The Red River Rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners is steeped in tradition, but the real driving force behind the strife of this legendary matchup is the fanbases. From technology to festivals and many categories alike, the interests and passions among these fan bases seem to differ overwhelmingly. Utilizing data collected by Zoomph from followers of the official X account of both schools' football teams, this article will dive into a comparison of the fanbases and reveal some unexpected takes on each group. Texas Longhorn fans seem to have a zest for luxury and non-essential goods and experiences, while Oklahoma fans seem drawn to invest in the more mundane and fundamental aspects of life.

Sports

When it comes to sports, it's clear both fan bases have an immense passion and loyalty for not only their team but for sports in general. Unsurprisingly, sports showed the highest general interest for both fanbases. However, this category also narrows the most diverse aspects of each group's interests. Oklahoma has an estimated audience size or "fanbase" of 209.3K and Texas of 124.1K based on the given criteria. The data revealed that the Sooner's fanbase has a slightly higher overall sports interest percentage at 61.5% compared to Texas's at 59.8%. Despite having this shared interest, when we look deeper into areas concerning specific sports and leagues, there is quite a distinction among these fanbases, especially outside of football.

This chart shows the largest differences in the interests that Texas and Oklahoma fans have when it comes to interactions or expressed interest in specific sports. So, although Oklahoma has the highest overall sports interest, the data revealed that the most significant differences fell in favor of Texas fans.

Financial Attitudes

You know what they say, "Everything's bigger in Texas," and this holds true to Longhorn fans' purchase behavior compared to Sooner's fans. When it comes to even the most mundane items, like water, the Texas fanbase's highest interest percentage goes to more expensive or higher-end brands. For example, Topo Chico versus Oklahoma's highest brand interest is Smartwater. According to the data, Texas has a higher percentage of purchase affinity, showing a 3% affinity for luxury brands. Additionally, when it comes to values and opinions, Texas fans place a higher emphasis on financial markets, poverty, and taxes than Oklahoma fans. The chart below reveals that the Longhorn fanbase places a much larger emphasis and value on financial and monetary aspects.

To conclude, the Red River, in which this intense rivalry is named, flows between Texas and Oklahoma, and it isn't the only thing that divides these two fan bases. Although they come together over a shared love for their teams, when you take a closer look, each fanbase reveals many diverse aspects that drive their passions both within and beyond football.

Source

https://zoomph.com/

Author

Annabeth Applefield, Samford Sports Business MBA Candidate