Ranking the Top 25 Colleges with the Best Football and Basketball Team Combos
With Selection Sunday past us, sports fans in America are thrilled about the NCAA tournament. We’re making our upset selections, predicting our Sweet 16 and trying to figure out if anyone can take down Kentucky and John Calipari.
At the same time, spring football is ramping up across the nation. While we watch March Madness unfold this weekend, it brings up an important question: Which teams have the best combination of men’s basketball and football programs? It isn’t the easiest combination, when you think about it. Here’s a look at which programs pull off the dual-sport dance best.
25. Ole Miss
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Ole Miss is clearly better known for its football program (and its tailgating), but the Rebels are improving on the hardwood. They won the SEC tournament two years ago behind bombastic guard Marshall Henderson, and made their way into the field of 68 this season for a “First Four” appearance against BYU in Dayton Tuesday night.
On the football field, Hugh Freeze is leading a revival in Oxford. The Rebels have gone bowling in each of his three seasons and improved their win total each season. Despite a Peach Bowl rout at TCU’s hands, Ole Miss finished 9-4 in 2014 with wins over then-No. 1 Alabama and archrival Mississippi State. The Rebels are clearly trending upward in both sports.
24. BYU
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BYU has one of college athletics’ more unique current situations. The Cougars are one of four current FBS independents, joining Notre Dame, Army and Navy, and like those programs, their other athletic programs are housed in a separate conference while football operates on its own.
In BYU’s case, this means that the basketball team, which qualified for the NCAA tournament as a “First Four” participant, did so as a West Coast Conference member. The Cougars have made waves nationally in recent years, making the NCAA field eight times in the last nine seasons. In 2011, a Jimmer Fredette-led team made the Sweet 16 before falling to Florida.
Under Bronco Mendenhall, the Cougars have also been prominent on the football field. They have nine consecutive winning seasons, including a run of four consecutive 10-win seasons from 2006-09. BYU has slipped a bit record-wise after leaving the Mountain West Conference in 2011, but there’s no question that it remains a nationally recognized program.
23. N.C. State
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While fans remember N.C. State’s miraculous run to the 1983 NCAA tournament title under Jim Valvano, the Wolfpack’s teams have struggled to meet that standard since Valvano’s departure. However, they have two very solid coaches in place that have the athletic program poised for solid things.
Mark Gottfried took over following Sidney Lowe’s disappointing tenure and has led the Wolfpack to four consecutive NCAA appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 2012. The Pack will face off with LSU in an East Region No. 8 vs. No. 9 game this season, and fans wouldn’t be wise to dismiss their hopes of a long run.
Dave Doeren had an excellent second season on the gridiron, leading the Wolfpack to an 8-5 season and a St. Petersburg Bowl win. State has nine winning seasons in the last 15 years but has struggled to maintain the momentum that Chuck Amato found in 2002 with an 11-win season.
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22. Stanford
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This was something of a down season on The Farm, but Stanford has made its presence known nationally recently in multiple sports. David Shaw has continued the job that Jim Harbaugh began, winning a pair of Pac-12 football titles before fading to 8-5 in 2014.
Stanford men’s basketball missed the NCAA tournament this season, but Johnny Dawkins had an excellent run last spring, upsetting Kansas and making the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2008. Like Shaw, Cardinal fans will be hoping for more from Dawkins' next season.
21. Kansas State
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Kansas State has enjoyed a quietly consistent run of two-sport success. Bill Snyder built the Wildcats’ football program from a national joke into a national power, and following a brief retirement, has picked up right where he left off following the failed Ron Prince experiment, winning at least eight games in each of the last four seasons, including two 10-win seasons.
Meanwhile, K-State’s men’s basketball team missed the NCAA tournament this season under Bruce Weber, but that broke a streak of five consecutive NCAA appearances under Weber and former coach Frank Martin. The Wildcats made the Elite Eight in 2010 and are always a Big 12 contender.
20. West Virginia
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While sports in the Mountaineer State has had its share of ups and downs, there’s no question that West Virginia has made a real impact on the national scene in the past decade in both football and men’s basketball.
