Bloomington: No. 6 in college sports

IU-Bloomington's resume includes two top-three party school rankings and one as best research university. \nNow, it can add No. 6 best college sports town to the list.\nSports Illustrated ranked Bloomington as the sixth best college sports town in the country in its most recent Sports Illustrated: On Campus issue.\n"What makes IU No. 6 in our eyes is obviously terrific basketball, but also the unique sporting experiences including the Little 500," SI: On Campus Editor Chris Stone said. "Ultimately fan passion for all university sports and sporting experiences divided the top 10 from everyone else."\nMadison, Wisc., (University of Wisconsin) ranked No. 1, followed by Athens, Ga., (University of Georgia), Austin, Texas, (University of Texas), Gainesville, Fla. (University of Florida) and Boulder, Colo. (University of Colorado).\nSix Big Ten cities made the top 20, including Ann Arbor, Mich., (University of Michigan) at No. 11, Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State University) at No. 15, Iowa City, Iowa (University of Iowa) at No. 18, and State College, Pa., (Penn State University) at No. 20.\nBruce Henderson II, a senior at UW-Madison, said the city is finally getting the respect it deserves. "We've got the best basketball team, with one of the top 10 recruits coming in, and we are predicted to win the Big Ten again," Henderson said. "We've got the football team which is always bowl bound, but most importantly, we've got a combination of all sorts of people who love one thing -- the Badgers."\nThe SI article made reference to Bloomington's love of basketball and the success of the IU men's soccer and swimming teams. The article touched on the football team's futility, saying, "The men's soccer players and men's swimmers are no slouches, even if the football team is."\nAssistant Athletic Director of Media Relations Jeff Fanter said Bloomington's ranking is justified.\n"Sports IIlustrated is a nice, well-respected magazine, and I think people who didn't know much about our athletic department will notice something like this," Fanter said. "I think there needs to be a more balanced interest in athletics across the board, and that's what we have here."\nSI suggested Nick's English Hut as "The Spot" for watching the big game, giving a breakdown of how to play, "Sink the Biz."\n"Nick's is probably as closely related to the University without being a part of the University as you can get," Nick's co-owner Rex Barnes said. "We'll fill up before and after the games and usually have lines out the door."\nIU men's basketball attendance ranks near the top nationally, but low attendance at football and women's basketball games has one professor questioning the validity and importance of the ranking.\n"In the end, a winning football and basketball team is what the media and the public care about," said American Studies professor Murray Sperber. "If someone like me -- a researcher in the field -- has hardly heard of it and cannot get a clear answer about its criteria, then the average person in Indiana is unaware of its existence. So, it's impact on IU's reputation is very marginal."\n-- Contact senior writer Mitch Blacher at mblacher@indiana.edu.