
  • Florida, 5 percent
  • Kansas State, 3 percent
  • Louisiana State University, 3 percent
  • Oregon State, 1 percent
  • Some other team, 13 percent
  • Not sure, 7 percent

The 15-week Discover Fan Loyalty Poll is conducted by Rasmussen Reports, a nationally recognized leader in polling, who gathers sentiment by phone from 800 college football fans who follow games at least once per week on television, radio, in person or online.

Discover launched the Fan Loyalty Poll to give die-hard fans a platform to showcase their dedication and love for their favorite college football team leading up to the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game and 2013 Discover Orange Bowl. Each week the poll will offer new questions about what college football fans are thinking this season.

Beyond title sponsorship of the 2013 Discover BCS National Championship Game and 2013 Discover Orange Bowl, Discover’s commitment to college football includes relationships with ESPN and Notre Dame Football on NBC.

About Discover

Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company operates the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers home loans, private student loans, personal loans, online savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its direct banking business. Its payment businesses consist of Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discoverfinancial.com.

Source: Discover Financial Services

Katie Henry
Discover
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kathrynhenry@discover.com
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Matthew Towson
Discover
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matthewtowson@discover.com