The Most Impressive Collegiate Sports Dynasties

It’s not one win, not one championship — it is the utmost achievement in all of sports. It is being the best of the best, and staying the best.

These are the collegiate programs that have dominated their sport for years.

These are the teams whose names will be etched in the history books.

Penn State Men’s Wrestling, 2011–2018

Penn State’s Bo Nickel celebrates after winning the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 17, 2018, in Cleveland. David Dermer / AP Photo

Since Olympic gold medalist Cael Sanderson took over the program in 2010, Penn State’s wrestling team has seen nothing but success.

Despite the other powerhouse wrestling programs in the Big Ten conference, Happy Valley has earned seven team NCAA championships in eight seasons.

In the so-called “Sanderson Era,” the Nittany Lions have lost only one team title, in 2015 to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 9 (team), 27 (individual)

Conference Titles: 5

Notable Team Members: Phil Davis, David Taylor and Ed Ruth

Minnesota Women’s Hockey, 2012–2016

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s hockey championship team in 2015. University of Minnesota Athletics

The most underrated collegiate sports dynasty of the 21st century, the Minnesota women’s ice hockey team holds the record for maintaining the longest winning streak in all of collegiate hockey from Feb. 17, 2012, through Nov. 17, 2013.

During that time frame, the Golden Gophers tallied up 62 wins, and it wouldn’t stop there. Coach Brad Frost and the ladies donning the maroon and gold brought two more titles to the Twin Cities in 2015 and 2016.

The team’s home rink, Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, was the first venue built for a women’s collegiate ice hockey program.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 6

Conference Titles: 9

Notable Team Members: Hannah Brandt, Nadine Muzerall and Natalie Darwitz

Alabama Crimson Tide Football, 2009 – ?

Alabama head coach Nick Saban celebrates with his team after the 2012 BCS National Championship Game against LSU in New Orleans. Alabama won 21-0. Gerald Herbert / AP Photo

In the history of collegiate American football, no other program can top the titles accumulated by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

After just one rebuilding year, coach Nick Saban led the Tide to three national titles in a mere four football seasons: 2009, 2011 and 2012.

Since then, ‘Bama has hoisted up two more 35-pound College Football Playoff National Championship trophies, in 2015 and 2017.

And the Tide rolls on.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 17 claimed, 4 unclaimed

Conference Titles: 30

Notable Team Members: Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry (both Heisman Trophy winners)

Penn State Women’s Volleyball, 2007–2014

Penn State’s Katie Slay, center, and her teammates celebrate after winning the 2013 NCAA women’s volleyball tournament championship final against Wisconsin in Seattle. Penn State won in four games. Charlie Pearce / AP/The Daily Texan

The Penn State women’s volleyball program has won seven national national championship under coach Russ Rose, and they are a title contender every year.

From 2007 to 2010, the women won four more consecutive championships before taking home back-to-back NCAA trophies in 2013 and 2014.

I’m guessing these accolades recruit for themselves.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 7

Conference Titles: 24

Notable Team Members: Megan Hodge Easy, Alisha Glass and Christa Harmotto Dietzen

Trinity College Men’s Squash, 1999 – ?

Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell admires a mug presented to her by members of the Trinity College men’s squash team in Hartford, Conn., on March 12, 2009, after the team won its 11th consecutive NCAA national title. Bob Child / AP Photo

The Bantams men’s squash program has the longest unbeaten streak in the history of American collegiate sports with 252 unbroken wins.

Yes, you read that right. From 1999 until today, Trinity’s men’s squash has taken home the Potter Trophy 17 times, and 13 of those came sequentially.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 17

Conference Titles: 20

Notable Team Members: Preston Quick and Basit Ashfaq

UConn Women’s Basketball, 1995–2016

Connecticut’s Morgan Tuck (3), Kia Nurse (11) and Breanna Stewart (30) celebrate after Connecticut’s 82-51 victory over Syracuse in the championship game at the women’s Final Four in the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. Michael Conroy / AP Photo

Since the mid-1990s, the Connecticut Huskies have been virtually unstoppable.

With Coach Geno Auriemma at the helm, UConn women’s basketball has achieved the longest winning streak in all of college basketball history with 111 straight wins from Nov. 23, 2014, through March 31, 2017.

His program boasts 11 consecutive Final Four appearances and four undefeated seasons.

Auriemma sure knows how to build success.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 11

Conference Titles: 19

Notable Team Members: Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart

Tennessee Lady Volunteers Basketball, 1987–2008

Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt talks with guard Alexis Hornbuckle during 2005 NCAA Tournament game against Western Carolina in Knoxville, Tenn. Rogelio Solis / AP Photo

Just five years after the inaugural NCAA women’s basketball tournament, Pat Summitt’s Lady Vols started to accumulate their titles, eventually giving the UConn Huskies a run for their money and igniting one of the greatest rivalries in women’s sports.

From 1987–2008, Tennessee’s women’s basketball program attended 15 Final Fours and brought home eight national championships, starting its 1997–1998 season in the No. 1 spot, going 39–0 and bookending the season with a title.

In 2012, when Summitt retired from her post as head coach, she held the record for most wins by a college basketball coach in the history of the game with 1,098 career victories. After losing her battle to Alheizmer’s in 2016, various petitions circulated to name the NCAA women’s basketball national championship trophy in coach Summitt’s honor.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 8

Conference Titles: 18

Notable Team Members: Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings and Holly Warlick

UNC Women’s Soccer, 1979–2012

UNC’s women’s soccer team after winning the Women’s College Cup in 2006. Wikipedia

In 1979, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill founded its women’s soccer program under the leadership of Anson Dorrance, formerly the head coach of the Tar Heels men’s program.

