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Who had the best year in sports?
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:12 am
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:12 am
CBS
Which college had the best year across the major sports? Many fan bases think their school had a special season, but we built a simple formula to determine who actually performed best across the biggest stages in college athletics.
Using a scoring system centered on six of the highest-profile college sports -- football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball -- we evaluated which schools delivered the strongest all-around performance this year. Think of it as a more focused version of the Directors' Cup. Instead of measuring overall athletic department depth, we focused only on the sports that drive the most national attention, TV ratings and fan engagement.
The goal wasn't simply to reward championships. It was to measure sustained success across multiple sports, with postseason performance weighted more heavily than regular-season results.
Each school received a score in six sports: football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball.
Each sport was scored using the following formula: (0.3 × (regular-season win percentage × 100)) + (0.7 × postseason score). That means 30% of a team's score came from regular-season success, while 70% came from postseason performance.
Conference tournament results were not included because postseason formats vary too much. Postseason scoring was tiered based on advancement.
Bowl eligible/NCAA Tournament appearance -- 20 points
Bowl win/Round of 32/Regional Finals -- 30 points
CFP appearance/Sweet 16/Super Regionals -- 45 points
CFP quarterfinals/Elite Eight/CWS -- 60 points
CFP semifinals/Final Four/CWS semifinals -- 75 points
National runner-up -- 90 points
National champion -- 100 points
A school's final score was the average of its participating sports. Most schools were scored across all six sports, though schools without sponsorship in one or more sports were averaged across the sports they fielded.
Texas was consistently strong across the board, but the biggest highlight came in softball, where the Longhorns won the Women's College World Series for the second consecutive year. That kind of peak performance, combined with steady production elsewhere, is what pushed them into a tier of their own in our model. That profile also lines up with what Texas has done across college athletics more broadly. The Longhorns won the NACDA Directors' Cup for the fifth time in six years last week.
Alabama didn't win a national championship in any of the six sports, but still finished second overall with consistent postseason success across multiple sports. The Crimson Tide reached the national quarterfinals in football and baseball and added a semifinal run in softball, finishing second in postseason points and securing the No. 2 spot in the model.
1. Texas... SEC 66.73
2. Alabama SEC 53.27
3. Michigan Big Ten 50.09
4. Texas A&M SEC 49.80
5. Nebraska Big Ten 49.58
6. UCLA.. Big Ten 49.24
7. Oklahoma SEC 48.73
8. Georgia SEC 47.97
9. Tennessee SEC 45.88
10. Miami ACC.45.86
11. Texas Tech.Big 12.45.38
12. Ole Miss SEC 42.84
13. TCU Big 12 42.03
14. North Carolina ACC 41.96
15. Kentucky SEC 41.43
16. Louisville ACC 41.41
17. Duke ACC 40.93
18. Oregon Big Ten 39.92
19. Indiana Big Ten 39.75
20. Arizona State Big 12 39.46
21. Virginia ACC 38.68
22. USC.. Big Ten 38.30
23. Iowa State Big 12 37.38
24. Arizona Big 12 36.73
25. Kansas Big 12 35.22
26. SMU.. ACC 34.72
27. Florida SEC 34.67
28. Wisconsin Big Ten 33.94
29. Vanderbilt SEC 33.52
30. Iowa Big Ten 32.56
31. Illinois Big Ten 32.50
32. West Virginia Big 12 32.42
33. Mississippi State SEC 31.93
34. Ohio State Big Ten 31.42
34. Oklahoma State Big 12 31.42
36. Purdue Big Ten 31.29
37. LSU SEC 31.08
38. Minnesota Big Ten 31.05
39. Arkansas SEC 30.48
40. NC State ACC 29.21
41. Clemson ACC 29.02
42. Georgia Tech ACC 28.92
43. Stanford ACC 27.41
44. BYU Big 12 27.40
45. Pittsburgh ACC 27.26
46. UCF Big 12 26.76
47. Notre Dame ACC/Ind. 26.63
48. Washington Big Ten 26.20
49. South Carolina SEC 25.63
50. Colorado Big 12 25.24
51. Virginia Tech ACC 25.02
52. Michigan State Big Ten 24.98
53. Florida State ACC 24.62
54. Baylor Big 12 23.99
55. Wake Forest ACC 23.87
56. Houston Big 12 23.59
57. Kansas State Big 12 22.26
58. Cincinnati Big 12 21.77
59. Missouri SEC 21.21
60. Auburn SEC 21.06
61. Penn State Big Ten 20.98
62. Utah Big 12 20.77
63. Syracuse ACC 18.21
64. California ACC 17.17
65. Northwestern Big Ten 17.16
66. Maryland Big Ten 16.50
67. Boston College ACC 12.56
68. Rutgers Big Ten 12.51
Which college had the best year across the major sports? Many fan bases think their school had a special season, but we built a simple formula to determine who actually performed best across the biggest stages in college athletics.
