For the first time since 2016, the NFL’s championship match won’t feature a team from Philadelphia, Kansas City, or Los Angeles. Never fear: Callahan & Associates still has all the credit union performance insights to make a data-driven Super Bowl prediction.
On Feb. 8, the New England Patriots rush back into the big game for the first time since 2018. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks will make their first showing since 2014. Both teams are riding high on the sudden success of two new quarterbacks — Drake Maye for the Patriots and Sam Darnold for Seattle.
Before these teams battle it out on the gridiron, though, Callahan is showing what smart benchmarking can reveal using our Callahan Bowl prediction model. Because both quarterbacks are new “members” of the Super Bowl club, this year we’re looking at how two regions stack up in terms of attracting new members to the movement.
For the sake of peer comparisons, the Seahawks peer group consists of credit unions in Washington state, whereas the Patriots peer group pulls in performance from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the eastern half of Connecticut.
To state the obvious, the NFL is not affiliated with this prediction, nor does it endorse our findings. This is all in good fun. Now, back to the game.
First Half: Member Growth
In football, new teams making a competitive play for the title are what fill stadiums and build loyalty. The New England Patriots have a Super Bowl showing that tips into the double-digits, whereas the Seahawks’ appearances can be counted on one hand. In fact, they haven’t appeared in the Super Bowl in more than a decade and have just one win to their name.
In credit unions, it’s new members that drive the movement forward. And when it comes to member growth, the Seahawks have a decisive edge. In a classic match up of member growth, Washington state’s credit unions best New England’s 2.54% to 1.31%.
MEMBER GROWTH
FOR U.S. CREDIT UNIONS
SOURCE: CALLAHAN & ASSOCIATES
Second Half: Member Relationships
In the NFL, it’s important that players bring everything they’ve got and leave it all out on the field. If the talent is good enough, such dedication will win championships. And sometimes, like with Sam Darnold and the Seahawks, a player might have a surprising amount to offer.
Although member growth is an important metric in credit union performance, how much new members bring to the table is just as beneficial to the bottom line. And in this respect, New England edges out Washington 2.55% to 2.43%. The game is all tied up and headed into overtime.
AVERAGE MEMBER RELATIONSHIP
FOR U.S. CREDIT UNIONS
SOURCE: CALLAHAN & ASSOCIATES
OT: Branch Expansion
Headed into overtime, both teams have a chance to win. Who has the performance of a champion?
If the best defense truly is a good offense, then expanding branches into new territories is a sure way to score new members. When we crunch the numbers, Washington comes out on top. Credit unions branches in the Evergreen State increased 6.25% quarter-over-quarter; in New England, growth was 0.40%.
BRANCH GROWTH
FOR U.S. CREDIT UNIONS
SOURCE: CALLAHAN & ASSOCIATES
There you have it, the Callahan’s proprietary Callahan Bowl algorithm, or “Cal-gorithm,” has spoken: the Seattle Seahawks will be your Super Bowl LX champions!