America's Best Sports Colleges In SI's ranking of all 324 Division I athletic programs, Stanford and Texas battled for the top

The lighting protocol for the UT Tower, the 27-story
administration building at the center of the Texas campus, is no
more complicated than, say, molecular biology. The Tower glows
orange at the top, with the rest of it bathed in white light,
when the football team wins a regular-season game or a non-BCS
bowl, unless the victim is rival Texas A&M, in which case the
entire building is orange. Otherwise a completely orange tower
means a Longhorns team has won a Big 12 title--or perhaps a
national title, though in that case white number 1's are also
displayed on the Tower's sides. Those are just some of the
guidelines. An incoming Texas student could easily spend the fall
semester trying to learn the rest.

At Stanford the system is simpler. "When you see someone from the
tennis or water polo or baseball team, it's like, 'Oh, you guys
just won the Pac-10 or the NCAAs again, didn't you? Congrats,'"
says junior Teyo Johnson, a wide receiver on the Cardinal
football team and a forward in basketball. "That's about it.
People win a lot around here."

People win a lot at both universities, which is the main reason
the top two spots in the SI rankings of the nation's best
Division I athletic programs for the 2001-02 school year belong
to Stanford and Texas. Or Texas and Stanford. Choosing between
them is almost as hard as getting the Cardinal's wacky band to
march in formation or walking across the Texas campus without
being Hook 'em Horned. The overriding personalities of their
programs may be different--Texas is earnest and passionate,
Stanford more casual and irreverent--but their success is
strikingly similar.

The logical way to settle the duel for No. 1 would be
head-to-head athletic competition, and it is a measure of the two
schools' wide-ranging excellence that there would be any number
of suitable venues. It could happen on the baseball diamond,
where Texas won the College World Series in June, eliminating
Stanford to reach the championship game. It could happen on the
tennis court, where the Cardinal women's team won the national
championship and the Longhorns women reached the round of 16 in
the NCAA tournament. It could happen in a pool, where the Texas
men's swimming and diving team won the national title, with
Stanford's finishing second.

Or they could settle it on the football field or basketball
court, because the two schools are just as formidable in the
revenue-producing sports. The Longhorns finished last season 11-2
and ranked fifth in the nation in football, and Stanford's 9-3
record included a trip to the inaugural Seattle Bowl. In
basketball the Cardinal was 20-10 and reached the second round of
the NCAAs; Texas, meanwhile, finished 22-12 and advanced one
round further, to the Sweet 16. The schools have an even richer
tradition in women's hoops, which they upheld last season, with
both Stanford (32-3) and Texas (22-11) reaching the Sweet 16.

Texas and Stanford are academic powerhouses. No school enrolled
more National Merit Scholars than Texas this fall, and Stanford
tied for fourth (behind Princeton, Harvard and Yale) in the
latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of best universities.
(Texas was 47th.) With a lofty 90% graduation rate for its
athletes, Stanford has the academic edge on nearly all other NCAA
schools, including Texas (56%).

Stanford also has the edge in the annual competition for the
Sears Directors' Cup, presented to the nation's best college
athletic program as measured by a points system based on
postseason performance in 20 of the 35 NCAA sports. There's more
Sears hardware at Stanford than at a carpenters' convention. The
Cardinal won the Cup for the eighth consecutive time in June,
with 11 teams finishing in the top 5 nationally in their sport
and 11 more placing in the top 10. Those include not only the
women's tennis champs but also NCAA titlists in women's
volleyball and men's and women's water polo. In second place?
Texas, which earned its highest rating ever.

But if the Longhorns lose some ground to Stanford in the
nonrevenue varsity sports, they more than make it up in their
extensive intramural and club sports programs. Stanford offers 25
club and IM sports, both mainstream and obscure--if you're not
interested in touch football, perhaps the cricket club is more
your style--but few schools can match the Longhorns' program. More
than 80% of Texas's 35,000 undergraduates participate in
recreational athletics, which include 82 intramural and club
sports ranging from basketball and softball to hiking and
billiards.

When Texas students aren't playing, they're often filling the
stands at sporting events on campus. Longhorns fans have been
known to sell out volleyball matches and softball games and turn
track meets into standing-room-only affairs. At spring and fall
football workouts it's not unusual to see spectators scrutinizing
players and making notes as if they were assistant coaches.
Although Texas's bigger crowds are due in part to the school's
having roughly five times as many undergraduates as Stanford, the
Cardinal can't quite match the intensity of the Longhorns'
overall devotion.

