Whoa Nelly: Residents of American South Are Nation's Most Passionate College Football Fans, According to Expedia Study

BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwire - Oct 15, 2012) - Expedia®, the world's leading online travel agency, today revealed the results of a study of American attitudes towards college football. The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Expedia.com®, among 2,334 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The study confirmed what many suspected: men and women in the American South love college football more than residents of any other region. 63% of Americans in the South watch college football, narrowly edging residents of the Midwest (62%). Residents of the South and Midwest were both found to be significantly more likely to watch college football than those in the West (51%) or Northeast (47%). 70% of American men follow the sport, versus 43% of women.

"In some regions of the country, college football fanhood begins at birth. In other regions, it starts on the first day of freshman year. But it's the sort of passion that lasts a lifetime," said Joe Megibow, vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. "College football fans travel. Sports travel is a growing trend in general. So Expedia commissioned this study to make sure that we have every resource available for college football fans when they decide to follow their passion."

Expedia's college football survey also found:

• College football fandom is a preference that Americans carry through life -- viewership percentages do not significantly vary by age. 77% of U.S. adults have attended a college football game in their life. Of that group, a full 14% traveled overnight to do so within the last season (from August 2011 to January 2012).
• While fandom lasts forever, trips to away games are quick. The average stay for a college football vacation was a single night in 2011. But they're lengthening. This year, Americans who plan to travel to a game anticipate staying two nights in a hotel, versus one.
• While love for college football is deepest in the South and Midwest, half of all residents in the West and Northeast follow the sport as well. 51% of residents in the West and 47% of the Northeast follow college football.
• College football travel tends to be more spur-of-the-moment than other types of vacation, such as summer and holiday trips. Among Americans who travel to attend college football games, excluding bowl games, a full 21% book college football games within a week of the game. 61% of Americans who travel to regular season games typically book within a month of the game.
• Bowl games are a particularly attractive travel draw. Among fans who have traveled to attend a regular season game, 51% indicated that it was at least somewhat likely that they'd travel to a bowl game, while nearly a third (29%) said they were "extremely or very likely."

Expedia also partnered with StubHub to identify college football ticket trends. Data from StubHub suggests:

• College football tickets are a prized commodity. In the South, buyers face average ticket prices that are 9.1% higher than the national average. The South also comprises a full 50% of college football ticket buyers and transactions and 55% of ticket sales.
• Fans in Texas pay a premium for college football tickets. On a per-ticket basis, fans in Louisiana pay the most. Collectively, fans in Texas pay 75% more for college football tickets than residents of the next-highest state, California. California was the only Western state in the top 15 of total ticket sales. On a per-ticket basis, Louisianans pay the most; the average ticket price in Louisiana is $231 per ticket. The national average is $114 per ticket.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Expedia from August 23-27, 2012 among 2,334 adults age 18+. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Dave McNamee at dmcnamee@hlgrp.com.

About Expedia.com
Expedia.com is the world's leading online travel site, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/,1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, resorts, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps. With the Expedia® Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel. Whether you want to relax in Cape Cod, sail in Lake Tahoe or swim in Tahiti, we know every trip and every traveler is unique and we want to help you Find Yours™.

Expedia, Expedia.com and the Airplane logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. ©2012 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST # 2029030-50

SOURCE: Expedia, Inc.
Web site: http://www.expedia.com/

About StubHub
StubHub is the world's largest ticket marketplace, enabling fans to buy and sell tickets to tens of thousands of sports, concert, theater and other live entertainment events. StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in 2000 and continues to lead it through innovation. The company's unique online marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets, provides all fans the choice to buy or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient and highly reliable environment. All transactions are processed and delivered by StubHub and backed by the company's FanProtect Guarantee™. Company partners include the San Francisco Giants and University of Texas, along with over 60 teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and NCAA, complemented with companies such as ESPN, Tickets.com, and Paciolan.