Fast Fact – NCAA Record-Breaker
A look at OOH and Caitlin Clark's Historic Career

Last week, University of Iowa star player Caitlin Clark made history, and she’s on her way to doing it again.

In a game against the Michigan Wolverines last Thursday, Clark became the highest scorer in the history of NCAA women’s basketball (which she achieved in the first quarter of the game!). That game also saw Clark breaking her own single-game high score with 49 points. By the end of the game, Clark had accumulated 3,569 points across her college career thus far, beating out previous record holder Kelsey Plum.

Now, she’s poised to break another record: the all-time career high score for any NCAA player, across both the Men’s and Women’s leagues.

This Saturday, Iowa will face off against Indiana University, in their second match-up this week. Across these two games, it is entirely possible that Clark will break the all-time record. It is more a case of “when”, not “if”.

As we enter the height of the college basketball season, let’s take a look at some relevant OOH facts in the Iowa and Illinois markets.

Within the Cedar Rapids DMA, which Iowa University calls home, Geopath measures over 1,600 spots from 16 different operators. Of those that live in the DMA, about 25,000 people report that they have been to a college basketball game in the last 12 months, and about 61,000 have been to a sports bar in the last 30 days. Additionally, roughly 1 in 4 have been to a professional sporting event in the last 12 months.

When looking at the Indianapolis DMA, which the Indiana University calls home:

There are over 7,000 spots measured by Geopath, across 31 different operators. Of those that live in the DMA, over 80,000 people report that they have been to a college basketball game in the last 12 months, and about 202,000 have been to a sports bar in the last 30 days. Additionally, roughly 1 in 4 have been to a professional sporting event in the last 12 months.

Due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, Clark is still eligible for one more year of play in the NCAA, providing her ample room to set the record well beyond what any player has achieved in history!

For more information on these DMAs and others, please check out our DMA infographics in the geekOUT Library, available to Geopath members.