http://www.koco.com/r/29049468/detail.html

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A new study found that University of Oklahoma football fans are well-educated, successful and not afraid to cheer for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research, a Washington, D.C., based company with offices in Oklahoma City, surveyed adults in Oklahoma regarding their attitudes toward college football.

"Oklahomans are passionate about the Sooners, as almost eight in 10 Oklahoma adults say they are OU fans, but almost half of Sooner fans also cheer for the Oklahoma State Cowboys," wrote WPA Vice President Brian Smith, a graduate of Harvard University and the director of the study. "Clearly this is a state that sticks together."

The study found that 77 percent of Oklahoma adults are OU fans. That far exceeds the University of Texas.

Only 40 percent of Texas residents root for the Longhorns.


Almost half of Sooners fans, 45 percent, said they are also OSU fans.

The study also found that the Sooner fan base is well-educated and successful.

Two in five hold a college or post-graduate degree and more than four in five own their own homes.

The study was conducted on 650 Oklahoma adults in May.

I guess this means that the Oklahoma media should give OU 77% of the local coverage given to college sports.

Did they call 650 people in Norman or Moore?

Only 40 percent of Texas residents root for the Longhorns.




The state of Texas also has 10 Division 1-A college football programs. Oklahoma has 3. That's an easy answer as to why UT "only" has 40% of Texas residents rooting for them - actually, I find that rather impressive.

Translate that into actual numbers of fans:
UT fans at 40% of Texas population ----------- 11.2 million
Oklahoma fans at 77% of Oklahoma population -- 2.8 million

...wrote WPA Vice President Brian Smith, a graduate of Harvard University and the director of the study. "Clearly this is a state that sticks together."

OKCTalk poster JTF, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a reader of the study, doesn't care that Brian Smith went to Harvard and while that fact doesn't add anything to the study, Brian chose to tell us about it anyhow.

As for relating broad public support for state athletic teams to "stick togetherness", I submit the State of Texas as exhibit A. UT and ATM can't even reside in the same conference, but say the State of Texas sucks and groups of alumni from both schools will be at your door with pitchforks.

It would have been interesting to see where the Thunder fell in the mix.

I guess this means that the Oklahoma media should give OU 77% of the local coverage given to college sports.

I think OU would fuss if the coverage were cut back to that level.
8^)

This is something that many of us had suspected but this study shows the first publicly published documented proof
that I have ever seen of the giant demographic lead OU enjoys in Oklahoma.


If the people in the local media and their advertisers are interested in making money their coverage and advertising
will come more in line to more accurately target this 77% of the Oklahoma adult population.

A sample size of 650 is pretty darn small.

No doubt it would be better if it was bigger.
I’m now told the Tulsa World conducted a similar study several years ago with similar results.

Would like to see the wording of the questions of this survey. I don't see 77% of the population being sooner fans and I don't see 45% of those fans rooting for OSU. I have a feeling that the survey didn't ask how much of a fan they are but instead asked if they are more OU or OSU fan.

This will have Earth shattering implications for our state.

Agree with Pete that is a very small sample size. One of the things I detest about surveys is the way questions are slanted. For example if you ask me if I am an OU fan I would answer yes but if you ask me who my favorite college football team is my answer would be OSU.

This is about the same size as some Presidential polls that purport to accurately represent the views of +300,000,000 people.

Apparently this has been done before with similar results in 2004

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That % of fans has remained consistent. Wilson researched for the Dallas Morning News in '04 when 78% of Oklahomans surveyed as OU fans.

I wonder how (or if) they weighted the survey size for different areas of the state?

Case in point: I went to Leflore County last week and I didn't see one OU shirt. Plenty of OSU and Arkansas though.

I wonder how (or if) they weighted the survey size for different areas of the state?

Case in point: I went to Leflore County last week and I didn't see one OU shirt. Plenty of OSU and Arkansas though.

You dinna look close enough then. I still have fam in the area and I've never heard even a hint of a lack of Sooner faithful. But yeah, home turf does have a lot of Razorbacks and Poke fans too. Lawdy, lots of folk there have hats for all three programs and even cheer for them Tulsa boys too from time to time.