College Football Empire Map «PLUS — EDITION»

Unlike traditional “fan map” surveys (e.g. NYT’s), this map is , updating weekly during the season and monthly in the offseason.

Hidden layer showing — counties where the 2nd-place team’s fans still vastly outnumber their on-field success (e.g., Nebraska in Omaha suburbs, Texas A&M in parts of Houston). college football empire map

The first and most defining characteristic of the college football empire is the primacy of the "state flagship." In the vast, open territories of the American South and Midwest, the local state university often serves as the primary cultural rallying point. On the empire map, states like Alabama, Nebraska, and Oklahoma appear as monolithic blocks of单一 color. This consolidation of power occurs because, in these regions, there are no professional sports teams to compete for attention. The university becomes the intellectual and emotional capital of the region. Consequently, the "empire" of the University of Alabama is not limited to Tuscaloosa; it is a sovereign state that commands the loyalty of millions from the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf Coast. This creates a map defined by sharp borders and intense, homogeneous regional identities. Unlike traditional “fan map” surveys (e

Filter map by any top-100 recruit’s decision timeline: The first and most defining characteristic of the

The game begins before Week 0 with a completely divided nation. The rules are designed to ensure constant movement and high-stakes "wars":

The Empire Map is a community-driven visualization that treats the United States as a battlefield where FBS programs compete for territorial dominance. Unlike traditional rankings like the AP Poll, which measure perceived skill, the Empire Map tracks "physical" control based on wins and losses. How It Works: The Rules of Conquest