There's big swathes of the US that aren't dense enough to attract an NFL team but have plenty of people who like football. The urban/rural divide and state riva

There's big swathes of the US that aren't dense enough to attract an NFL team but have plenty of people who like football. The urban/rural divide and state rivalries in the US also makes it an awkward fit sometimes for a person to root for their nearest team. University teams may also be less anchored to an individual star since they age out so quickly, and could have a coherent identity for decades under a single coach