Poll Shows Money Affects How Much North Carolina Residents Care About March Madness

How much money people make really shapes whether North Carolina residents care about March Madness. A new Elon University poll shows that 58% of people making under $50,000 a year don't watch the tournament at all, while only 35% of those making six figures stay away from the games.

Looking at 800 North Carolina adults, the numbers tell a clear story. People in the middle, making $50,000 to $100,000, are split evenly, with 48% not watching during tournament season.

Who people root for tends to follow their politics. Democrats and Republicans match in their overall interest at 54%, but independents trail at 38%. NC State gets more love from Republicans: 37% compared to 29% Democratic fans.

Even with North Carolina's deep basketball roots, 38% of residents don't have a favorite team. But local loyalty runs strong. When their top pick loses, North Carolinians back other teams from the state by an overwhelming 7-to-1 margin.

Men and women still watch March Madness very differently. While 63% of men follow the tournament closely, just 38% of women do. But women's basketball pulls big numbers, their championship game got 18.9 million viewers last year, beating the men's 14.8 million.

Among fans, UNC leads with 37% support, with State right behind at 31%. Duke gets 26%, while Wake Forest has 17%. Many fans cheer for more than one school.

This year's tournament features many teams from the state. Five women's teams made it in: Duke, NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, and High Point. For the men, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, and High Point got spots.

The Elon University poll was conducted March 3-11, with a +/-4.04% margin of error. It used weighted online panels to match the state's population.