March Madness: Dayton named a top college basketball city

A new list out this morning ranks the starting point of March Madness as one of the best cities for college basketball.

Dayton was ranked No. 15 among midsize cities and No. 71 overall as one of the best U.S. cities for college basketball, according to personal finance and ranking website WalletHub.

The Gem City hosts the NCAA’s First Four play in games to kick off March Madness at the University of Dayton Arena. The games at UD Arena are set for March 13 and March 14 and tickets can be purchased online.

Although UD's men's basketball team likely won't be playing in the NCAA tournament, Wright State University's men's team could if they win the Horizon League championship.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina which is home of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels took the top spot on WalletHub’s list. Columbus came in at No. 15 among large cities and No. 60 overall while Cincinnati was ranked No. 5 among midsize cities and No. 32 overall.

WalletHub based its rankings off of several factors including the number of Division 1 college basketball teams in each city, the performance of those teams and the fan-base, among other criteria.

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Below are the top five locations that led WalletHub’s overall list of the best college basketball cities.

1. Chapel Hill, North Carolina

2. Lawrence, Kansas

3. Los Angeles, California

4. Durham, North Carolina

5. Lexington, Kentucky

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