Stanford students prefer to turn quaint traditions on their ear;
witness the Stanford band--which, considering how often it's been
sanctioned after offensive routines, perhaps should be called the
Stanford Banned--and the Cardinal's powder-puff mascot, the
goofily dancing Tree, which would get its trunk butted by Bevo,
Texas's two-ton longhorn mascot. While Texas football players
sing The Eyes of Texas after every game, win or lose, the
Stanford theme is All Right Now, an old rock and roll tune. At
games, Texas students flash the Hook 'em Horns signal with their
index finger and pinkie while Stanford students often go the
smart-aleck route, with chants like, "We will, we will, employ
you!"

While each school can make a case for being named No. 1, this
year SI chooses Texas over Stanford in a photo finish. That's
mainly because the Longhorns performed slightly better than the
Cardinal in the big-ticket sports like football and because their
fans approach sports with just a touch more fervor. But it's
partly because we can't wait to see how the Longhorns light up
the Tower for this one.

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.

THE TOP 10

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 1st
all-sports rank

1st '01-02 SI major- 3rd (tie)
sports rank

56% Athlete 90%

(170th) graduation rate (3rd, tie)

11-2 ( 5th) 2001 football 9-3 (16th)

22-12 '01-02 basketball 20-10
(18th/Sweet 16) (Round of 32)

24-10 '01-02 women's 32-3
(13th/Sweet 16) basketball (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. LOUISIANA STATE
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."

THE SI 200
The best of the rest, plus the skinny on all 124 also-rans

How We Ranked Them

SI 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.

[G] Varsity athlete graduation rate of 67% or higher

11. UCLA SI's No. 1 school in '97 had 11 top 10 teams
last year, but none in major sports; its 10
individual titles were all won by women

12. OHIO STATE Top 10 in eight sports; top 20 in hockey,
hoops; students jump in freezing lake for
good luck in football against Michigan

13. GEORGIA Five minor-sports teams made top 5; six
NCAA individual champs; FB 8-4; has best
rec center (430,000 sq. ft., three pools)

14. COLORADO Football rout of Nebraska made Buffaloes'
year; won NCAA cross-country; top 10 in FB,
women's hoops; Boulder running capital of U.S.

15. NOTRE Baseball, both hoops teams made NCAAs;
DAME top 10 in six sports, but not football (5-6);
[G] intramurals include full-pads tackle FB

16. MIAMI National FB champs; baseball, four other
teams made top 20; hoops wilted in NCAAs;
fun IM: arena flag FB; beach 15 minutes away

17. NEBRASKA Top 10 in baseball, football, four women's
sports; flag-FB hotbed; one bogey: Johnny
Carson's alma mater dead last in Big 12 golf

18. ARIZONA Four top 5 women's teams (golf, softball
v-ball, X-C); No. 10 in hoops; disabled sports
big; Annika Sorenstam, Trevor Hoffman alums

19. DUKE Two top 5 hoops teams, No. 1 in women's
[G] golf, top 10 in lax, tennis; Achilles heel: FB
(0-11); alums: Elton Brand, John Feinstein

20. OREGON No. 2 in football, No. 6 in hoops; $90 million
[G] FB stadium expansion; heavenly running
trails; best sports-management school

21. SOUTHERN Won tennis, eight individual titles; No. 12 in
CAL baseball; first-round exit from hoops NCAAs;
has most men's team championships (71)

22. ILLINOIS First school in 18 years to sweep Big Ten FB
and hoops titles; Orange Krush fans rule;
claims to have invented homecoming (1910)

23. INDIANA Knight-less Hoosiers runners-up at Final
Four; IU also took second in NCAA soccer;
50 club sports; Little 500 bike race a gem

24. MARYLAND Terps' best combined showing in hoops (1st),
FB (10th); women No. 2 in field hockey, No. 8
in lax; alums: Steve Francis, Connie Chung

25. ARIZONA Alma mater of Barry Bonds, Phil Mickelson
STATE top 20 in baseball, golf, seven other sports;
fans toss tortillas when FB team scores

26. ALABAMA No. 1 in gymnastics; top 15 in baseball,
hoops; FB zapped by NCAA probation; NFL
draftees every year since '71 (four in '02)