Before bolting for Michigan, Rich Rodriguez led West Virginia to three consecutive 11-win seasons from 2005 to 2007, and Dana Holgorsen took the Mountaineers to 10 wins and an Orange Bowl rout of Clemson in 2011.
While West Virginia will make its first NCAA appearance since 2012, facing off with No. 12 seed Buffalo in a Midwest Region first-round game, Bob Huggins has made a real impact as WVU head coach. He took the Mountaineers to the Final Four in 2010 and made a Sweet 16 appearance in 2008 and looks poised for a solid run this season. Plus, you can’t argue with his sideline fashion.
19. Oklahoma State
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Mike Gundy is a man. He’s 40-plus. And he’s a huge reason why Oklahoma State has been one of the nation’s top football-men’s basketball dual-threats. Gundy just finished his 10th season as the Cowboys’ head coach, and he has transformed OSU into a consistent gridiron winner.
Oklahoma State had a young team in 2014 and was a bit down with a 7-6 final record, but the Cowboys have won 10 games in three of the past six seasons. T. Boone Pickens’ investments in facilities have paid off, and OSU plays an exciting brand of football, with a Big 12 title in 2011.
Meanwhile, Travis Ford is doing his best to restore the Cowboys’ former glory on the hardwood. 2014-15 marks OSU’s third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, as Ford’s bunch will face Oregon in an No. 8-seed vs. No. 9-seed matchup West Region game. Oklahoma State’s last NCAA tournament win came in 2009, but Ford has the program on the right track.
18. Arkansas
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Arkansas has a very passionate fanbase, and the Razorbacks are beginning to be rewarded for their support of their Hogs on multiple fronts. Mike Anderson and his 40 Minutes of Hell earned the program’s first NCAA tournament berth since 2008, as No. 5 seed Arkansas will face off with No. 12 seed Wofford in a West Region first-round game.
The program has a proud history, winning a national title under Nolan Richardson, and fans hope this is the first step back toward greatness.
On the gridiron, Bret Bielema had a breakthrough season in 2014, going 7-6 with a Texas Bowl win over former Southwest Conference rival Texas. Bielema is starting to rebuild after Bobby Petrino’s messy departure.
Before his abrupt firing for lying about an affair with a subordinate, Petrino had the Hogs rolling with back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2010 and 2011. Arkansas has tremendous potential as a program, and it’d be a surprise if Anderson and Bielema didn’t build on it.
17. North Carolina
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Under Roy Williams’ watch, North Carolina has regained its place as one of college basketball’s true blue bloods. Matt Doherty’s tenure was disastrous, but Williams returned home to take the Tar Heels back to prominence. UNC has won a pair of national titles under Williams’ watch, made another Final Four and three Elite Eight appearances in his tenure.
This season, UNC begins its NCAA run in Jacksonville as a No. 4 seed facing off with No. 13 Harvard in a West Region first-round game.
Larry Fedora is trying to find the same sort of consistency that Williams has had. In three seasons, North Carolina is 21-17, including 2014’s disappointing 6-7 mark. UNC is still trying to recover from NCAA sanctions connected to the Butch Davis era, and an NCAA investigation is ongoing and looming over both programs. That could seriously affect the Tar Heels’ status in both sports going forward.
16. Duke
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There’s no questioning Duke’s basketball success under Mike Krzyzewski’s watch: Coach K is the winningest coach in college basketball history, with over 1,000 victories to his credit. Duke has four NCAA titles under Krzyzewski and 10 Final Four appearances. This season, the Blue Devils are again a strong Final Four candidate as the No. 1 seed in the South Region.
Just across the parking lot from Cameron Indoor Stadium, David Cutcliffe is also doing impressive work as Duke’s football coach. The Blue Devils have long been a college football doormat, but Cutcliffe has changed that perspective.
Under Cutcliffe, Duke won 10 games in 2013 and nine in 2014, the program’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 1987-88 when a guy named Steve Spurrier was in charge. If Cutcliffe can keep the momentum going, Duke’s dual-sport profile can only get better.
