Power Ranking the Top 25 Colleges with the Best Football and Basketball Combos
Most of the major colleges in this country end up getting labeled in some way that is associated with their athletic programs. Some become known as football schools, others as basketball schools.
But the truly elite ones end up getting known as both.
With the 2014 NCAA basketball tournament field now set and waiting to be whittled down from 68 teams to one champion, it got us thinking: of the schools that are considered good at the two most heavily followed sports, which ones are truly the best of the lot?
Here's our power ranking of the 25 schools with the best hoops and pigskin combos, based on both the current state of those programs and their overall tradition of excellence. To be considered, a school has to have their basketball team in the Big Dance and also had their football team play in a bowl game following the 2013 season.
(And as fate would have it, there happen to be 25 such schools this year!)
How they rank, though, is based on the entire body of work, not just on recent results.
25. Louisiana-Lafayette
1 of 25
How Football Fared
Louisiana-Lafayette (9-4) won its third straight New Orleans Bowl after taking the Sun Belt Conference title.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Ragin' Cajuns (23-11) knocked off the top two seeds to win the Sun Belt's postseason tournament, earning their first NCAA bid since 2005. ULL is a No. 14 seed and will look to pull off an upset against Creighton.
24. San Diego State
2 of 25
How Football Fared
The Aztecs (8-5) finished second in their division in the Mountain West before blowing out Buffalo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
SDSU (29-4) enters the NCAA tourney as a No. 4 seed, spending most of the season in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll and winning the Mountain West regular-season title before losing to New Mexico in the conference tourney final.
23. Arizona State
3 of 25
How Football Fared
Arizona State (10-4) won the Pac-12's South Division before falling to Stanford in the conference title game. The Sun Devils then fell to Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
ASU (21-11) was knocked out early in the Pac-12 tournament after finishing third in the regular season, but the Devils will be a No. 10 seed in the tourney for their first berth since 2009.
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22. Baylor
4 of 25
How Football Fared
Baylor (13-1) won its first Big 12 championship since 1980 and earned a berth in a BCS game, losing to Central Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Bears (24-11) shook off a shaky regular season by reaching the Big 12 tournament championship and will head into the NCAA tourney as a No. 6 seed.
21. Nebraska
5 of 25
How Football Fared
Nebraska (9-4) shook off an inconsistent season by looking solid in a win over Georgia in the Gator Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Cornhuskers (19-12) had their best season since joining the Big Ten Conference, finishing fourth in the regular season to help earn their first trip to the NCAA tourney since 1998. Nebraska will be a No. 11 seed.
20. Iowa
6 of 25
How Football Fared
Iowa (8-5) bounced back from a losing season to reach a New Year's Day bowl game, falling to LSU in the Outback Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Hawkeyes (20-12) struggled down the stretch after starting the season 15-3, but that was still good enough to squeak into the NCAA tourney. Iowa will face Tennessee on Wednesday in a "First Four" game in Dayton.
19. Kansas State
7 of 25
How Football Fared
Kansas State (8-5) won six of seven games after a 2-4 start, capping the season with a runaway victory over Michigan in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Wildcats (20-12) hovered around the edges of the Top 25 for most of the season, finishing in the middle of the pack in the Big 12. They'll be a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tourney.
18. Stanford
8 of 25
How Football Fared
Stanford (11-3) won the Pac-12 championship game over Arizona State to reach its fourth straight BCS game but fell to Michigan State in the Rose Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Cardinal (21-12) earned their first NCAA bid since 2008 after finishing sixth in the Pac-12 and will face New Mexico as a No. 10 seed on Friday.
17. Duke
9 of 25
How Football Fared
Duke (10-4) reached its first-ever ACC title game, losing to eventual national champion Florida State before falling to Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Blue Devils (26-8) finished third in the ACC and then lost to Virginia in the conference tournament final. They will be a No. 3 seed in their 19th straight trip to the NCAA tourney.
16. BYU
10 of 25
How Football Fared
BYU (8-5) navigated a tough independent schedule to become eligible for a bowl game, losing to Washington in the Fight Hunger Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Cougars (23-11) finished second in the West Coast Conference and then lost in the tournament final, which was good enough to earn a No. 10 seed.
15. North Carolina
11 of 25
How Football Fared
North Carolina (7-6) reached its fifth bowl game in six years, bouncing back from a 1-5 start to finish above .500 after crushing Cincinnati in the Belk Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Tar Heels (23-9) had a season full of highs and lows, finishing fourth in the ACC but struggling at times against lesser teams. But UNC could make a good run in the NCAA tournament as a No. 6 seed.
14. Pittsburgh
12 of 25
How Football Fared
Pittsburgh (7-6) played well enough in its first season in the ACC to become bowl-eligible, then put together a solid performance in beating Bowling Green in the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Panthers (25-9) raced out to a great start then struggled down the stretch against tough ACC competition. Pitt reached the ACC semifinals and will go into the NCAA tourney as a No. 9 seed.
