The Best Sports Colleges in the Country

By Richard Janvrin Contributor Updated: 07 November 2023

Richard Janvrin Contributor

Richard has been writing about sports since he was a teenager. Still, his first professional role came in 2015, covering all things NFL and fantasy football-related. From there, in December 2018, he started in the sports betting industry, covering sportsbook reviews before arriving to where he is today. 

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The Best College Sports Programs

Throughout the years, there have been many successful college sports programs, and here, we’ll look to offer up the 11 best, looking primarily at basketball and football.

We look for programs that have had consistency over time or have had noticeable rises and appear to be headed for stardom. See our list below for the best sports colleges.

Florida State University (Florida State Seminoles)

Based on their football team alone, this is one of the best athletic colleges in the nation. Their football program is the No. 4 team in the nation, is undefeated and features some potential high-round NFL draft picks.

The potential high draft choices include wide receiver Keon Coleman, a transfer from Michigan State. Through six weeks of the 2023-24 college football season, Coleman has 278 receiving yards and six touchdowns at six-foot-four and over 200 pounds. Opposite him is Johnny Wilson, who stands north of six-foot-seven.

The basketball program here most recently made it to the Elite Eight in 2018, and as a school, they’ve won over 100 conference championships through the years and sport 20 college athletics programs.

University of Alabama (Alabama Crimson Tide)

The Alabama Crimson Tide have been in the thick of things for years and, especially based on last year, are one of the top colleges for sports.

They’ve stumbled a bit for the 2023-24 college football season, losing to the Texas Longhorns, but they’re still ranked highly in the AP Top 25 and have one loss. Since head coach Nick Saban joined the program in 2007, they’ve captured six national championships, eight conference titles, four Heisman Trophy winners, and 45 All-Americans.

Last year, for basketball, the school had Brandon Miller, who went on to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, going to the Charlotte Hornets.

University of Colorado (Colorado Buffaloes)

They’re still on the rise, but the Colorado Buffaloes, under head football coach Deion Sanders, are capturing much attention. Before he came in with his regime and mindset, the school’s football program won just one game. This year, through six games, they’re 4-2 with Deion’s sons, Shilo and Shedeur, playing in the game. They’re just two games away from being bowl-eligible.

However, it’s not all about football at Colorado. In 2023, the basketball program made it to the Sweet Sixteen and has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years.

Ohio State University (Ohio State Buckeyes)

Where to even begin with the Ohio State Buckeyes? Their football program here has been successful for many years. To put it in perspective, since 1966, they’ve had just two losing seasons where they went 4-6-1 in 1988 and 6-7 in 2012. The school has produced 89 first-round NFL Draft picks.

As for the basketball program, they’ve produced nearly 20 top 10 picks in the NBA Draft and one No. 1 overall pick, Greg Oden. Undoubtedly, this is one of the top athletic colleges, simply based on the football and basketball programs alone.

Duke University (Duke Blue Devils)

The Duke Blue Devils football team is beginning to turn things around, which has helped the school not only be known as a basketball university.

The basketball program at Duke has long been one of the best college sports programs, especially under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who retired after 2022. He was the head coach at Duke since 1980, and in that time, the program won five championships and made it to 13 Final Fours.

In 2023, the football program is nationally ranked, too, thanks to their quarterback, Riley Leonard. Before Leonard, the program recently had Daniel Jones, a top-five draft pick in the NFL Draft. Considering the academic requirements to enroll at a school like Duke, it’s impressive what they’ve been able to build across these two programs, never mind others over the years, such as Lacrosse.

University of Kentucky (Kentucky Wildcats)

If you’re interested in betting on college basketball, Kentucky is usually a pretty safe one to make, historically. They’ve struggled a bit more in recent years, making the NCAA Tournament just twice since 2019.

Still, this basketball program has won eight national championships, with the most recent coming in 2012. The basketball program has also produced top-tier NBA talent, including Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis, and John Wall.

The football program has started to turn things around, going 22-10 since 2021. Quarterback Will Levis was a second-round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the school is 5-1 in the 2023-24 season, with their only loss coming on the road against the No. 1 team in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs.

