America's Best Sports Colleges

Peter Read Miller

Sports Illustrated combined a variety of factors in arriving at its 2002 rankings of Division I schools, including performance during the 2001-02 school year in the big five sports (baseball, football, hockey and men's and women basketball); position in the '01-'02 Sears Cup NCAA all-sports standings; number of varsity, club and intramural sports; range of recreational facilities; and whether or not spirit-boosting events like Midnight Madness were held.

Also, in a CNNSI.com exclusive, SI staffers Gene Menez and Kelli Anderson remember their days at No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Stanford, respectively. And weigh in on our poll: How big a role did a college's athletic success play in your choice of school?

(Ratings compiled by Craig Neff, Andrea Woo, Martin Bell, Scott Cacciola, Emily Cadei, Andre Carter, Jill Inkrott, Glenn Kaplan, Cara O'Reilly and Amy Potter.)

1. TEXAS		2. STANFORD
35,206	Undergrad enrollment	6,637
19	Varsity teams	34
42	Intramural sports	8
40	Club sports	17
$50 million	Athletic budget	$45 million
2nd	'01-02 Sears Cup all-sports rank	1st
1st	'01-02 SI major-sports rank	3rd (tie)
56%	Athlete	90%
(170th)	Graduation rate	(3rd, tie)
11-2 ( 5th)	2001 football	9-3 (16th)
22-12 (18th/Sweet 16)	'01-02 basketball	20-10 (Round of 32)
24-10 (13th/Sweet 16)	'01-02 women's basketball	32-3 (8th/Sweet 16
57-15 (1st)	'02 baseball	47-18 (4th)
2	NCAA team titles	4
6	NCAA individual titles	18

3. OKLAHOMA Sooners made men's and women's Final Fours and just missed BCS berth (football team finished No. 6). Gymnastics won NCAA title, wrestling was No. 3 and softball No. 8. School is on the rise, with rec facilities being upgraded (OU already has a top 10 golf course) and hot coaches in Bob Stoops (football) and Kelvin Sampson (basketball).

4. FLORIDA Loss of Steve Spurrier to NFL one of few setbacks in year that saw 11 Gators teams (including No. 3 football) finish in top 25. Excellent women's programs and rabid student fans, who make the Swamp a loud, nasty place to devour gridiron foes. Campus is a rec-sports dreamland: 85% of students play intramurals.

5. SOUTH CAROLINA Gamecocks finished No. 1 in women's track, No. 2 in baseball, No. 6 in women's basketball and No. 13 in football. A $48 million recreation center will open in February. Insiders say: "It's an exciting time to be a Carolina student. Thanks to Lou Holtz our football game has finally caught up to our tailgating game."

6. LSU Tigers won men's and women's track titles, finished No. 7 in football and led nation in baseball attendance for seventh straight season. Alum Shaquille O'Neal had a decent year too. Few college arenas rock harder than Tiger Stadium and the Deaf Dome. Insiders say: "The worst part is recovering from all the football parties."

7. MINNESOTA No surprise that hockey team won its fourth NCAA title, but wrestling squad won its second straight and unheralded Gophers golfers were national champs too. Nine other teams made top 25, including men's and women's cross-country and gymnastics. "The U" has glorious football history, invented cheerleading and has alums ranging from Bronko Nagurski to Yanni.

8. NORTH CAROLINA In fall season alone Tar Heels won national title in men's soccer, finished second in women's soccer and made top 20 in four other sports. Football team produced two of first six NFL draftees (Julius Peppers, Ryan Sims). Overall, 22 of 28 teams made NCAA postseason. Did someone mention men's basketball (8-20)? Didn't think so.

9. TENNESSEE On top of usual success in football (final rank: No. 4) and women's basketball (No. 3), Volunteers made top 5 in men's and women's tennis and men's track (won NCAA indoor championship). Knoxville school is so flush with sports riches that it has two Olympic-sized pools--and excellent swimmers to put in them.

10. MICHIGAN Wolverines led the nation in football attendance for 27th time in 28 years, and team made top 20. Ann Arbor was nirvana for both kinds of hockey: women won national title in field version and men were No. 4 on ice. Insiders say: "The best place to see a game here is Yost Ice Arena. It's the Cameron Indoor Stadium of college hockey."

11-100 | 101-200

Issue date: October 7, 2002