27. CLEMSON Tigers top 5 in baseball, golf, track; FB won
a minor bowl; engineering students took
national concrete canoe championship

28. BRIGHAM Cougar women won NCAA cross-country,
YOUNG made hoops Sweet 16; FB ranked No. 24;
Salt Lake Olympics added sizzle to Provo

29. MICHIGAN No. 8 hockey team drew record 74,554 for
STATE game in FB stadium; hoops made NCAAs;
Izzone hoops cheering section good 'n rowdy

30. FLORIDA Politically incorrect Seminoles top 15 in FB,
STATE baseball, softball; spending $107 million on
facilities renovations; IM go-kart racing

31. UCONN Women's hoops (39-0) may have been best
college team ever, men made Elite Eight; FB
(2-9) struggling since move up to I-A in '99

32. WASHINGTON Had 11 top 20 teams; home of "sailgating":
No. 5 rowers shuttled fans from boats to
lakeside stadium to watch No. 19 FB team

33. AUBURN No. 1 in women's swimming, top 20 in seven
other sports; hoops last in SEC; campus
museum has Charles Barkley mannequin

34. CALIFORNIA Awful (1-10) in FB, but No. 1 in softball, rugby,
crew; top 20 in 10 other sports; swimmer
Natalie Coughlin a future Olympic star

35. ARKANSAS Nolan Richardson fiasco shook Hogs hoops,
but seven other teams made top 20; FB lost
Cotton Bowl; slew of new sports facilities

36. GEORGIA No. 2 in golf, No. 5 in baseball, top 25 in
TECH softball, FB; rec center (which houses
'96 Olympic pool) tripled to 300,000 sq. ft.

37. WISCONSIN Top 10 in X-C, women's v-ball; both hoops
teams in NCAAs; no bowl game for first time
since '96; invented hockey's "sieve!" chant

38. VIRGINIA Seven top 10 teams; women's hoops made
[G] NCAAs; three alums were on U.S. World Cup
squad; 94% of students use A+ rec facilities

39. WAKE Deacons made hoops, baseball NCAAs; Bea
FOREST Bielik won women's tennis title; strong IMs;
[G] students "roll the quad" with TP after big wins

40. PENN No. 1 fencers among five top 10 teams, but
STATE gridders 5-6, hoopsters 7-21; Christie
[G] Welch national soccer player of year

41. HARVARD Most varsity teams of any school (41);
[G] hockey finished No. 13; Ivy champ FB team
had first perfect season (9-0) since 1913

42. TEXAS Bob Knight's hiring has boosted enrollment
TECH applications, donations; coming: new golf
course, $84 million fix-up of FB facilities

43. BAYLOR Women's hoops, three other teams made
[G] top 20; strong intramurals (80% participate);
Quartermiler U produced Michael Johnson

44. KENTUCKY Top 10 in tennis, riflery; basketball team
made Sweet 16; football decline: from
Tim Couch to 2-9, NCAA probation

45. RICE No. 6 in baseball, top 25 in women's track,
[G] swimming; inventive Marching Owl Band
(MOB) tooted horns to 8-4 FB season

46. TEXAS Top 10 in four sports; FB 8-4; 20,000-plus
A&M fans go to Midnight Yell Practice before
football games; superb rec center

47. PURDUE Alma mater of 22 astronauts launched four
[G] teams into top 20, including women's hoops;
two campus golf courses; IM home run derby

48. WASHINGTON No. 10 in FB, top 20 in women's track; hot
STATE new rec center; has logger-sports club;
Drew Bledsoe, Keith Jackson alums

49. KANSAS Reached Final Four; unsurpassed at
Midnight Madness; Wilt's alma mater; James
Naismith buried five miles from campus

50. PEPPERDINE Amazing success for school of 3,000: both
hoops teams made NCAAs, top 10 in four
sports; Malibu campus overlooks Pacific

51. MISSISSIPPI John Grisham's alma mater No. 21 in hoops,
STATE top 20 in tennis, track; offers prized
degree in sports-turf management

52. CINCINNATI Finished No. 8 in hoops; perennial No. 1
in--surprise!--intercollegiate cricket;
plans major upgrade of weak rec facilities