15. Tennessee
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Under Butch Jones’ watch, Tennessee appears to be back on the way up in the college football world. In 2014, the Volunteers put together their first winning record since 2009, going 7-6 after a 45-28 rout of Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl. For a program that won a national title in 1998, success has been hard to come by recently.
The Volunteers won at least 10 games seven times in a 10-year span from 1995 to 2004 under Philip Fulmer but have done so only once since then.
Donnie Tyndall hopes to repeat that success as UT men’s basketball coach. Under Bruce Pearl, the Vols played a fun, free-wheeling style, making the Elite Eight in 2010. But Pearl was undone by NCAA violations, and successor Cuonzo Martin bolted for Cal following 2014’s Sweet 16 run. Overall, the Vols’ program has potential, but it needs to be realized in both sports.
14. Boise State
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Over the last 16 years, Boise State has emerged as one of college football’s most consistent programs. The Broncos have 13 10-win seasons in that span, including two undefeated seasons and three Fiesta Bowl wins. It’s hard to argue against their status as the top “Group of Five” program, especially after 2014’s 12-2 season capped by a Fiesta Bowl victory over Arizona.
And while the Broncos’ men’s basketball team isn’t as prominent, it is improving. Boise made the NCAA tournament for the second time in three seasons, facing off in a “First Four” matchup against Dayton (in Dayton, unluckily). That is no easy draw, but it’s a chance to dance on the biggest stage again.
13. UCLA
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Under Jim Mora Jr., UCLA’s football program has quickly returned to national relevance. The Bruins have won at least nine games in each of Mora Jr.’s three seasons, winning 10 games in 2013 and 2014. That hadn’t happened previously since 1997-98.
Bruin fans are hoping Steve Alford can perform some similar magic with the men’s basketball team. UCLA has been a traditional power since the days of John Wooden, and Ben Howland seemingly had the program rolling in the mid-to-late 2000s. The Bruins made three consecutive Final Fours from 2006-08, but the program slipped after that, and Howland was fired following the 2013 season.
Under Alford, UCLA made a Sweet 16 appearance last season but scuffled through 2014-15, sneaking into the field of 68 as a No. 11 seed. The Bruins get former UCLA coach Larry Brown and SMU in the first round.
12. Michigan
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2014-15 wasn’t the best athletic year on Michigan’s campus. Brady Hoke was fired after Michigan’s football team stumbled to a 5-7 record, and the hardwood Wolverines missed the NCAA tournament. But that shouldn’t take away from the program’s strong overall two-sport status.
While the Wolverines have slipped following Lloyd Carr’s retirement, with only one 10-win season in the last eight years under Hoke and Rich Rodriguez, the program remains one of the most powerful and well known in college football. Want evidence? Look no further than Jim Harbaugh’s hiring to revitalize the entire operation.
And under John Beilein, the Wolverines have returned to national prominence in men’s basketball too. Before this season, Michigan had made four consecutive NCAA appearances, losing to Louisville in the 2013 national title game and falling to Kentucky in the 2014 Elite Eight. It’s a program on the right track.
11. Oregon
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Over the last 15 years, Oregon has emerged as one of the nation’s top all-around programs, and its football and men’s basketball success have brought national recognition. In the last 15 years, the Ducks’ football program has 10 10-win seasons under Mike Bellotti, Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich, including a pair of national runner-up finishes.
While the basketball program slipped under Ernie Kent’s watch, Dana Altman has it on the right track. Oregon is making its third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2013. The Ducks face a tough No. 8-seed vs. No. 9-seed West Region matchup against Oklahoma State, but it’s obvious they are a program to be reckoned with in the Pac-12.
10. Louisville
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When Maryland made the surprising move from the ACC to the Big Ten, Louisville was the natural choice to replace the Terrapins. And why not? The Cardinals have a very solid all-around program that has only improved as Louisville has moved from Conference USA to the Big East/American Athletic Conference to the ACC.
Under John Smith, Bobby Petrino, Charlie Strong and Bobby Petrino (again), the Cardinals have been a very, very solid program. They have five 10-win seasons over the last 14 years, including 23 wins in a two-year span from 2012-13. They have a pair of BCS bowl wins and six finishes in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.