Using a scoring system centered on six of the highest-profile college sports -- football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball -- we evaluated which schools delivered the strongest all-around performance this year. Think of it as a more focused version of the Directors' Cup. Instead of measuring overall athletic department depth, we focused only on the sports that drive the most national attention, TV ratings and fan engagement.
The goal wasn't simply to reward championships. It was to measure sustained success across multiple sports, with postseason performance weighted more heavily than regular-season results.
Each school received a score in six sports: football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball.
Each sport was scored using the following formula: (0.3 × (regular-season win percentage × 100)) + (0.7 × postseason score). That means 30% of a team's score came from regular-season success, while 70% came from postseason performance.
Conference tournament results were not included because postseason formats vary too much. Postseason scoring was tiered based on advancement.
Bowl eligible/NCAA Tournament appearance -- 20 points
Bowl win/Round of 32/Regional Finals -- 30 points
CFP appearance/Sweet 16/Super Regionals -- 45 points
CFP quarterfinals/Elite Eight/CWS -- 60 points
CFP semifinals/Final Four/CWS semifinals -- 75 points
National runner-up -- 90 points
National champion -- 100 points
A school's final score was the average of its participating sports. Most schools were scored across all six sports, though schools without sponsorship in one or more sports were averaged across the sports they fielded.
Texas was consistently strong across the board, but the biggest highlight came in softball, where the Longhorns won the Women's College World Series for the second consecutive year. That kind of peak performance, combined with steady production elsewhere, is what pushed them into a tier of their own in our model. That profile also lines up with what Texas has done across college athletics more broadly. The Longhorns won the NACDA Directors' Cup for the fifth time in six years last week.
Alabama didn't win a national championship in any of the six sports, but still finished second overall with consistent postseason success across multiple sports. The Crimson Tide reached the national quarterfinals in football and baseball and added a semifinal run in softball, finishing second in postseason points and securing the No. 2 spot in the model.
1. Texas... SEC 66.73
2. Alabama SEC 53.27
3. Michigan Big Ten 50.09
4. Texas A&M SEC 49.80
5. Nebraska Big Ten 49.58
6. UCLA.. Big Ten 49.24
7. Oklahoma SEC 48.73
8. Georgia SEC 47.97
9. Tennessee SEC 45.88
10. Miami ACC.45.86
11. Texas Tech.Big 12.45.38
12. Ole Miss SEC 42.84
13. TCU Big 12 42.03
14. North Carolina ACC 41.96
15. Kentucky SEC 41.43
16. Louisville ACC 41.41
17. Duke ACC 40.93
18. Oregon Big Ten 39.92
19. Indiana Big Ten 39.75
20. Arizona State Big 12 39.46
21. Virginia ACC 38.68
22. USC.. Big Ten 38.30
23. Iowa State Big 12 37.38
24. Arizona Big 12 36.73
25. Kansas Big 12 35.22
26. SMU.. ACC 34.72
27. Florida SEC 34.67
28. Wisconsin Big Ten 33.94
29. Vanderbilt SEC 33.52
30. Iowa Big Ten 32.56
31. Illinois Big Ten 32.50
32. West Virginia Big 12 32.42
33. Mississippi State SEC 31.93
34. Ohio State Big Ten 31.42
34. Oklahoma State Big 12 31.42
36. Purdue Big Ten 31.29
37. LSU SEC 31.08
38. Minnesota Big Ten 31.05
39. Arkansas SEC 30.48
40. NC State ACC 29.21
41. Clemson ACC 29.02
42. Georgia Tech ACC 28.92
43. Stanford ACC 27.41
44. BYU Big 12 27.40
45. Pittsburgh ACC 27.26
46. UCF Big 12 26.76
47. Notre Dame ACC/Ind. 26.63
48. Washington Big Ten 26.20
49. South Carolina SEC 25.63
50. Colorado Big 12 25.24
51. Virginia Tech ACC 25.02
52. Michigan State Big Ten 24.98
53. Florida State ACC 24.62
54. Baylor Big 12 23.99
55. Wake Forest ACC 23.87
56. Houston Big 12 23.59
57. Kansas State Big 12 22.26
58. Cincinnati Big 12 21.77
59. Missouri SEC 21.21
60. Auburn SEC 21.06
61. Penn State Big Ten 20.98
62. Utah Big 12 20.77
63. Syracuse ACC 18.21
64. California ACC 17.17
65. Northwestern Big Ten 17.16
66. Maryland Big Ten 16.50
67. Boston College ACC 12.56
68. Rutgers Big Ten 12.51
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Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:16 am to Night Vision
If you didnt win a championship, youre not at the top of the list.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:19 am to BigAL Golesh
boogs way down at the bottom.