University of North Carolina (North Carolina Tar Heels)

You can’t have a list of the best college sports programs and not include the Tar Heels. Shoot, Michael Jordan went to school here, after all.The school has won six NCAA championships in basketball, with the most recent coming in 2017. They made it to the Final Four in 2022 but missed the tournament in 2023.

The football program has seen some success with quarterback Drake Maye. At this point, the Tar Heels are likely viewed more as a football school because of Maye and, more recently, Sam Howell. Maye is projected as a top draft pick for the 2024 NFL Draft, and the best betting sites with college football have them as one of the top dogs for winning the ACC Championship.

University of Texas (Texas Longhorns)

The Longhorns have long been viewed as a college sports school centered around the football team. They’ve had some phenomenal teams over the years, dating back to the Vince Young days, and in 2023-24, the Quinn Ewers era has proven successful. They lost to the Oklahoma Sooners (barely) in the Red River Rivalry, but they defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide on the road.

The basketball program can’t be slept on. In 2023, they made it to the Elite Eight and have made the tournament the last three years. As for the football program, the future is promising, with Arch Manning waiting in the wings as the school moves to the SEC in 2024.

University of Southern California (USC Trojans)

The basketball program most recently made the Elite Eight in 2021 and has made the NCAA Tournament three years in a row, but here, it’s all about the football program.

Right now, in 2023-24, the school has Caleb Williams. He’s viewed as a generational quarterback talent with similar abilities to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Regarding upside, some might argue he’s the best prospect since former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.

The school also has head coach Lincoln Riley, who will continue to catapult this program even after Williams heads to the NFL.

University of Kansas (Kansas Jayhawks)

The Kansas Jayhawks won the NCAA Tournament in 2022 but were bounced from it in the Round of 32 in 2023. Still, this school has had plenty of success, including 16 Final Four appearances and four NCAA championships.

The football program has turned things around, too, at least for the 2022-23 season. They’re 5-1 this year and went 6-7 last season. These 11 wins through 18 games are the same amount they’ve had between 2016-2021.

University of Connecticut (UConn Huskies)

The football program isn’t remotely relevant, but the men’s and women’s basketball programs have been sensational for decades. The women’s team has 11 national championships, and the men’s team won the title in 2023. During the 2000s, the men’s team won four championships, and their fifth came in 1999.

Best College Sports Programs: Where Can You Bet On College Sports Online?

State	Restriction
Arizona	Cannot bet on props.
Colorado	Cannot bet on props.
Connecticut	Cannot bet on Connecticut-based teams unless they’re in a tournament.
Delaware	Cannot bet on Delaware-based schools.
Illinois	Cannot bet on Illinois-based schools.
Indiana	Cannot bet on live college prop bets.
Iowa	Cannot bet on props.
Massachusetts	Cannot bet on in-state teams unless they’re in a tournament.
New Hampshire	Cannot bet on games featuring a New Hampshire school or games in the state.
New Jersey	Cannot bet on games featuring a New Jersey school or games in the state.
New York	Cannot bet on New York-based schools or player props.
Oregon	Cannot bet on college sports at all.
Pennsylvania	Cannot bet on player props.
Rhode Island	Cannot bet on games featuring a Rhode Island school or games in the state.
Tennessee	Cannot bet on props pre-game or during.
Virginia	Cannot bet on props or Virginia-based teams.
Washington D.C.	Cannot bet on teams based in D.C. or games happening there.
West Virginia	Cannot bet on college props.

Top College For Sports: Ways to Bet On College Sports

Moneyline: Bet on which team you think will win the game.
Point Spread: The game is assigned a number that illustrates the gap in power between the teams. If a team is -5, they must win the game by six or more. If the team is +5, they must win or lose by four or less to cover the spread.
Totals: Bet on the combined number of points scored.
Parlays: Bet multiple contests on one betslip while combining the odds and getting more value based on the number of legs. Each contest on a parlay slip must win for the bet to succeed.
Props: These include team, game, and player. The most popular are player props, which include total passing yards from a quarterback or points scored by a basketball player.
Futures: Wager on events that will resolve in the future, such as conference titles, national championships, or individual awards.