53. KANSAS Women made top 20 in hoops, track, v-ball,
STATE but FB fell from 11-3 to 6-6; Harleys circle
stadium before annual biker-tribute FB game
54. BOSTON Both hoops teams made NCAAs; No. 21 in
COLLEGE FB; 2,000-plus students drive 15 hours to
[G] South Bend when BC plays Notre Dame in FB

55. MISSOURI Quin Snyder-led hoops team No. 15; indoor
track, wrestling, women's gymnastics also
made top 20; Sheryl Crow, Brad Pitt alums

56. PRINCETON Top Ivy (21st) in NCAA all-sports rankings,
[G] but FB 3-6, hockey 11-18, hoops missed Big
Dance; women No. 1 in lacrosse, men No. 2

57. NORTH Hoops No. 25; rising FB program; golf, both
CAROLINA X-C teams made top 10; has produced more
STATE four-star generals than any school but Army

58. SYRACUSE NCAA champ in lacrosse, No. 14 in FB; four
[G] top 20 women's teams; zip code is 13244
to honor 44 worn by Jim Brown and others

59. KENT STATE Hoops team made Cinderella run to Elite
Eight; Golden Flashes No. 9 in field hockey;
alma mater of Lou Holtz and Arsenio Hall

60. OKLAHOMA Four top 20 teams, including wrestling (5th);
STATE hoops made NCAAs; FB 4-7 but beat hated
Oklahoma; Cowboys have ice hockey club

61. IOWA STATE Best college wrestler ever, Cael Sanderson
(159-0), led Cyclones grapplers to No. 2
finish; four women's teams made top 20

62. IOWA Wrestling 4th at NCAAs, gymnastics 5th;
three other top 25 teams; FB won Alamo
Bowl; John Irving, Tom Brokaw alums

63. VANDERBILT Commodores had five top 20 teams, led by
[G] No. 5 women's basketball; only SEC school
ranked in U.S. News academic top 25

64. TCU Alma mater of Dan Jenkins made top 25 in
golf, women's hoops, women's tennis; Horned
Frogs blow 120-decibel train horn after wins

65. UTAH Women 3rd in skiing, 4th in gymnastics,
15th in v-ball; FB won Vegas Bowl; hoops
made NCAAs; dorms were Olympic village

66. HAWAII Rainbows No. 1 in men's volleyball, No. 13 in
women's; hoops made NCAAs; FB 9-3;
fans wave fronds for luck; no surfing club

67. PITTSBURGH Hoops made Sweet 16; improved 7-5 FB
team; top 25 swim squad; was first school
to wear numbers on FB jerseys (1908)

68. COLORADO Three women's teams made top 25 (hoops,
STATE volleyball, X-C); Rams' FB squad played
in its third straight bowl; good rodeo club

69. NORTHERN Panthers reached I-AA FB semis; top 20
IOWA in three sports; women's rugby won second
straight D-II title; Kurt Warner an alum

70. MAINE Bears were No. 2 in hockey, made NCAAs
[G] in baseball, I-AA FB; school sports events
aired on Stephen King-owned radio station

71. FRESNO Produced No. 1 NFL pick David Carr,
STATE Clippers first-rounder Melvin Ely, three-time
125-lb. wrestling champ Stephen Abas

72. PENN Hoops made NCAAs; FB 8-1; No. 9 in
[G] fencing, No. 11 in wrestling; fans like to throw
toast; new rec center has golf simulator

73. DENVER Who needs a FB team? Winter-sport power
[G] won third straight skiing title, finished No. 5
in hockey, No. 14 in women's gymnastics

74. CORNELL No. 9 in hockey; both lax teams made top 5;
[G] No. 1 in women's polo; has America's
biggest indoor natural-rock climbing wall

75. MONTANA I-AA FB champ; hoops made NCAAs;
great school for skiing, hiking, fishing;
alums: Carroll O'Connor, Marty Mornhinweg

76. BOSTON Terriers No. 6 in hockey, No. 16 in women's
UNIVERSITY X-C; men's hoops made NCAAs; alum Mike
[G] Eruzione lit Salt Lake Olympic cauldron

77. VILLANOVA Women's hoops made NCAAs; top 10 in X-C,
[G] indoor track; Atlantic 10 FB champ; athlete
in every Summer Olympics since '48

78. VIRGINIA Top 20 in tennis, FB, golf; only school known
TECH as Hokies; FB fans do hokeypokey after
[G] third quarter; had eight NFL draftees in '02

