The outlook for a blue state sports comeback anytime soon looks bleak. According to Rivals, 28 of this year’s top 40 high school basketball prospects were located in red states.
A Fox News opinion piece argues that the 2025 March Madness, where 15 of the Sweet Sixteen teams are from states won by Donald Trump, reflects the rise of "Red State America" and the declining influence of blue states. This trend mirrors a broader economic shift, with businesses and people migrating from high-tax, heavily regulated northeastern and west coast states to the south and mountain states. Red states are also producing a majority of top high school basketball and football prospects.