Since its inception, the women’s soccer team has only known one head coach — that being Dorrance, who has led the ladies to 21 national championships over his 40-year tenure.

You cannot discuss collegiate sports dynasties without giving UNC’s women’s soccer program a nod.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS:

National Championships: 21

Conference Titles: 19

Notable Team Members: Mia Hamm, Heather O’Reilly and Crystal Dunn

Iowa Wrestling, 1975–2000

The Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program won 23 NCAA championships between 1975 and 2000. University of Iowa

No other team on this list comes close to touching the number of titles that belong to the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program.

The epitome of “dynasty,” Iowa has taken home 23 NCAA championship trophies over the course of 26 years.

I’d sure like to see their trophy case up close.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS:

National Championships: 23

Conference Titles: 33

Notable Team Members: Ed Banach, Lincoln Mcllravy and Tom Brands

USC Baseball, 1958–1978

University of Southern California head coach Rod Dedeaux, left, with his team holding the NCAA college baseball World Series trophy in Omaha, Neb., on June 15, 1974, after the Trojans won their sixth championship in seven years. Larry Stoddard / AP Photo

Over the course of two decades, the University of Southern California’s baseball team made 13 College World Series appearances and won 10 NCAA championships.

Coach Rod Dedeaux’s five consecutive College World Series national championship wins from 1970–1974 would be known as the five “Jewels of the Crown.”

And rightly so, in 1999, the Trojans program was named the greatest baseball program of the 20th century by Baseball America.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 12

Conference Titles: 38

Notable Team Members: Sam Crawford, Sam Barry and Rod Dedeaux

UCLA Men’s Basketball, 1964–1975

John Wooden, UCLA head basketball coach, holds the NCAA championship trophy, which the Bruins won for the fifth straight year on March 27, 1971. Sidney Wicks (35) Bruins forward, wears part of the basket net around his neck. AP photo

Even if you’re not a sports fan, you’ve heard of the UCLA men’s basketball dynasty and its legendary coach, John Wooden.

The banners that wave in Pauley Pavilion highlight the Bruins insurmountable talent from the “John Wooden era.” From 1964 through 1975, Wooden’s Westside boys produced 10 national titles over the course of 12 seasons.

As if that isn’t impressive enough, seven of those 10 championships were consecutive, and four of those seasons, the team went undefeated. Perhaps the greatest coach of all time, John Wooden became known as the “Wizard of Westwood.”

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 11

Conference Titles: 37

Notable Team Members: Bill Walton, Kareem Adbul-Jabbar and Reggie Miller

Texas Longhorns Football, 1961–1973

University of Texas head coach Darrell Royal, left, as his Longhorns score a touchdown with 39 seconds to go against the University of Oklahoma in Dallas on Oct. 12, 1968, with assistant coach Emory Bellard, right. AP Photo

There is nothing bigger than football in Texas, and by that, I mean Texas Longhorns Football.

After Darrell Royal assumed the head coaching position in 1957, he guided the program to 14 bowl games, carrying three national championship trophies back to Austin in 1963, 1969 and 1970.

Royal’s ingenuity took the Texas Longhorns’ football tradition to new levels through his innovation of the wishbone style offense.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 4 claimed

Conference Titles: 32

Notable Team Members: Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams (both Heisman Trophy winners)

Oklahoma Sooners Football, 1948–1958

Oklahoma Sooners coach Bud Wilkinson, center, with tackle Roger Nelson, left, and halfback Larry Grigg, the team’s co-captains, during a workout at the University of Miami, in Miami on Dec. 26, 1953, in preparation for facing the University of Maryland Terrapins in the Orange Bowl. Earl Shugars / AP Photo

The crimson and cream Oklahoma football program during the 1950s was on fire.

During Coach Bud Wilkinson’s second year with the team, the Sooners started producing record-breaking seasons, going undefeated in conference play for the next decade.

In that exact time span, the OU squad chalked up 107 wins with only eight losses, bringing three national championships to Norman, Okla.

And I don’t think the wind had much to do with it.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS:

National Championships: 7 claimed, 10 unclaimed

Conference Titles: 47

Notable Team Members: Adrian Peterson, Sam Bradford and Baker Mayfield (all Heisman Trophy winners)

Michigan Hockey, 1948–1956

The 1947-48 University of Michigan hockey team, winners of the first NCAA championship tournament. University of Michigan

The University of Michigan Wolverine’s men’s hockey program belongs on this list because they are singlehandedly the best men’s hockey program in the history of the collegiate sport.

During nine successive NCAA Frozen Four appearances, Michigan captured six national titles on the ice: 1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955 and 1956.

1948 was the first year that the National Collegiate Athletic Association hosted a men’s ice hockey national championship.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS:

National Championships: 9

Conference Titles: 14

Notable Team Members: John Matchefts, Wally Grant and John MacInnes

Notre Dame Football, 1919–1930

Notre Dame’s infamous backfield, “The Four Horsemen,” from left, Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley and Harry Stuhldreherare pose on the practice field in South Bend, Ind., in 1924. AP Photo

Long before Touchdown Jesus, Coach Knute Rockne and his Fighting Irish recorded 105 wins, 12 losses and five ties that culminated in five undefeated seasons and three national titles.

To put that into perspective, in 12 seasons of Notre Dame football, they were looking at a winning percentage of about .900, laying the foundation of one of America’s most iconic collegiate football programs.

PROGRAM BY THE NUMBERS

National Championships: 11 claimed, 11 unclaimed

Notable Team Members: Tim Brown, Joe Montana and Joe Theismann