79. NEW Wildcats 3rd in hockey, 9th in skiing;
HAMPSHIRE strong in women's gymnastics; top team in
[G] Hockey East's new women's division

80. NORTHERN Top 15 in X-C; Harleys lead I-AA playoff FB
ARIZONA team into stadium; four NFL coaches were
Lumberjacks assistants; 7,000-foot altitude

81. SOUTH Bulls made top 25 in baseball, three other
FLORIDA sports; fun IM: Average Joe Olympics (FB
throw, etc.); Gigi Fernandez tennis coach

82. FURMAN Paladins No. 2 in I-AA FB; LPGAers Betsy
King, Dottie Pepper, Beth Daniels alums of
small S.C. school; cheer: "FU all the time!"

83. MISSISSIPPI Rebels No. 9 in tennis; hoops made NCAAs;
Eli Manning-QB'd FB team went 7-4;
catchy but nonsensical "Hotty Toddy" cheer

84. SMU Life after Death Penalty: three top 10s
(track, soccer, women's swimming), four
NCAA individual titles; 15 hoops wins; FB 4-7

85. HOUSTON Baseball was No. 10, women's swimming
No. 22; two NCAA individual diving titles;
spiffy new rec center; FB a disaster (0-11)

86. GEORGIA Six-time I-AA FB champ Eagles made
SOUTHERN '01 semis; third straight trip to baseball
NCAAs; FB field known for swarms of gnats

87. FLORIDA Owls' hoops, baseball teams made NCAAs;
ATLANTIC Boca Raton school has palm-tree-lined
fields; paintball club; Carrot Top an alum

88. GEORGETOWN Paul Tagliabue's alma mater 0-6 in Patriot
[G] League FB (3-7 overall); hoops went 19-11;
women made top 5 in lacrosse, X-C

89. NORTHWESTERN Top 20 in swimming, women's tennis, but
[G] FB crashed (4-7); odd tradition: throwing
marshmallows into tuba at FB games

90. TULANE Made NCAAs in baseball, women's hoops;
[G] set college baseball crowd record (27,673
in Superdome in April); FB fell to 3-9

91. LOUISVILLE FB won Liberty Bowl; baseball made NCAAs;
No. 2 in hoops attendance behind Kentucky;
Poland's ex-national coach runs fencing club

92. BROWN Champs in women's rowing, No. 2 in women's
[G] ice hockey; major facility upgrades under way;
alums: Joe Paterno, Ted Turner, Chris Berman

93. NEW MEXICO No. 4 in skiing; women's basketball made
NCAAs; has rodeo club, intramural
mountaineering; the Pit is a classic arena

94. TULSA Both golf teams in top 12; hoops made
NCAAs; FB 1-10; sometimes fills school
swim pool with bass for intramural fishing

95. YALE Lightweight crew, fencer Sada Jacobsen
[G] NCAA champs; No. 13 in women's X-C;
great golf course; Dick Ebersol an alum

96. TOLEDO Rockets 23rd in FB, 14th in golf; dorms right
next to stadium; FB video-game tournament
popular; Blue Crew fans don Jason masks

97. LIBERTY Jerry Falwell-founded Va. school made
women's hoops NCAAs; 15th in women's
track; 3-8 in I-AA FB; 3rd in national flag FB

98. UNLV Women's hoops went to NCAAs, men to NIT;
top 25 golf team; strength coach Mark
Philippi holds America's Strongest Man title

99. RUTGERS David Stern's school 18-13 in basketball;
[G] top 10 in soccer, fencing; FB went 2-9;
pedal-car derby an offbeat intramural

100. WICHITA Shockers top 20 in baseball, top 40 in track;
STATE mediocre hoops team draws 8,300 a game;
12 national bowling titles; alum: Bill Parcells

101. XAVIER Hot hoops program made NCAAs, had best
[G] record ever (25-5); women's riflery team
No. 3 in nation; Cincy school has no FB team

102. EAST Baseball made NCAA regional; FB played
CAROLINA in GMAC Bowl; Greenville, N.C., school has
snowboarding club; fans dress as Pirates

103. CAL STATE- Southern Calif. school made baseball
FULLERTON NCAAs; No. 9 in softball, top 25 in women's
fencing and gymnastics; alum: Phil Nevin

