Ranking the Nine “Blue Blood” programs in 2024 Part 1
By Ryan Kay
The longstanding dispute over whether a college basketball program is a "blue blood" will continue; however, we shall rank the nine programs most frequently regarded as a "blue blood" program.
Though the term is usually used to describe programs with a lengthy history of success, an extensive fan base, and a national reputation, there is no definitive definition of what qualifies a blue blood.
These are the nine most often cited Blue Bloods in men's collegiate basketball. They are listed as follows:
Kansas Jayhawks
Kentucky Wildcats
North Carolina Tar Heels
Connecticut (UConn) Huskies
Michigan State Spartans
UCLA Bruins
Villanova Wildcats
Duke Blue Devils
Indiana Hoosiers
UCLA was in the top 3 in last year's Blue Blood college basketball rankings and they look to remain in the top tier of these rankings after a disappointing 2023-24 season.
These teams have won more than one national championship and are regularly ranked as some of the best in the country. Their fan bases are also widely considered vast and enthusiastic, and they get a lot of attention from the national media.
In addition, some programs are regarded as "traditional Blue Blood" programs, such as Indiana, UCLA, Kentucky, and North Carolina, and there are also programs that are considered to be "new Blue Blood" programs, such as Villanova, Michigan State, and the University of Connecticut. It does not matter if the program in question is regarded as as as as a classic or new blue blood program; the nine programs being discussed here deserve the label of the blue blood program.
Here is a concise summary of the collegiate basketball programs considered "blue blood."
These programs have a long history of success, some dating back to the beginning of collegiate basketball.
These programs have huge and devoted fan bases that are very attentive to the team's performance.
The programs that we will discuss have garnered a national reputation. They are well-known nationwide and frequently featured in national media coverage.
Mostly, these teams have made many deep runs in the NCAA tournament and continue to be strong challengers to make it to the Elite Eight and Final Four appearances in the years to come.
These teams have been winners of multiple national championships and look to win more in the future.
It is generally agreed that the most prestigious collegiate basketball programs in the country are the blue blood programs. They have been successful for a very long time, have a large number of fans, and have a widespread reputation. With very few exceptions, these teams are consistently among the top contenders for the national championship, and it is always interesting to watch them compete each and every season.
The criteria and scoring breakdown included in the process are presented below to determine the ranking of the best Blue Bloods in Division One basketball programs of all time.
Objectives and Scoring System for these rankings
Sixty points for National Championships since 1960.
Fifty points for National Championships before 1960.
Forty points for Final Four Appearances starting in 1960.
Thirty points from Final Four Appearances before 1960.
Twenty five points for Regular Season Conference Championships since 1950.
Fifteen points for conference tournament championships since 1990.
Ten points for Elite Eights appearances.
Eight points for appearances in Sweet Sixteen.
Six points for every season with 30 or more wins since 1970.
Four points for every season with twenty or more victories since 1970.
Two points apiece for each NCAA Tournament berth.
Within the framework of this college basketball blood program ranking system, the total scores of all nine teams are gathered and ranked, with the team with the lowest points coming in at number nine and one being the highest.
It is, without a doubt, highly subjective and possibly even slightly biased in many instances when fans, sports on-air personalities, podcasters, writers, and other individuals come together to rank collegiate programs in football and basketball, for example.
Although the point system used in this ranking of blue blood programs is not perfect, and this list is not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, it provides mathematical analysis and analytical techniques in an effort to eliminate the subjective components present in many lists.
Here is a look a teams ranked nine through seven in our Blue Blood basketball rankings for 2024.