Chris Chase of Fox Sports recently ranked “The 18 most miserable fanbases in sports,” and the fanbases of two ACC basketball programs were included on the list.
Notre Dame came in at No. 2 on the list for college basketball, while Wake Forest filled the No. 3 spot.
To be clear, “miserable fanbases” were determined by the degree to which “fans are forced to endure something miserable — an awful product on the field that makes them constantly question why they even bother caring about something as trivial as sports.”
The story pointed to Notre Dame having just one Final Four appearance despite being one of the 10 winningest programs in Division I history, while Wake Forest is included for its struggles since claiming a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll in January 2009.
The inclusion of the Demon Deacons makes sense, especially given the disdain shown toward former coach Jeff Bzdelik. But Notre Dame? In 2014-15, the Fighting Irish won an ACC title and made a run to the Elite Eight. Their 32 wins were the most the program has seen in over 100 years.
Mike Brey’s team is a virtual lock to make the NCAA tournament right now, and whether or not it can make a run this season remains to be seen. Wake Forest, on the other hand, occupies the No. 14 spot in the ACC standings despite showing promise of a breakthrough year earlier in the 2015-16 campaign.