104. OLD Storied women's hoops program; Monarchs
DOMINION made Elite Eight in '02; new arena set to
open; No. 1 in women's sailing; no FB

105. WEST Mountaineers No. 7 in riflery; mascot shoots
VIRGINIA musket; 13th in wrestling, 19th in women's
gymnastics; Country Road played after wins

106. FLORIDA Five teams made NCAAs, including baseball,
INTERNATIONAL women's basketball; launched FB (I-AA);
students from 144 nations; alum: Pat Bradley

107. LONG Top 30 baseball team known as Dirtbags
BEACH at Jason Giambi's alma mater; No. 2
STATE in women's v-ball; has beach-bowling club

108. DARTMOUTH Seventh in skiing, 13th in women's soccer; FB
[G] 1-8; 34 varsity teams; Winter Carnival a
snow-and-ice sportsfest; alum: Jay Fiedler

109. AIR FORCE Top 40 in four sports; all 4,000 cadets
[G] march on field at every FB game; all must
play a club, IM or varsity sport every semester

110. OREGON Top 20 in women's gymnastics, softball;
STATE losing year in FB, hoops; 26 clubs include
four for different styles of horseback riding

111. RICHMOND Spiders baseball team No. 16; hoops made
[G] NIT; FB rivalry with William & Mary is South's
oldest; alums: Sean Casey, Brian Jordan

112. WILLIAM & Tribe reached I-AA FB playoffs; stadium
MARY designed for both FB and livestock shows;
[G] IMG founder Mark McCormack an alum

113. SOUTH Baseball, golf, both tennis teams made
ALABAMA NCAAs; Jaguars to launch FB in '04; Luis
Gonzalez an alum; chant: "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

114. CENTRAL Chippewas finished in top 25 in softball,
MICHIGAN women's gymnastics; alma mater of Dick
Enberg, Dan Majerle; school has no mascot

115. JAMES Dukes made NCAA baseball regionals;
MADISON spelunking club explores Virginia caves;
[G] more sports (28) than most schools

116. ST. JOHN'S Red Storm made hoops NCAAs; No. 3 in
(N.Y.) soccer; three fencers won national titles;
alums: Mario Cuomo, Jayson Williams

117. SAN JOSE No. 24 in women's v-ball, No. 25 in baseball;
STATE judo powerhouse; rarity: most of FB staff is
black; Bill Walsh, Dick Vermeil alums

118. MARQUETTE Top 20 in hoops, women's X-C; women's
[G] soccer made NCAAs; used to have IM event
combining sumo and slam dunk contest

119. PORTLAND Alma mater of Kasey Keller, Tiffany Milbrett
made both soccer NCAAs; top 10 in X-C;
one-fifth the size of rival Portland State

120. PACIFIC Tigers from Calif. No. 9 in women's v-ball,
top 25 in golf; fans paint bodies orange;
alums: agents Scott Boras, Leonard Armato

121. SOUTHERN Hoops made Sweet 16 but FB went 1-10;
ILLINOIS holds cardboard-boat regatta; roller-hockey
is big; Walt Frazier, Steve Finley alums

122. NEVADA Reno school finished No. 6 in skiing, No. 10
in riflery; three NCAA individual champs;
boxing club faces foes like Air Force

123. UMASS No. 1 overall in Atlantic 10; five Minutemen
teams made top 20, including lax (5th),
field hockey (9th), gymnastics (9th)

124. SANTA CLARA Brandi Chastain's alma mater won NCAA
women's soccer title; just renovated arena
where Steve Nash played his college hoops

125. WESTERN FB made I-AA playoffs, basketball made
KENTUCKY NCAAs; flourishing intramurals program
includes Ugly Pants golf tournament

126. SAN DIEGO Basketball made NCAAs; both tennis teams
STATE in top 40; Tony Gwynn is baseball coach;
Marshall Faulk, Joe Gibbs are alums

127. UC SANTA Jim Rome's school made NCAAs in men's,
BARBARA women's hoops; surfing big on oceanfront
campus; Gauchos band even plays surf tunes

128. CENTRAL Atlantic Sun's No. 1 athletic school made
FLORIDA baseball NCAAs, had winning records in all
major sports; alum: Daunte Culpepper

129. EASTERN No. 1 overall in Ohio Valley Conf.; football
ILLINOIS made I-AA playoffs; women's sports strong;
alums: Mike Shanahan, John Malkovich