In that same span, Rick Pitino has restored the luster to a program that lost its way a bit in Denny Crum’s waning years. The Cardinals have made 12 NCAA tournaments, made three Final Four appearances with a national title in 2012-13, two Elite Eight appearances and a Sweet 16. In other words, there’s not a lot to be upset about in Louisville.
9. Texas
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Few would argue that it has been a difficult academic year for Texas athletics. In Charlie Strong’ s first season, the Longhorns finished 6-7 as Strong worked to remake the program in his image and improve toughness. And while Rick Barnes’ Longhorns made the NCAA tournament, they endured an up-and-down season and squeezed in as a No. 11 seed, facing off with No. 6 seed Butler in a Midwest Region game.
However, that shouldn’t take away from Texas’ consistent run on both fronts. While Mack Brown faded near the end of his tenure, he led the Longhorns to nine consecutive 10-win seasons, including a BCS National Championship in 2005 and a national runner-up finish in 2009. With Texas’ resources and Strong’s coaching acumen, it probably won’t be long until the Longhorns are among the nation’s elite again.
Barnes has led Texas to 16 NCAA tournaments in 17 seasons at the program’s helm, with 2012-13 the only exception. That includes a Final Four appearance, a pair of Elite Eight trips and a pair of Sweet 16 trips. While the Longhorns haven’t made the national impact their fans would like, it’s hard to argue with the program’s consistent success under Barnes.
8. Arizona
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Arizona’s hire of Rich Rodriguez to run its football program looks like a big win for the Wildcats and athletic director Greg Byrne. Last fall, RichRod led Arizona to the Fiesta Bowl and its first 10-win season since 1998. Rodriguez has piled up 26 wins in his three seasons, and with a young, improving offense, the future is indeed bright.
That makes football an excellent complement for what has long been a standout men’s basketball program. Sean Miller has built on Lute Olson’s strong legacy, leading the Wildcats to a trio of Elite Eight appearances and a Sweet 16 berth in his six seasons.
Arizona is poised for another strong run this season as the Pac-12 regular-season and tournament champions and the No. 2 seed in the West Region, beginning against Texas Southern. It looks like another March to remember in Tuscon.
7. Notre Dame
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Notre Dame’s recent NCAA tournament history has been checkered, to say the least. The Fighting Irish have made the Big Dance in six of the last eight seasons but have only two NCAA wins in that span, losing in the second round in both 2008 and 2011.
However, Mike Brey’s squad hopes for a real breakthrough this season after winning the ACC tournament and garnering a No. 3 seed against Northeastern in the Midwest Region.
While Notre Dame’s recent football history under Charlie Weis and Brian Kelly has been inconsistent, the Irish have enjoyed some moments of glory, like 2012’s run to the BCS National Championship Game. However, Notre Dame has had only two 10-win seasons in the last decade, meaning much improvement is needed if the program’s former glory is to be restored.
6. Oklahoma
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Oklahoma suffered through a down season on the gridiron this fall, turning a preseason Top 10 ranking into an 8-5 record capped by a 40-6 Russell Athletic Bowl thrashing at Clemson’s hands. But that shouldn’t take away from the legacy that Bob Stoops has authored in Norman. Since taking over in 1999, Stoops has 11 10-win seasons, including a national title in 2000 and national runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2008.
Meanwhile, the Sooners’ men’s basketball program has made seven NCAA tournament appearances in the past 10 seasons, including three consecutive appearances under Lon Kruger’s watch.
The Sooners made a Final Four in 2002 and Elite Eight appearances in 2003 and 2009 and are the No. 3 seed in the East Region this season, taking on No. 14 seed Albany. They are a strong bet to bring home the program’s first NCAA win since 2009 and take the next step with Kruger at the helm.
5. Baylor
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In college athletic circles, Baylor is what you might call nouveau riche. Over the last five years, the Bears have emerged as a dual-threat in football and men’s basketball, a huge change from their recent history. Art Briles has engineered an impressive turnaround over the last five years, putting together three 10-win seasons, including back-to-back 11-win campaigns.
In that span, Baylor also welcomed a Heisman Trophy winner in Robert Griffin III and won or shared a pair of Big 12 championships.
