Index of University Press Releases

April 27, 2009

DWU Tiger Poll: Basketball and football equally popular
but change may loom on the horizon

MITCHELL, S.D. – Football may be the most popular sport to most Americans, but South Dakotans follow basketball almost as much as football, according to the most recent Dakota Wesleyan University Tiger Poll.

In 1972, football overtook baseball as the most popular sport of Americans for the first time, according to Gallup pollsters. In more recent years, football has been the overwhelming response by Americans when asked by the Gallup Organization to name their favorite sport to watch. But the first DWU Tiger Poll on the issue found that South Dakotas are different from the average American sports enthusiast.

When asked to identify their favorite sport to watch, 28 percent of South Dakotans identified football, compared to 41 percent nationally; while an almost equal number of South Dakotans identified basketball, 27 percent, compared to only 9 percent nationally. Baseball proved much more popular with South Dakotans, at 14 percent, than it did in the most recent national Gallup Poll when it ranked second among Americans, with 10 percent.

Five percent of South Dakotans identified auto racing when responding to the DWU Tiger Poll, while no sport besides football, baseball or basketball was mentioned by more than 5 percent of respondents in the most recent national Gallup Poll, which was conducted Dec. 4-7, 2008.

Rodeo, the official sport of South Dakota, tied with golf as the fifth most frequent response from South Dakotans.

What is your favorite sport to watch?

*According to the March 23-April 06, 2009, DWU Tiger Poll
**According to the Dec. 4-7, 2008, Gallup Poll.

South Dakotans 65 and older were the most likely age group to identify golf (8 percent) or baseball (18 percent) as their favorite sport to watch. Eighteen to 30 year olds were the most likely age group to identify football (38 percent), basketball (38 percent), hockey (7 percent), or soccer (3 percent). Auto racing was identified by 7 percent of 31 to 50-year-old South Dakotans, the highest percentage received in any age group. Rodeo was identified by 5 percent of South Dakotans in the 31-to-50 and the 51-to-64 age groups. Boxing and volleyball fared best among the 51-to-64 age group, with both sports receiving 2 percent of responses.

“Younger South Dakotans, those adults aged 18 to 30, seem to be more likely to watch football, basketball, hockey and soccer than their elders, and a lot less baseball,” said Donald Simmons, dean of the DWU College of Leadership and Public Service. “Our findings indicate the possibility of future generational shifts in viewing preferences of South Dakotans when it comes to sports.”

Of all educational categories, South Dakotans who were college graduates with no post-graduate education were most likely to identify football as their favorite sport to watch, at 34 percent. Basketball was most likely to be identified by those who had some college education but no degree, at 38 percent.

Those adults who had not attended college were more likely to identify auto racing as their favorite sport to watch, at 7 percent, than individuals in any other educational category. Those with a college degree and additional post-graduate education were more likely to choose soccer and hockey, at 3 percent. There was little distinction among those of varying educational levels when it came to the sport of rodeo, which received 3 percent of responses in every educational category surveyed.

Of all household income categories, South Dakotans with annual household incomes of $20,000 to $49,000 were most likely to identify football as their favorite sport to watch, at 33 percent. Basketball was most likely to be identified by those who had household incomes of less than $20,000, at 34 percent. Golf was most likely to be identified by those who had household incomes of $100,000 or more, at 6 percent.

Those adults who had a household income of $50,000 to $100,000 were the most likely income category to identify auto racing, at eight percent (8%). Households with incomes of less than $20,000 and those with incomes of $50,000 to $100,000 were most likely to choose soccer, at 2 percent.

There was virtually no difference statistically between the way men and women in South Dakota responded to the question.

The DWU Tiger Poll is a joint project of the McGovern Center for Leadership and Public Service and the DWU Mathematics Department. Karla Hunter, Donald Watt, Donald Simmons, Michael Catalano and Rocky Von Eye form the faculty research team for the 2009 DWU Tiger Poll. Student research coordinators for the 2009 DWU Tiger Poll are Teagan Aguinaga, Todd Casselman, Sarah Duff, Katy Duffy, Jerry Hinkle, Philip Johnson, Kelsey Miller, Lucas Sieve, Zach Zephier, Anu Mishra, Laura Guericke, John Olson, Jennifer Krueger, Sarah Pagel, Michela Duxbury, Kyle Henderson, Jared Thomas and Corey Marek.

The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.8 percent for the entire statewide sample. Subset sample margins of error vary depending on selected sample sizes. Totals may not equal 100 percent as all percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

More detailed information about the poll results is available online at www.mcgoverncenter.com/poll2009.