130. VIRGINIA Richmond school made baseball NCAAs;
COMMONWEALTH both tennis teams finished in top 20; no
FB; Tigers catcher Brandon Inge an alum

131. SOUTHERN- Jaguars won SWAC titles in seven sports,
BATON ROUGE including women's hoops; FB 7-4; four
players drafted from 45-10 baseball team

132. LEHIGH FB unbeaten until loss in I-AA playoffs; Rob
Rohn NCAA 184-pound wrestling champ;
set school record for baseball wins (29)

133. SOUTHWEST Made NCAAs in baseball; winning records
MISSOURI in all major sports; 6-5 best FB mark since
STATE '96; Bill Mueller, John Goodman alums

134. ORAL No. 1 sports school in Mid-Continent; made
ROBERTS baseball NCAAs; Frank Lloyd Wright
designed arena; Kathy Lee Gifford an alum

135. BOISE STATE Top 25 in wrestling, women's gymnastics;
blue artificial turf for FB; winners of IM
Toilet Bowl game get names etched on toilet

136. APPALACHIAN FB-minded N.C. school made I-AA playoffs;
STATE fans jump in pond after wins; good for
rock climbing, whitewater rafting

137. GONZAGA Zags from Spokane finished No. 16 in
[G] basketball, made soccer NCAAs; no
football team; John Stockton an alum

138. MARSHALL Randy Moss's W.Va. alma mater went 11-2
to win MAC FB title; alum LeeAnn Parsley
took silver medal in skeleton at Salt Lake

139. PROVIDENCE Two top 10 X-C teams; women's hockey
[G] won ECAC title; no FB or baseball;
alums: Lenny Wilkens, Lou Lamoriello

140. MURRAY Ky. school made hoops NCAAs; No. 4 in
STATE women's riflery; thoroughbred circles track
before Racers home football games

141. AMERICAN D.C. school No. 14 in soccer; regular-season
[G] hoops champ in Patriot League; students
from 165 countries, athletes from a dozen

142. DRAKE Women made Sweet 16; Iowa school's last
losing FB season was '91 (team 5-5 in '01);
students do street paintings for annual relays

143. TEMPLE Women's hoops (coached by two-time
Olympic gold medalist Dawn Staley) made
NCAAs, men the NIT; 15th in women's lax

144. NORTH Seahawks made basketball NCAAs for
CAROLINA- fourth time in five years; has intramural
WILMINGTON par-3 golf; students surf in nearby Atlantic
[G]

145. ALABAMA- Blazers ninth in soccer, third in synchro
BIRMINGHAM swimming; students love Friday golf IM; DE
Bryan Thomas N.Y. Jets' No. 1 pick in '02

146. ARMY Cadets beat Navy in football; top men's
[G] sports program in Patriot League; Michie
Stadium gorgeous setting for FB

147. MARYLAND- Perennial No. 1 sports school in Northeast
BALTIMORE Conf.; made round of 16 in NCAA women's
COUNTY lax; No. 22 in women's indoor track; no FB

148. NAVY FB winless, but baseball made NCAAs;
[G] Middies 116-38-2 vs. Army in all sports over
last five years; 85% earned HS letters

149. SAN DIEGO San Diego State's much smaller rival made
[G] baseball NCAAs; top 25 in soccer, women's
v-ball; has giant blowup matador mascot

150. CREIGHTON Both hoops teams made NCAAs; top 40 in
soccer; Bob Gibson, Paul Silas alums; Neb.
school has annual all-night v-ball for charity

151. MCNEESE Cowboys made I-AA FB playoffs, hoops
STATE NCAAs; fans ring cowbells; La. school has
IM field goal kicking; alum: Joe Dumars

152. SETON HALL Pirates from N.J. top 20 in soccer; hoops
went only 12-18; no FB team; alums:
Dick Vitale, Mo Vaughn, Matt Morris

153. CAL POLY Alma mater of John Madden and Bobby
SAN LUIS Beathard made I-AA FB playoffs; Ozzie
OBISPO Smith went here too; minutes from beach

154. MIDDLE Blue Raiders top 40 in tennis; 8-3 in third
TENNESSEE season of I-A FB; tailgating centers on
STATE converted school bus called Hillbilly Hilton