Meanwhile, Scott Drew has taken a program that was left in shambles by NCAA probation and turned it into a highly respectable program. The Bears have made five NCAA tournaments in the past eight seasons, making an Elite Eight in 2010 and a Sweet 16 in 2012.
They could also make a strong run this season as a No. 3 seed in the West Region, opening with No. 14 seed Georgia State. Regardless, Baylor must be taken seriously nationally on both fronts.
4. Michigan State
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It’s hard to argue with Michigan State’s hoops legacy under coach Tom Izzo. And over the past five years, Mark Dantonio has done his part to elevate the Spartans’ football program to a level of national prominence.
In the last five years, the Spartans have won 10 games four times, going 24-3 over the last two seasons with a Big Ten title, wins in the Cotton and Rose Bowls and their only losses coming to Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon. Not bad, really.
And who can argue with Izzo’s legacy as Michigan State basketball coach? Under Izzo’s guidance, the Spartans have made 18 consecutive NCAA tournaments, winning a national championship in 1999-2000, finishing as runner-up in 2008-09, making five Final Four appearances, two Elite Eights and four Sweet 16s.
Michigan State has been one of the most consistently successful teams in March Madness, making it impossible to count it out in any given year.
3. Wisconsin
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In Madison, Wisconsin, winters can be long and punishing. That’s fine, though. They’re just the transition between football and basketball. Over the last 15 years, Wisconsin has built up an impressive record in both sports.
The Badgers made the Final Four in 2000 under Dick Bennett and have made the NCAA tournament every season since 1999, making four Sweet 16 appearances, an Elite Eight and making the Final Four again last season. As a No. 1 seed this season, they’re a strong bet to make a major run through the field of 68.
On the gridiron, they’ve been equally impressive. Barry Alvarez revitalized the program in the early 1990s, and Bret Bielema built on that tradition with four 10-win seasons before bolting for Arkansas. His replacement, Gary Andersen, went 11-3 in 2014 before leaving for Oregon State. Now it’s up to Paul Chryst, a Madison native and former Wisconsin player and coach, to carry the program forward.
2. Florida
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2014-15 was a highly disappointing year in the Florida athletic department. The Gators failed to make the NCAA tournament or NIT for the first time since 1996-97 (Donovan’s first season at the program’s helm), finishing 16-17. That came on the heels of Will Muschamp’s ugly run as head football coach, which ended with his dismissal in early November and Jim McElwain’s hiring as his replacement.
SI.com's Zac Ellis said this season was very disappointing for Donovan and UF.
“I think it was a team that was maybe a little bit more wrapped up in themselves,” Donovan said. “They didn’t quite understand the level of sacrifice needed to beat a really good team.”
That said, all is far from lost regarding Florida athletics. The Gators have three football national championships within the past two decades under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, and they have 10 10-win seasons in that same span, with 10 BCS bowl appearances.
Meanwhile, Donovan has 16 NCAA appearances in his 19 seasons as Florida head coach, with back-to-back national titles in 2005-06 and 2006-07, as well as a Final Four appearance last season, three Elite Eight runs and a Sweet 16 appearance. Every elite program has its bumps in the road, but Florida should be proud of its recent history as a national athletic power.
1. Ohio State
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Ohio State squeezed into the 2015 field as a No. 10 seed in the West, facing No. 7 seed Virginia Commonwealth, but the Buckeyes have been a strong NCAA tournament team in recent seasons. They’ve gone dancing in nine of the last 10 seasons under Thad Matta, only missing the field in 2008.
Matta has led the Buckeyes to a pair of Final Four appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 2007 and five Sweet 16 appearances in the last decade.
Meanwhile, following a brief lull at the end of the Jim Tressel era, Urban Meyer has continued Ohio State’s run as one of the nation’s premier football programs. The Buckeyes won the 2014 national title, their first since 2002, but they’ve been consistently excellent on the gridiron.
Since 2002, Ohio State has won 10 games 11 times under Meyer and Tressel’s watch, making 10 BCS/College Football Playoff-level bowl games and four national title games. It’s hard to argue with the Buckeyes as one of the nation’s premier athletic combinations.
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