Image by Mike Pirnique

Big Red runs onto Frank Broyles Field at Reynolds Razorback Stadium before the Arkansas vs. Florida game in 2008.

Hey, we all know Fayetteville is special. Now everyone else does too.

The combination of Razorback athletics and the quality of life associated with a college town has placed Fayetteville at No. 7 in the Forbes magazine list of Top College Sports Towns.

The No. 1 spot goes to Ann Arbor, Mich., home to the University of Michigan. It's followed by Chapel Hill, N.C. (University of North Carolina), Norman, Okla. (Univerrsity of Oklahoma) and Palo Alto, Calif. (Stanford University).

The magazine compiled the list by first looking at the quality of the total sports offerings at various universities as rated by members of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. Then quality of life was factored in, based on average home prices, median household income figures, the quality of the public school system and the local crime rate. The magazine also pulled a few details from its previous best-of lists to fill out the picture.

Fayetteville was recognized for its easy access to lakes and hiking trails, its farmers’ market, and a solid public school system and high marks in the other areas. The sports program at the University of Arkansas, by itself, was ranked 25 on the list of total sports programs.