quote:
...I agree Bama fans are 2-2.5 times greater in number than Auburn fans in the state as a whole... In fact i think its probably triple... but I disagree that Birmingham is "even more of a Bama town." Sure it certainly breaks for Bama as a whole, but Auburn has a much greater presence in Birmingham than it does in other parts of the state...

Great job. However, I disagree with your conclusion that AU has a greater presence in Bham than the rest of the state for 2 reasons. First, the exit poll I referred to, which was 48%-20% (of the voters, not football fans, or college students or college grads), almost 2.5 to 1 Bama. I would think it would be greater now.

The other is that IMO, school attendance is not a good barometer. AU recruited heavily, and I mean laser focused, in the OTM area for years while Bama slept. (Part of their pitch was that "we have more students like you". For years AU was one of the whitest student bodies in the SEC. May still be true.) The numbers you quoted were far more skewed 10-15 years ago than now. Bama has closed the gap. But even when they were greater, there were still more Bama fans in the area. In fact, one of AU's reasons for leaving Legion Field was because of the dominating Bama support, though I felt it was a somewhat specious argument - they got 50% of the tickets. But those few hundred students are a tiny % of the overall 1 mil metro population. I would guess that at one time, maybe now, the majority of UAB students were Alabama fans. I was one. I realize UAB and AU are 2 different animals, but you get the point.

There are certainly not more Bama fans in Bham than all other parts of the state. My guess is that you don't even believe that. Only the Western part of the state likely has more Bama fans than Bham. Huntsville and Montgomery are likely more AU than Bham. Also, many in the rural areas are pro AU because AU is an agricultural school. Many in the smaller cities are Bama, but many in the rural areas are AU, even in West Alabama.

I do know that the Bham media is now pro AU and somewhat anti Bama, whereas 35 years ago it was very pro Bama and while not anti AU, it was less pro AU. AU is very active in hound dogging the media. Again, Bama is lazy or just doesn't care in this regard. Maybe it doesn't matter since the local media does not mean much anymore, Bham or anywhere else.