As we close the calendar year, the following is our ranking of the Top 100 college sports programs. We rated only team sports as opposed to individual sports such as golf, tennis and gymnastics. Ratings by statistician Kenneth Massey (www.masseyratings.com) were a helpful starting point since he rates all sports and all divisions, and from there we looked at standard deviations to figure out which teams were truly the most dominant in their sport.
Finally, we looked at how the playoffs played out. While Stanford women’s soccer was clearly better than UNC during the season, UNC continued to have their number in the tournament en route to a 21st title, so we had to move UNC in front of the Cardinal. For each team, we provide their record, then the Strength of Schedule (SoS, how tough there opponents were), and finally where Massey had them ranked within their sport and the rating score he assigned them. Comments on individual teams start with 25th place.
Rank, Team, Sport, Wins, Losses, Ties, Strength of Schedule, Massey Rank, Mass Rating, Notes
100, Gonzaga, Basketball men, 11, 1, , 54, 15, 2.45, Gonzaga basketball starts the count downof the top 100 sports programs at the end of Calendar 2012, with comments starting with the 25th best team below.
99, Kentucky, Basketball women, 9, 1, , 22, 6, 2.51,
98, Creighton, Soccer men, 17, 4, 3, 15, 7, 2.04,
97, Louisville, Softball, 55, 5, , 54, 8, 2.15,
96, Stanford, Mens volleyball, 22, 7, , 3, 3, 1.74,
95, Colgate, Men’s Lacrosse, 14, 4, , 15, 8, 2,
94, Tennessee, Softball, 52, 14, , 10, 7, 2.16,
93, Maryland, Men’s Lacrosse, 12, 6, , 1, 7, 2.01,
92, Georgetown, Soccer men, 19, 4, 3, 8, 6, 2.06,
91, Duke, Soccer women, 15, 6, 2, 2, 10, 2.14,
90, Virginia, Men’s Lacrosse, 12, 4, , 5, 6, 2.02,
89, UCLA, Soccer men, 13, 3, 3, 3, 5, 2.07,
88, Creighton, Basketball men, 11, 1, , 42, 14, 2.49,
87, New Mexico, Basketball men, 12, 0, , 36, 13, 2.49,
86, USC, Womens Volleyball, 30, 6, , 17, 7, 2.21,
85, Stanford, Baseball, 41, 18, , 2, 6, 2.2,
84, Indiana, Basketball men, 10, 1, , 71, 12, 2.5,
83, San Diego St, Soccer women, 21, 2, 1, 38, 9, 2.16,
82, Minnesota, Womens Volleyball, 27, 8, , 6, 6, 2.22,
81, Duke, Men’s Lacrosse, 15, 5, , 3, 5, 2.04,
nk, Team, Sport, Wins, Losses, Ties, Strength of Schedule, Massey Rank, Mass Rating, Notes
80, Lehigh, Men’s Lacrosse, 14, 3, , 20, 4, 2.04,
79, Marquette, Soccer women, 18, 2, 3, 39, 8, 2.17,
78, Oregon St, Football, 9, 3, , 7, 13, 2.09,
77, Illinois, Basketball men, 12, 0, , 74, 11, 2.52,
76, Notre Dame, Men’s Lacrosse, 13, 3, , 6, 3, 2.05,
75, Notre Dame, Hockey Men, 14, 4, , 25, 4, 1.65,
74, Virginia, Field, 16, 6, , 5, 8, 1.99,
73, Old Dominion, Field, 15, 6, , 4, 7, 1.99,
72, Nebraska, Womens Volleyball, 26, 7, , 3, 5, 2.25,
71, South Carolina, Baseball, 49, 20, , 16, 5, 2.24,
70, Oregon, Baseball, 46, 19, , 3, 4, 2.24,
69, Oregon, Softball, 45, 18, , 1, 6, 2.23,
68, BYU, Soccer women, 20, 2, 2, 21, 7, 2.21,
67, UCLA, Soccer women, 18, 3, 2, 8, 6, 2.21,
66, Minnesota, Basketball men, 11, 1, , 10, 10, 2.56,
65, Florida St, Baseball, 50, 17, , 22, 3, 2.26,
64, Ohio St, Football, 12, 0, , 44, 12, 2.13,
63, Indiana, Soccer men, 16, 5, 3, 2, 4, 2.13,
62, Cincinnati, Basketball men, 11, 0, , 138, 9, 2.57,
61, Penn St, Soccer women, 21, 4, 2, 6, 5, 2.24,
nk, Team, Sport, Wins, Losses, Ties, Strength of Schedule, Massey Rank, Mass Rating, Notes
60, Arizona, Basketball men, 9, 0, , 33, 8, 2.6,
59, UL Lafayette, Softball, 53, 6, , 31, 5, 2.28,
58, Ohio St, Basketball men, 9, 1, , 31, 7, 2.61,
57, Boston Univ, Hockey Men, 10, 5, , 1, 3, 1.7,
