Indiana Hoosiers: Analyzing our fan survey – part one

Last week, Hoosierstateofmind surveyed Hoosier fans to hear what Hoosier Nation has to say about Indiana University athletics. In a three-part series, we’re going to analyze what the fans had to say and what it means for the Indiana Hoosiers.

In total, we had about 130 readers respond. Not everyone responded to every question, but the sample size remained pretty consistent throughout the survey. This sample pool will be enough for us to have a finger on the pulse of the Hoosier faithful, or at least the ones reading Hoosier State Of Mind.

For the first installment in this series, We’ll be looking at voter data and general Indiana sports questions. The next two installments will be Football and Basketball specific.

How did you become an IU sports fan?

It’s always interesting to hear how people become fans of their favorite teams. We asked Hoosier nation and the results are quite interesting as answers ranged from “I attended IUPUI and switched from a Purdue fan to an IU fan” to “I watch on tv”.

What I found particularly interesting is that although you would probably expect that almost 60% of people became fans through a connection with the university, it turns out that almost a quarter of our fans became fans by watching IU basketball in the Bobby Knight era. That explains why Indiana’s fanbase is so nostalgic about Knight, but that’s a discussion for another time and place.

Where do you follow IU from?

In the 21st century, it’s become easier to follow your team from across the globe. This shows how almost 40% of Hoosier nation is in a long-distance relationship with IU. A big shout out to the two people following the Hoosiers from another country. That’s true love.

How many Indiana Basketball games do you watch a year?

Although people who read The Hoosier State of Mind  may be a little more die-hard than the average Hoosier fan, these numbers are still a good example of how passionate Hoosier nation is about basketball as almost 84% of you watch almost every game.

How many Indiana Football games do you watch a year?

It seems as though Hoosier Nation is a little less enthusiastic about football than they are about basketball, however, it is clear that fans still love football as more than 65% of you still dedicate your Autumn Saturdays to IU football. When Indiana makes the rose bowl next year, more than 65% of Indiana fans will be watching, I promise you that.