13. Syracuse
13 of 25
How Football Fared
Syracuse (7-6) used a solid defense and an improving offense to reach the Texas Bowl, where it beat Minnesota to cap a successful first season in the ACC.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Orange (27-5) were atop the college basketball world for quite some time, starting 25-0 before struggling mightily over the last four weeks of the season to slide from a sure No. 1 seed to a No. 3.
12. Arizona
14 of 25
How Football Fared
Arizona (8-5) used a fast-paced offense to reach a bowl game for a second straight year, running past Boston College to claim the Advocare V100 Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Wildcats (30-4) spent eight weeks as the No. 1 team in the country and began the year 21-0, winning the Pac-12 regular-season title before losing to UCLA in the conference tourney final. Arizona is the No. 1 seed in the West Region.
11. Cincinnati
15 of 25
How Football Fared
Cincinnati (9-4) finished third in the American Athletic Conference but was crushed by North Carolina in the Belk Bowl to end the season.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Bearcats (27-6) started the year 22-2 and went on to share the AAC regular-season title with Louisville but fell in the conference tournament semifinals. Cincy will be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament but will face a dangerous, upset-minded Harvard team.
10. Oregon
16 of 25
How Football Fared
Oregon (11-2) spent most of the season as a legitimate national title contender before losing twice in November to fall out of the championship race. The Ducks rebounded to beat Texas in the Alamo Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Ducks (23-9) began 13-0 but went into a midseason tailspin that put them in jeopardy of missing the NCAA tournament. But an eight-game win streak that extended into the Pac-12 conference tournament helped earn Oregon a No. 7 seed.
9. Texas
17 of 25
How Football Fared
Texas (8-5) navigated through a season focused more on its coach's future than the results to vie for another Big 12 title, but then lost to Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Longhorns (23-10) also played in the shadow of concerns over coach Rick Barnes' future but managed to finish fourth in the Big 12 to earn a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tourney.
8. UCLA
18 of 25
How Football Fared
UCLA (10-3) finished second in the Pac-12's South Division and then rolled past Virginia Tech to win the Sun Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Bruins (26-8) finished second in the Pac-12 in the regular season, then avenged a loss to Arizona by beating the Wildcats in the conference tournament title game. UCLA will be a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tourney.
7. Michigan
19 of 25
How Football Fared
Michigan (7-6) began the season 4-0 but then became inconsistent on offense, finishing off the year with a loss to Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Wolverines (25-8) struggled early, but then the 2013 national runners-up found their groove and won the Big Ten's regular-season title. Michigan lost to rival MSU in the conference tourney final but will head into the NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed.
6. Oklahoma
20 of 25
How Football Fared
Oklahoma (11-2) finished off a solid regular season by keeping rival Oklahoma State from winning the Big 12 title, a victory that put the Sooners into a BCS bowl game. Oklahoma then romped to a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Sooners (23-9) put together a solid season to finish in the middle of a tough Big 12 and will be a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tourney.
5. Oklahoma State
21 of 25
How Football Fared
Oklahoma State (10-3) entered the final day of the regular season in contention for a Big 12 title before losing to rival Oklahoma. The Cowboys then fell to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Cowboys (21-12) were a top-10 team in January, but a seven-game losing streak put them in jeopardy of missing the tournament before rebounding late. OSU will be a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament.
4. Wisconsin
22 of 25
How Football Fared
Wisconsin (9-4) vied for a BCS bowl berth for much of the year before losing its regular-season finale, then fell to South Carolina in the Capital One Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Badgers (26-7) began the season 16-0 before running into the rough and tough Big Ten's slew of challenging opponents, faltering down the stretch to finish tied for second. Wisconsin will be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament.
3. Ohio State
23 of 25
How Football Fared
Ohio State (12-2) kept itself in line for a trip to the national championship by going unbeaten in back-to-back regular seasons, but the Buckeyes then lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game before falling to Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Buckeyes (25-9) were 15-0 at one point but struggled mightily in the second half of the season. OSU still managed to earn a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament after reaching the Elite Eight last year.
2. Louisville
24 of 25
How Football Fared
Louisville (12-1) missed out on a shot at a BCS bid because of one midseason loss, but otherwise had a great season that was capped by a blowout victory over Miami (Fla.) in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
The Cardinals (29-5) have fared well in defending their 2013 NCAA title, finishing tied for first in the American Athletic Conference and then blowing through the league's postseason tournament. Louisville enters the NCAA tourney as a No. 4 seed.
1. Michigan State
25 of 25
How Football Fared
The Spartans (13-1) won the Big Ten championship game over Ohio State and then topped that off with a victory against Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
How the Basketball Is Bouncing
MSU (26-8) bounced back from an injury-filled season to win the Big Ten tournament title over rival Michigan and enters the NCAA tourney as a No. 4 seed.
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Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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