A new nationwide look at NFL fandom is sparking debate in New Mexico after a viral social media post suggested the state overwhelmingly backs a team many residents say they rarely see.
The controversy began when DraftKings shared a map on social media showing each state’s most popular NFL team, citing data from World Population Review. That data, in turn, traced back to a study by Vivid Seats, which analyzed ticket purchases by ZIP code to determine which teams fans in each county support.
According to the Vivid Seats analysis, the Arizona Cardinals dominate much of New Mexico—particularly across the western and central parts of the state.
The county-level breakdown shows the Cardinals leading in the vast majority of New Mexico’s 33 counties, including populous areas such as Otero, Doña Ana, Santa Fe, Bernalillo, and Los Alamos counties. Only a handful of counties diverged from that trend.
In northern New Mexico, Rio Arriba, Taos, Colfax, and Mora counties were shown favoring the Denver Broncos. Elsewhere, San Miguel County leaned toward the San Francisco 49ers, while Quay County favored the Miami Dolphins. Torrance County backed the Las Vegas Raiders, and Union County showed support for the New York Giants.
Meanwhile, southeastern counties—including Guadalupe, Valencia, Curry, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lea, Eddy, and Sierra—were shown favoring the Dallas Cowboys, long considered “America’s Team.”
A few counties were listed as having no clear favorite, including Catron and Harding counties.
The broader regional pattern also stood out. According to the study, every county in Arizona showed support for the Cardinals, while parts of neighboring Utah also leaned heavily toward the team.
But despite the data, many New Mexicans aren’t convinced.
Social media reactions quickly poured in after the map began circulating, with many residents questioning whether the results reflect reality on the ground.
“NM is full of Broncos and Cowboys fans… never have I met someone who likes the Cardinals,” one Facebook commenter wrote.
“Nobody in NM likes the Cardinals,” another added.
Others echoed similar sentiments, pointing to long-standing loyalties in the state.
“New Mexico is mainly Cowboys and Broncos fans,” one commenter said, while another declared, “New Mexico will forever be Dallas Cowboys.”
Some responses were even more blunt.
“From New Mexico and there’s fans for literally every team BUT the Cardinals,” one user wrote, adding they had never encountered a Cardinals fan in decades of living in the state.
Another commenter claimed, “Never once in my life have I met a Cardinals fan in Albuquerque… almost everyone else is a Cowboys/Steelers bandwagon or a Broncos fan.”
The disconnect highlights a key limitation of the study’s methodology. Vivid Seats based its findings on ticket purchase data—specifically, which teams’ games fans were buying tickets to attend—rather than direct polling of fan preferences.
That approach may capture travel patterns or one-time attendance rather than deep-rooted fandom, especially in a geographically diverse state like New Mexico, where residents often follow teams from neighboring states or historic franchises with national appeal.
Still, the findings offer a snapshot—albeit a controversial one—of how fan engagement may be shifting. Whether the Cardinals truly dominate New Mexico or the data simply reflects ticket-buying habits rather than loyalty, one thing is clear: the map has struck a nerve.
And for many New Mexicans, the idea that the Cardinals rule the state may be harder to believe than the study itself.