NCAA Top 10 List
 

The holiday bowl-game season got me to thinking about the best NCAA football programs over my lifetime. I was born in the very early '60s, but didn't really become interested in collegiate football in a meaningful way until about a decade later (so for the sake of this exercise, lets use 1970 as the starting point).

I created my personal Top 10 List (the 10 best collegiate football programs since 1970). I then did the same for basketball. Not sure if it is surprising or not, but no school appeared on both lists. **Number 11--just could not find a spot for these two schools in my Top 10**

Please weigh in however you like; and if you want to poke holes in my selections go right ahead--all for fun :). Anyway, here are my lists in alphabetical order:

FOOTBALL
Alabama
Georgia
LSU
Michigan
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Penn State
Texas
USC
**Florida State**

BASKETBALL
Duke
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisville
Michigan State
North Carolina
Syracuse
UCLA
UConn
Villanova
**Indiana**

Maybe Nebraska in FB and Georgetown in BB? Short lived I know.

I would have Nebraska in the football list. I would not have Syracuse in the basketball list. But pretty solid lists on both.

I could see maybe Clemson or Tennessee on the football list, but then I'm not sure who I'd remove from the OP's list to include those 2.

Both lists look pretty solid, though. It would be interesting to compare those lists to the top ten winningest teams over that same span of time.

Lists look right to me. I might insert Indiana into the top 10 in Basketball in place of Syracuse. Indiana has won 3 National Championships since 1970 (including their undefeated season in 1976 to Syracuse's lone championship in 2003.

Nebraska did cross my mind for the FB list, but for some reason Clemson did not. Probably should have. Tough for me to leave Syracuse off my BB list, but I did consider it.

Lets say you had to pare each list down to a Top 5. Who would you have?

Football:
Alabama
USC
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Notre Dame


Nebraska has hit hard times, but going back to 1970, they have 5 championships (if you include 1997), the second most of any team. I would have them 6th.

I think Notre Dame, LSU and Clemson are all about even, with 3 Championships each. But I give the node to Notre Dame because they also have 6 top 5 finishes. With the exception of 1981, Clemson wasn't dominant until 2015.


Basketball:
Duke
North Carolina
UCLA
Connecticut
Kentucky


Kansas and Indiana are close.

Syracuse belongs - In 3 NCAA Championship games; winning one, should have two (I hate Keith Smart), 6 Final Fours, 10 Elite Eights, 24 Sweet Sixteens, 41 NCAA Tournament appearances 🏀

Which team in my top 5 would you replace with Syracuse, or are you just saying they belong in the top 10? If just the top 10, which team would you replace with Syracuse?

I bleed Orange 🍊 Definitely agree with Syracuse being in OP’s Top 10. Wouldn’t put Syracuse in your Top 5 🏀