56, Penn St, Field, 18, 4, , 8, 6, 2.05,
55, Virginia, Soccer women, 18, 5, 1, 4, 4, 2.26,
54, Notre Dame, Basketball women, 8, 1, , 6, 5, 2.68,
53, Kansas, Basketball men, 9, 1, , 16, 6, 2.62,
52, USC, Mens volleyball, 23, 6, , 2, 2, 1.86,
51, South Carolina, Football, 10, 2, , 16, 11, 2.19,
50, Connecticut, Field, 19, 3, , 9, 5, 2.07,
49, Florida St, Soccer women, 20, 4, , 7, 3, 2.28,
48, LSU, Football, 10, 2, , 8, 10, 2.21,
47, Massachusetts, Men’s Lacrosse, 15, 1, , 24, 2, 2.16,
46, Oklahoma, Football, 10, 2, , 9, 9, 2.23,
45, Oregon, Womens Volleyball, 30, 5, , 5, 4, 2.38,
44, Maryland, Field, 18, 6, , 1, 4, 2.11,
43, Louisville, Basketball men, 10, 1, , 7, 5, 2.69,
42, Stanford, Football, 11, 2, , 2, 8, 2.24,
41, North Carolina, Women’s Lacrosse, 15, 4, , 5, 5, 2.2,
nk, Team, Sport, Wins, Losses, Ties, Strength of Schedule, Massey Rank, Mass Rating, Notes
40, Georgia, Football, 11, 2, , 15, 7, 2.25,
39, Arizona St, Softball, 53, 11, , 4, 4, 2.37,
38, Michigan, Basketball men, 12, 0, , 48, 4, 2.72,
37, Syracuse, Field, 19, 3, , 7, 3, 2.14,
36, Texas, Womens Volleyball, 29, 4, , 11, 3, 2.42,
35, Florida, Basketball men, 8, 1, , 6, 3, 2.73,
34, Syracuse, Basketball men, 10, 0, , 60, 2, 2.73,
33, Texas A&M, Football, 10, 2, , 12, 6, 2.28,
32, Notre Dame, Soccer men, 17, 4, 1, 1, 3, 2.29,
31, Syracuse, Women’s Lacrosse, 19, 4, , 2, 4, 2.25,
30, Stanford, Womens Volleyball, 30, 4, , 2, 2, 2.46,
29, Duke, Basketball women, 8, 0, , 16, 4, 2.84,
28, Kansas St, Football, 11, 1, , 10, 5, 2.31,
27, Florida, Women’s Lacrosse, 19, 3, , 7, 3, 2.27,
26, Florida, Football, 11, 1, , 1, 4, 2.34, Almost snuck back into title game at 11-1
25, Maryland, Soccer men, 20, 1, 3, 10, 2, 2.32, The dominant 20-1-3 team team almost about as dominant as women’s lacrosse, so we left them tied at 25th
24, Maryland, Women’s Lacrosse, 19, 4, , 3, 2, 2.29, See men’s soccer team
24, Oklahoma, Softball, 54, 10, , 8, 3, 2.5, At 54-10, the most dominant team between California and Alabama
23, Stanford, Basketball women, 10, 0, , 2, 3, 2.95, Perennial power 10-0 and hopes to break up Uconn-Baylor 1-2 this year
22, UCLA, Baseball, 48, 16, , 1, 2, 2.55, Half game better than Arizona for the year, but Arizona took the title
21, California, Softball, 58, 7, , 2, 2, 2.54, A dominated 58-7 season out west, but Alabama took title
nk, Team, Sport, Wins, Losses, Ties, Strength of Schedule, Massey Rank, Mass Rating, Notes
20, Oregon, Football, 11, 1, , 20, 2, 2.43, Massey says 11-1 Oregon better than ND, almost played for title
19, North Carolina, Field, 23, 2, , 2, 2, 2.35, A dominant 23-2 team better than men’s hoops this year
18, Akron, Soccer men, 18, 1, 3, 18, 1, 2.33, At 18-1-3 wants to replace UNC for title
17, Penn St, Womens Volleyball, 33, 3, , 4, 1, 2.53, At 33-3 hopes to continue dominance after UCLA title last year
16, Princeton, Field, 21, 1, , 3, 1, 2.4, Maryland was champs, Princeton 21-1 hopes to be next
15, Connecticut, Basketball women, 11, 0, , 5, 1, 3.14, 11-0 trying to get it back after Baylor interrupted ru
14, Notre Dame, Football, 12, 0, , 18, 3, 2.36, Massey rates Oregon higher, but playing for title puts them at #12
13, Baylor, Basketball women, 11, 1, , 1, 2, 3.04, The defending champs are 12-1 and chasing Uconn for another title
12, Boston College, Hockey Men, 11, 2, , 7, 2, 1.84, Defending champs at 11-2, chasing New Hampshire this year
11, Stanford, Soccer women, 21, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2.4, At 21-2-1 they were the best this year, but UNC has their number.
