IN OTHER NEWS – A new survey finds that over 30 percent of Georgia based NFL fans wouldn’t date a fan of a rival team.

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With Halloween just around the corner, a new Dating.com survey finds that 59% of singles consider it one of the loneliest days of the year.

Modern dating is clearly getting tougher: a recent Forbes study reports that 78% of Gen Z feel emotionally burnt out from dating apps, while dealbreakers in relationships are becoming increasingly specific.

This trend is reflected in a nationwide Hard Rock Bet survey, which asked 2,000 NFL fans: “Would supporting a different team be a dealbreaker for dating or getting into a relationship?”

The results show fandom is becoming a surprisingly influential factor in modern dating:

• Nationwide: 27.6% of fans said supporting a rival team would be a dealbreaker, while 55.4% said it wouldn’t (17% said they’d prefer the same team, but it’s not a dealbreaker).
• Region: Fans in the West are the most passionate, with 37% saying it’d be a dating dealbreaker, followed by the Northeast (29.4%), South (28%), and Midwest (17.5%).
• Sex: 35.8% of men reveal that dating a fan of a rival team would be a dealbreaker, while only 19.4% of women feel the same way.
• By age: Gen Z were the most passionate, 44.5% said they couldn’t date someone who roots for a rival, compared to just 4% of Baby Boomers (Millennials – 43% and Gen X – 26.55).

Breaking down the data for Georgia:

• 31% = Yes, it would be a dealbreaker
• 65.5% = No, it wouldn’t matter to me
• 3.5% = I’d prefer the same team but it’s not a dealbreaker

Interestingly, broader research shows that Gen Z daters are not only burnt out but also highly selective, often overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Studies and reports suggest they prioritize shared values, life goals, and personal compatibility over casual matches, meaning the dating pool feels smaller and dealbreakers, like supporting a rival NFL team, carry more weight than ever.

For example: research conducted by dating app Happn found that 90% of Gen Z are asking their matches about things such as political views, finances, or fantasies before even agreeing to go on a date.

Even on a date, Gen Z fans might not be fully present. In the Hard Rock Bet survey, respondents were also asked: If your favorite team were playing, which of the following occasions would you watch the match from your phone? – one of the options was “on a date.”

• Over a quarter of Gen Z (27.1%) admitted they’d try to catch the game mid-date
• Compared to 22.9% of Millennials, 12% of Gen X, and just 1.8% of Baby Boomers, highlighting just how much younger fans let their fandoms shape their daily lives.

For more information on the report please visit the site here: How NFL Fandom Is Evolving Amongst Younger Generations