Columbus is the number one sports town in the U.S., according to a recent analysis by sports fan research firm Scarborough Sports Marketing. The analysis aggregated the avid fans of the 29 sports measured by Scarborough, including major leagues, college sports, motor sports, minor leagues and others.

Avid sports fans are defined as adults who are “very” interested in the sports measured by Scarborough.

Two-thirds (66 percent) of adults in Columbus are avid sports fans, according to the survey. Boston (64 percent), Buffalo and Pittsburgh (both 63 percent) followed Columbus in the rankings. The national average is 56 percent.

”We have always felt that Columbus was home to the most passionate sports fans in America,” said Linda Shetina Logan, executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. “So it is very satisfying to have a third-party research firm endorse our city as the best sports town in the United States.

Columbus is home to The Ohio State University, which fields 36 varsity sports; the Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League; the Crew of the Major League Soccer; the Destroyers of the Arena Football League; and the Columbus Clippers of the International League, the new Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

"Each of the leading sports towns typically has one or two major teams that carry the market. In Columbus, it is college football. The Ohio State Buckeyes football team commands a more concentrated fan base than any other NCAA team measured by Scarborough. Additionally, the NHL Blue Jackets and the MLS Crew call Columbus home, and the city is surrounded by other major markets with established histories in professional sports -- including Cincinnati and Cleveland," said Howard Goldberg, senior vice president, Scarborough Sports Marketing. "Columbus sports fans also have the added benefit of close proximity to the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton."

Scarborough also examined home city fan bases of teams in the top sports towns. While Columbus may be known for having a high percentage of Ohio State college football fans, other leading sports towns are popular for their dominating major league teams. Boston, the No. 2 sports town in the U.S., has two major league teams with high popularity: the Red Sox (71 percent of Boston adults are Red Sox fans) and the New England Patriots (67 percent of Boston adults are Patriots fans).

The Cleveland/Akron area finished fifth in the survey with 62 percent of adults identifying themselves as avid sports fans.

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