FanSided rankings of fan bases have been released for 2020. Where do the Indiana Pacers fans rank among their peers?
The Indiana Pacers have a loyal set of fans if I have learned anything over the past few years. Year after year, first-round sweeps in the playoffs have not deterred fans from coming back the next season. In fact, Pacers fans have arguably increased in the past calendar year.
FanSided 250 is a project that ranks fandoms across sports, television, and so much more. It is a chance for fans to see how they stack up against their peers, rivals, and even cross-sport competition. How do the Indiana Pacers compare to their NBA counterparts after another early playoff exit?
In 2019, the Pacers were hardly even on the list of fandoms, coming in at just 199th overall and 25th among all professional basketball clubs. They were sandwiched between the Jazz and Bulls despite the Bulls being far from a competitive team over the past however many years.
Taking back a bit further to 2017 and 2018, Indiana did not even crack the list of the top 250 fandoms, which is astonishing but understandable. At the time, the Pacers were far from an exciting team and had not seen playoff success in quite some time. Now, they are on the rise as one of the more respectable basketball organizations.
In the final 2020 rankings, the Indiana Pacers check-in at 130th overall and 19th among basketball fandoms. Thanks to T.J. Warren’s 53 point showing in the bubble last season, which was named the “best fan moment’ for the Pacers, Indiana is back on the map as an enticing team as they enter the new season.
Things have not always gone according to plan for the Pacers, with injuries limiting the roster and stars stirring up drama. Still, the front office has continued to put a competitive team on the floor and fans have continued to support the blue and gold. If they see a significant improvement under Nate Bjorkgren, the Pacers should jump up even higher on the list for 2021.