Don't get your panties in a wad before lunch.
Don't get your panties in a wad before lunch.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:21 am to Night Vision
quote:
37. LSU SEC 31.08
quote:
60. Auburn SEC 21.06
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:23 am to VFL67
List ain't fair Pawwll!!!
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:24 am to Night Vision
If we just didn’t crap out in men’s basketball. Making the final four in football and the World Series made for a very fun year.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:25 am to BigAL Golesh
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:27 am to Night Vision
So, the SEC should add Texas Tech and boot LSU?
Rodo
Rodo
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:31 am to Rodo
Need some top-notch beach volleyball teams with the best babes.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:33 am to Night Vision
Pretty surprising South Carolina didn’t move on from either Beamer or Paris. At least Mainieri is gone
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:39 am to Night Vision
Bowl eligible gets you 20 points in an era where 5 -7 gets you invited still
lol
lol
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:48 am to Night Vision
quote:
12. Ole Miss SEC 42.84
Years ago my Rebs were always in the bottom 3 of the conference in these rankings. Keith Carter is an awesome AD.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:48 am to Night Vision
The Big 60 ! 
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:52 am to Night Vision
I asbolutely refuse to believe Texas should be atop this list.
CFB: Didn't make playoffs. 3 losess, finished 5th in their conference
CBB: Made sweet 16 which is a solid accomplishment
Baseball: Made omaha which is solid. Went 1-2 beating an overmatched team once and losing to an equally matched team twice being outscored 9-1
I mean looking at that Texas shouldn't even be ranked ahead of UGA, much less 7 spots ahead of them. UGA also went 4-1 in those 3 sports against Texas head to head, FWIW.
CFB: Didn't make playoffs. 3 losess, finished 5th in their conference
CBB: Made sweet 16 which is a solid accomplishment
Baseball: Made omaha which is solid. Went 1-2 beating an overmatched team once and losing to an equally matched team twice being outscored 9-1
I mean looking at that Texas shouldn't even be ranked ahead of UGA, much less 7 spots ahead of them. UGA also went 4-1 in those 3 sports against Texas head to head, FWIW.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:54 am to vengeanceofbrain
Beamer hasn’t done terrible plus if I’m an AD of any school and my football program isn’t completely shatting the bed I’d probably hold off on firing. The landscape of college football seems very unsettled right now and outside of a few exceptions, coaches have been giving mixed results on their ability to navigate the new world. Spending a bunch on a buyout plus more spending on the next coach seems extravagant when you have conferences threatening to leave ncaa, congress trying to pass laws and the ncaa crumbling in courts.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 8:57 am to bamabaseballsec
Texas has a lot of sports that OU doesn't have have like swimming, diving, rowing, basket weaving, and tiddly winks.
Posted on 7/1/26 at 9:02 am to Wishbone85
you have wrestling and gymnastics (lol), who cares
Posted on 7/1/26 at 9:05 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
I asbolutely refuse to believe Texas should be atop this list.
CFB: Didn't make playoffs. 3 losess, finished 5th in their conference
CBB: Made sweet 16 which is a solid accomplishment
Baseball: Made omaha which is solid. Went 1-2 beating an overmatched team once and losing to an equally matched team twice being outscored 9-1
I mean looking at that Texas shouldn't even be ranked ahead of UGA, much less 7 spots ahead of them. UGA also went 4-1 in those 3 sports against Texas head to head, FWIW.
this isn't a list of "how did you do against Georgia". If you don't like it, cry to CBS. it's their list.
As soon as I saw us at the top I grabbed my popcorn and prepped for the inevitable crying. I was not disappointed.
Do these stupid lists even matter? I can't believe anyone cares honestly. We are in a college sports lull right now and they need to create content and hand wringing.
This post was edited on 7/1/26 at 9:07 am
Posted on 7/1/26 at 9:12 am to Wishbone85
quote:
Texas has a lot of sports that OU doesn't have have like swimming, diving, rowing, basket weaving, and tiddly winks.
But can you major in basket weaving at Texas???
Posted on 7/1/26 at 9:37 am to Night Vision
Does this list put more weight on bigger titles? If not it is crap.
No way a Football or Men's Basketball title is worth the same as a fricking Lacrosse or Diving title at all.
No way a Football or Men's Basketball title is worth the same as a fricking Lacrosse or Diving title at all.
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