A recent post got me to questioning who are the top 5 NCAA programs in the three major sports (IMHO) of football, basketball, & baseball. In two of the sports I had to list 6 teams b/c I could not settle on the 5th team. The approach I took was if a team has fallen on hard times, which teams could be resurrected the quickest and win another National Championship or historicaly which team has name recognition to attract players to return a team to champion status? Feel free to replace my selection with the teams of your choice.

Football
Alabama, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Texas

Basketball
Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Duke, (UCLA or Kansas)

Baseball
USC, Texas, LSU, Cal State Fullerton, (Arizona St, South Carolina)

I know they haven't won a national title in baseball, but Long Beach State has gone to a couple CWS and still boasts a nice list of alums (Troy Tulowitzki, Jared Weaver, etc.) and may eventually draw the necessary recruits to rebuild into a championship contender.

UC Irvine also has a CWS and a couple Super Regionals within the last five, six years.

Just have to add hockey:

Michigan (10xchamp), North Dakota (7) + attendance leader (250k), Denver (7), Minnesota (5), Boston College (3), maybe Wisconsin (5)

(11-04-2013 05:22 PM)Rabonchild Wrote:  A recent post got me to questioning who are the top 5 NCAA programs in the three major sports (IMHO) of football, basketball, & baseball. In two of the sports I had to list 6 teams b/c I could not settle on the 5th team. The approach I took was if a team has fallen on hard times, which teams could be resurrected the quickest and win another National Championship or historicaly which team has name recognition to attract players to return a team to champion status? Feel free to replace my selection with the teams of your choice.

Football
Florida, Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, Texas

Basketball
Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Duke, Kansas

With your standard of "turnaround ability", I think Florida > Alabama and Ohio State > Michigan for football. Bama ultimately still needs a Nick Saban-quality coach to win and recruit - you can get by with slightly less at Florida because there's such a massive recruiting advantage there. For the OSU/Michigan comparison, just look at their recent coaching searches and how only NCAA sanctions could temper any type of Buckeye falloff. Granted, we're parsing hairs here. They're all marquee programs that are very close together.

For basketball, Kansas > UCLA (although it's tough to leave the Bruins out). KU has arguably been the most consistent basketball program over the past 25 years outside of Duke (and Duke has a legendary coach at the helm during that entire time period). Kentucky, UNC, Indiana and UCLA have all had some lows during that timeframe that KU hasn't come close to.

I would also put Ohio St ahead of Michigan. OU and Michigan would be just outside that group. Florida doesn't have the history. They never won an official SEC title until Spurrier arrived. Alabama always returns.

South Carolina is a newbie in baseball. Arizona St. definitely rates higher, but I would replace them both with Miami.

How many titles has Alabama and Florida won in football? I don't think it's close between the two- it's Alabama in a land slide.

Oh and it's 10-3 in titles for Alabama. Alabama won titles in 5 decades, while Florida only in 2 decades(their 1st was '96). They've won 147 more games overall than Florida.

(11-04-2013 05:47 PM)bullet Wrote:  I would also put Ohio St ahead of Michigan. OU and Michigan would be just outside that group. Florida doesn't have the history. They never won an official SEC title until Spurrier arrived. Alabama always returns.

South Carolina is a newbie in baseball. Arizona St. definitely rates higher, but I would replace them both with Miami.

Miami has four titles. Arizona has 4. Arizona State has 5.
Miami hasn't been to CWS since 2008. Both Arizona schools have been there more recently, with Arizona winning in 2012

(11-04-2013 06:42 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  

(11-04-2013 05:47 PM)bullet Wrote:  I would also put Ohio St ahead of Michigan. OU and Michigan would be just outside that group. Florida doesn't have the history. They never won an official SEC title until Spurrier arrived. Alabama always returns.

South Carolina is a newbie in baseball. Arizona St. definitely rates higher, but I would replace them both with Miami.

Miami has four titles. Arizona has 4. Arizona State has 5.
Miami hasn't been to CWS since 2008. Both Arizona schools have been there more recently, with Arizona winning in 2012

Yes, but Miami's 4 titles are all since ASU's last in 1981.

(11-04-2013 05:38 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-04-2013 05:22 PM)Rabonchild Wrote:  A recent post got me to questioning who are the top 5 NCAA programs in the three major sports (IMHO) of football, basketball, & baseball. In two of the sports I had to list 6 teams b/c I could not settle on the 5th team. The approach I took was if a team has fallen on hard times, which teams could be resurrected the quickest and win another National Championship or historicaly which team has name recognition to attract players to return a team to champion status? Feel free to replace my selection with the teams of your choice.

Football
Florida, Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State, Texas

Basketball
Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Duke, Kansas

With your standard of "turnaround ability", I think Florida > Alabama and Ohio State > Michigan for football. Bama ultimately still needs a Nick Saban-quality coach to win and recruit - you can get by with slightly less at Florida because there's such a massive recruiting advantage there. For the OSU/Michigan comparison, just look at their recent coaching searches and how only NCAA sanctions could temper any type of Buckeye falloff. Granted, we're parsing hairs here. They're all marquee programs that are very close together.

For basketball, Kansas > UCLA (although it's tough to leave the Bruins out). KU has arguably been the most consistent basketball program over the past 25 years outside of Duke (and Duke has a legendary coach at the helm during that entire time period). Kentucky, UNC, Indiana and UCLA have all had some lows during that timeframe that KU hasn't come close to.

Football
Florida, Notre Dame, USC, Oklahoma, Texas

Basketball
Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Duke, Kansas (UCLA deserves a perm spot and that run will never be duplicated, but they haven't won a title since 95, and that was their 1st title in 20 years).

Football:
Oklahoma > Ohio St based on proximity to state of Texas and # of games inside Texas.

(11-04-2013 05:35 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Just have to add hockey:

Michigan (10xchamp), North Dakota (7) + attendance leader (250k), Denver (7), Minnesota (5), Boston College (3), maybe Wisconsin (5)

Boston College has won 5 NC's. 4 in the past 12 years and 3 in the past 6 years. Best hockey program this century to date has to be Boston College.

(11-04-2013 05:22 PM)Rabonchild Wrote:  A recent post got me to questioning who are the top 5 NCAA programs in the three major sports (IMHO) of football, basketball, & baseball. In two of the sports I had to list 6 teams b/c I could not settle on the 5th team. The approach I took was if a team has fallen on hard times, which teams could be resurrected the quickest and win another National Championship or historicaly which team has name recognition to attract players to return a team to champion status? Feel free to replace my selection with the teams of your choice.

Football
Alabama, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, Texas

Basketball
Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Duke, (UCLA or Kansas)

Baseball
USC, Texas, LSU, Cal State Fullerton, (Arizona St, South Carolina)

Are you talking historically or right now? Right now Louisville is the top program in college basketball both financially and on the court. Indiana is not in the top 5 by either measure.

While the Tar Heels have not won a baseball title, the Diamond Heels have made it to the CWS 6 out of the last 8 years. Not bad for a basketball school.

As 'all time' schools I think he pretty much nailed it.

Baseball is a regional sport same as hockey so include both .

College baseball starts in the winter and hockey is pretty strong .

Michigan might have to two baseball titles but a third is almost impossible .