Final answer:
By the 1920s, college basketball had become a major sport in American colleges, thriving alongside popular sports like college football and benefiting from the era's spectrum of spectator sports.
Step-by-step explanation:
By the 1920s, college basketball had become a major college sport. It was a time when the University of Kentucky women's basketball team had an undefeated season, underscoring the sport's rapid growth in popularity. Although introduced in 1891 by James Naismith, it started gaining national attention after the turn of the century, benefitting from the state of affairs in college football, which by 1900 was already highly popular. Naismith aimed for a less injury-prone sport that could be played indoors, different from the rough games of early football, which nearly bordered rugby and boxing.
Given the historical context, where sports such as boxing entered into mainstream and spectator sports began to boom, basketball grew alongside these developments. Intercollegiate sports expanded, with women also actively participating until the mid-1920s when societal norms pushed against competitive sports for women.
Despite that setback, basketball's popularity persisted, particularly in states like Indiana and Kentucky, known for their exceptional love for the game. By the time of the national survey in 2013, college sports, which undoubtedly include basketball, have become an integral part of American culture and university life.