And the top 10 …
10, Loyola MD, Men’s Lacrosse, 18, 1, , 11, 1, 2.25, Champs and 18-1
Anyone who has ever visited a park in Maryland has seen kids running around with lacrosse instead of tossing a football or baseball. Our 10th most dominant team of 2012 is the Loyola of Maryland Men’s Lacrosse team, which won their first national title in May by drubbing the University of Maryland in front of 30,816 people at the New England Patriots Gillette Stadium to cap a high-scoring season of dominance with an 18-1 mark.
9, North Carolina, Soccer women, 15, 5, 3, 1, 2, 2.32, Once again had Stanford’s number in the tournament.
This wasn’t nearly the best UNC women’s soccer team Anson Dorrance has had, and the computers said Stanford was better. But when they met in the semis it was UNC again, and then they beat Penn State 4-1 to take their 21st title – by far the most dominant program in all of sports.
8, UC Irvine, Mens volleyball, 26, 5, , 1, 1, 1.97, 26-5 and national champs
Carson Clark could have made big money playing volleyball overseas this year, but instead he stayed at Cal0-Irvine and led them to a 26-5 mark culminating with 22 kills to beat the USC Trojans for the national title.
7, New Hampshire, Hockey Men, 11, 2, , 6, 1, 1.86, Will try to replace Boston College – off to 11 and 2 start
While they slipped to No. 2 in the human polls after a big rally fell short against Boston University, the computer says New Hampshire Men’s Hockey team is the most dominant at 11-2-2 and most likely to win the Frozen Four after the Basketball Final Four Concludes.
6, Northwestern, Women’s Lacrosse, 21, 2, , 1, 1, 2.39, A title in hand at 21-2
Reigning player of the year Shannon Smith led the Northwestern Women’s lacrosse team to their seventh national title in eight years.
5, Alabama, Football, 12, 1, , 13, 1, 2.46, Trying to make it 2 straight titles at 12 and 1 again
With a national title in hand from January and another within reach in the upcoming BCS game, the Crimson Tide is the best-known dominant team. However, both teams were beaten once and the computers do not have them quite as far ahead of the rest of the field as teams in four other sports.
4, Alabama, Softball, 60, 8, , 5, 1, 2.62, Won the title in Spring after 60-8 season
Anyone who is sick of the SEC and Alabama in football can not be thrilled about Alabama rolling to a 60-8 season to claim the national first national title for an SEC team in softball by beating Oklahoma in their home state. Bama women also took the national gymnastics and golf titles, but we have not included “individual” sports in these rankings.
3, Duke, Basketball men, 10, 0, , 2, 1, 3.08, 10-0 with Kentucky down for a year
With Duke’s 10-0 start to the current season, it looks like they may just take turns winning national titles with Kentucky for a while. While Kentucky is rebuilding, Duke is loaded and has the favorite for Player of the Year in Mason Plumlee and the NCAA title while Kentucky rebuilds for a year.
2, Arizona, Baseball, 48, 17, , 5, 1, 2.68, With the baseball title in hand last Spring after 48-17 season
Mathew Troupe shut down two-time defending champion South Carolina as Arizona finished a dominant 11-game winning streak to take the baseball title.
1, Minnesota, Hockey Women, 20, 0, , 7, 1, 2.56, off to 20-0 start trying to defend title
When you look at the 100 most profitable college sports programs, 99 are either football or basketball, and then there is Minnesota men’s hockey. But it’s the women’s hockey team that is not the most dominant team in all of sports and the computer pick to win the Frozen Four. With plenty of home-grown talent and Kelly Terry and Sarah Davis from Canada’s U-22 national team, the average score during the Gophers 20-0 start has been 5.7 to 0.6, and only five opponents have come within three goals of a tie.
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