I come from a small town in central Maine. Milo is roughly 70 square miles with a population of just over 2300. College basketball isn’t huge up that way, but regional rivalries are. They are something I have been involved in, and enjoyed since I was a very young.
Having visited the state of Indiana for work, I get a similar feeling. Small towns filled with hard working people who are very prideful of regions from which they hail. Aside from that regional pride, there is something else that Indiana residents are extremely passionate about: Basketball.
I have seen Hoosiers.