Forget politics — Trump who? Which sports team you root for could actually be the detail in your dating profile that pulls you apart or, even better, brings you together. While writing a client’s dating profile for her last week after she filled out my lifestyle questionnaire and we discussed at length what she’s looking for in a partner, she suggested I mention her bravado for college football, specifically her love of Michigan football. “There is nothing like going to a Michigan football game in the big house,” she explained to me. And she would like nothing more than to find a guy who is interested in cheering the team on with her. Mission accomplished: I crafted a unique dating profile just for her, beginning with her love for the Wolverines and lack of it (wink, wink) for Buckeyes fans.  

My client, it appears, might be on to something. A recent study conducted by the dating website Zoosk found that dating profiles mentioning certain sports received as much as 111 percent more messages than profiles that didn’t. Though the data provided by Zoosk to the writers over at the datemix didn’t include college sports specifically, a trend was definitely clear: singles connect over sports.  

 According to the study, the most popular sports for online daters was NBA basketball in first place with a 111 percent message increase rate, MLB baseball right behind with a 108 percent increase in messages, and rugby in third with an 86 percent increased rate of messages. The sport that saw the smallest increase in messages was MLS soccer, but even that sport saw a 55 percent increase in messages, which is not insubstantial. 

The takeaway? Regardless of the sport you like, it may be beneficial for you to include it in your online dating bio, as, according to the study, including a favorite sports team may increase your number of messages by a significant margin, even if your sport of choice is less popular than others. That said, if you are not interested in sports, I do not think you should pretend to be someone you are not. In the end, you are searching for your match — hopefully, for the long haul. If someone matches with you for the explicit reason of your sports team of choice and finds out you actually don’t like that sport or sports at all, then it will be much harder for you to cultivate a meaningful relationship, if one at all. Most people aren’t fans of liars, no matter how small the lie and a healthy relationship is only as strong as its foundation. I recommend applying this philosophy to any other aspect of your identity, such as your age, height, religion, or even your favorite songs and movies. 

Your goal should be quality, not quantity. If you are inauthentic in your bio, you may get more first dates, but not as many second dates. However, if you are genuine in your bio, you will inevitably experience more success in making lasting matches, even if you receive fewer total matches. And if you are like my client who happens to be super passionate about Michigan football, then more power to you. Your passion will radiate through your bio and attract other Michigan fans. If not, there is no need to fret. 

The takeaway of this survey is not to make yourself like sports; it is to underscore the reality that interests beyond the fundamental aspects of your identity are assets in creating a compelling bio. Even if you do not like sports, you need to think about what makes you unique and relatable. Sample questions: Favorite book? Movie? Musician? Like the sports survey, I would wager that the case is people who include interests and quirks in their bios are more likely to hit a home run in their match’s mind than those who don’t. So how about getting out there and playing the field?