(09-25-2020 01:09 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(09-25-2020 12:55 PM)ohio1317 Wrote:  I've always thought of a blue blood like this. Imagine a program is great and then it slides and sucks for an extended period of time. After awhile, they show some signs of success. How quickly and how loudly do people think of them back to being a power. Miami in football is one I've thought has maintained that (despite being a later arrival to the status). Now, it is starting to slip, but would still list them as a blueblood (with less time to recover than in the past though).

Indiana basketball I'm not sure on anymore. Unquestioningly one of the greatest basketball programs in history but they don't recieve a lot more attention than others for same level of success anymore. I'd probably still narrowly leave them there but if they go another decade without rising back up, I think that status is going to be in jeopardy.

I think your right. I think one can lose their Blue Blood status. Does Indiana or even UCLA have any political gravitas anymore? Within their conference and in all of basketball- Kentucky, Kansas, UNC and Duke have the clout. Decisions are made at the behest of these schools. The world stops to watch these schools play. I live 125 miles from Bloomington, I really don’t hear much about IU unless they are playing Kentucky around these parts. I do know hear about the other schools I mentioned.

It just can’t be National titles that dictates BB status. I mean at one point in football Minnesota and Pitt won as many titles as anyone. Eventually that eroded over time because they weren’t winning the hardware and did not have any political pull.

Indiana basketball through the 1980s was truly special. The undefeated team in the mid-1970s and even the movie a decade later helped promote the mystique. But it’s now getting closer to two generations removed from outstanding results. Folks mention how Norte Dame football hasn’t won a title since the late 1980s...but ND has still had excellent teams that have competed for national championships, NY6 bowls and media attention.

The BIG has so many basketball programs with deep pockets (Michigan, Ohio State) or outstanding coaches (MSU, Wisconsin), it’s difficult to see how Indiana reestablishes as a blue blood. Not sure at all that an outstanding season creates a massive fan base.

Completely agree that over an extended time parameter a program can lose blue blood status.