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re: What city/area is the epicenter of these interstate rivalries?
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:26 am to SummerOfGeorge
Posted on 5/9/19 at 8:26 am to SummerOfGeorge
Interesting topic.
Georgia-Florida is most balanced north of Jacksonville and pretty much all across South Georgia. As you go inland towards Valdosta, you start seeing more Florida State added into the mix.
Georgia-Auburn is most balanced around Columbus-Phenix City. It really is a very even mix with a lot of Bama mixed in too.
I would think Alabama-Tennessee was historically most balanced in and around the Sand Mountain Region... Boaz, Guntersville, Fort Payne, Scottsboro, etc. However, with the way the rivalry has gone I would imagine its not nearly as balanced as it once was. It's probably way more pro-Bama nowadays. While less concentrated, you'd actually probably find more balance in some of the Nashville suburbs now than anywhere else.
All of those others I don't have any knowledge of.
Adding an in-state rivalry to the mix, I think the epicenter of the Iron Bowl rivalry is the OTM area of Birmingham. Alabama-Auburn. It's home for me so I can speak to the shear balance in this area. Outside of OTM Birmingham, the entire state is pretty much an 80-20 split towards Bama. Auburn-Opelika is the sixth largest metro in the state, and its obviously 90-10 Auburn.... parts of Huntsville and Montgomery may approach close to 50-50 as well, but those areas are small.
The OTM Area including Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Mountain Brook, and north Shelby County (Meadowbrook, Brook Highland, Shoal Creek, etc.) is home to roughly 200,000 people and its truly split 50-50 between Alabama and Auburn. If anything, sometimes I feel lately it might lean slightly towards Auburn. There are other fans sprinkled in as well, but its truly the epicenter of the Iron Bowl Rivalry IMO.
Georgia-Florida is most balanced north of Jacksonville and pretty much all across South Georgia. As you go inland towards Valdosta, you start seeing more Florida State added into the mix.
Georgia-Auburn is most balanced around Columbus-Phenix City. It really is a very even mix with a lot of Bama mixed in too.
I would think Alabama-Tennessee was historically most balanced in and around the Sand Mountain Region... Boaz, Guntersville, Fort Payne, Scottsboro, etc. However, with the way the rivalry has gone I would imagine its not nearly as balanced as it once was. It's probably way more pro-Bama nowadays. While less concentrated, you'd actually probably find more balance in some of the Nashville suburbs now than anywhere else.
All of those others I don't have any knowledge of.
Adding an in-state rivalry to the mix, I think the epicenter of the Iron Bowl rivalry is the OTM area of Birmingham. Alabama-Auburn. It's home for me so I can speak to the shear balance in this area. Outside of OTM Birmingham, the entire state is pretty much an 80-20 split towards Bama. Auburn-Opelika is the sixth largest metro in the state, and its obviously 90-10 Auburn.... parts of Huntsville and Montgomery may approach close to 50-50 as well, but those areas are small.
The OTM Area including Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Mountain Brook, and north Shelby County (Meadowbrook, Brook Highland, Shoal Creek, etc.) is home to roughly 200,000 people and its truly split 50-50 between Alabama and Auburn. If anything, sometimes I feel lately it might lean slightly towards Auburn. There are other fans sprinkled in as well, but its truly the epicenter of the Iron Bowl Rivalry IMO.
This post was edited on 5/9/19 at 8:27 am
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Posted on 5/9/19 at 12:18 pm to BHMKyle
quote:
Alabama-Tennessee was historically most balanced in and around the Sand Mountain Region... Boaz, Guntersville, Fort Payne, Scottsboro, etc. However, with the way the rivalry has gone I would imagine its not nearly as balanced as it once was. It's probably way more pro-Bama nowadays. While less concentrated, you'd actually probably find more balance in some of the Nashville suburbs now than anywhere else.
I'd say that is pretty accurate. The Tennessee River Valley area as it extends across Alabama is probably the best fit for the epicenter.
I grew up north of Florence in NW Alabama. It was fairly well split between Bama and Auburn, but there used to be a significant UT presence through the 80s and 90s.
Not sure if they have moved back north of the state line, died off or jumped bandwagons, but it is far less prevalent now.
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