155. LOUISIANA- Ron Guidry's alma mater made NCAAs in
LAFAYETTE baseball, softball; hoops made NIT; Ragin'
[G] Cajuns fans do funky Hot Boudin chant

156. WEBER Utah school won Big Sky's all-sports trophy;
STATE women's hoops made NCAAs; top rodeo
club; avg. student is 25-year-old commuter

157. LOUISIANA WAC FB champ; women's hoops made
TECH NCAAs but lost famed coach Leon Barmore;
powerlifting club a perennial national champ

158. DAYTON Alma mater of Jon Gruden and Chuck Noll
[G] had 25th straight winning FB season; hoops
made NIT; renovated arena to open in Nov.

159. TENNESSEE No. 23 in I-AA FB, No. 5 in riflery; hoops
TECH teams a combined 37-11; fans cover court
with blizzard of tissues after big wins

160. HOFSTRA N.Y. school made I-AA playoffs; site of Jets'
training camp; teams known as both Flying
Dutchmen and Pride; Wayne Chrebet an alum
161. UTAH STATE Aggies finished No. 17 in women's volleyball;
wideout Kevin Curtis led nation in passes
caught; outdoorsy school has rodeo club

162. ILLINOIS- Hoops made NCAAs; baseball went 39-16;
CHICAGO teams are called the Flames for the city's
famous fire; a torch is lit before home games

163. LOYOLA Finished No. 3 in men's and women's water
MARYMOUNT polo; good rugby club; ghost of Hank
Gathers said to haunt Gersten Pavilion

164. BUTLER Best sports school in Horizon; No. 23 in X-C,
[G] top 40 in tennis, soccer; Hinkle arena site
of high school upset portrayed in Hoosiers

165. LOYOLA Jim McKay's alma mater was 10th in soccer;
COLLEGE (MD.) dog-pound hoops fans; oldest of the four
[G] schools that are named Loyola; no football

166. COLUMBIA Lions No. 5 in fencing, No. 22 in women's
[G] X-C; students ride subway to rec, FB fields
100 blocks away; Lou Gehrig an alum

167. SAM Dan Rather's alma mater made I-AA FB
HOUSTON quarterfinals; ROTC relay-runs game ball
STATE to Stephen F. Austin for rivalry matchup

168. STEPHEN F. Great bass fishing club; Lumberjacks
AUSTIN (cheer: "Ax 'em, Jacks!") made women's
hoops NCAAs for 14th consecutive year

169. WISCONSIN- Top 40 in soccer, women's v-ball, baseball;
MILWAUKEE best overall in Horizon two years ago; no
FB; alum: U.S. World Cupper Tony Sanneh

170. NEW Rich Beem's alma mater; made NCAA
MEXICO baseball regionals; has intramural X Games;
STATE rings large bell when FB team scores

171. VERMONT Catamounts No. 5 in skiing; hoops teams a
[G] combined 44-17; good snowboarding club;
Phish lead singer has hockey season tickets

172. NORTHWESTERN Made I-AA FB playoffs; baseball 43-17;
STATE La. school competitive in nearly all
sports; cheer: "Fork 'em, Demons!"

173. ILLINOIS Top 40 in women's gymnastics; had NCAA
STATE indoor mile champ; new athletes get
torchlit sports-history tour of campus

174. COASTAL Baseball made NCAAs; soccer in top 40;
CAROLINA will launch FB (I-AA) in '03; 140 golf
courses within 45 miles of S.C. campus

175. OHIO No. 9 in field hockey; top 30 in wrestling;
hoops went 17-11; has 30 club sports;
alums include Mike Schmidt, Bob Brenly

176. MEMPHIS Dajuan Wagner led hoops to NIT title, then
split for NBA; top 40 in women's golf; FB
team 5-6; tiger mascot lives on campus

177. CENTRAL Made NCAAs in hoops, baseball, golf; had
CONNECTICUT first NBA draftee (Corsley Edwards, Kings);
STATE alums: coaches Dave Campo, Mike Sherman

178. NORTHERN Top 40 in wrestling, women's volleyball;
ILLINOIS fans shake keys at kickoff; new hoops
arena; alum is voice of Homer Simpson

179. FLORIDA Rattlers made I-AA FB playoffs; top 40 in
A&M women's v-ball; dazzling marching band;
alums include Althea Gibson, Bob Hayes

180. WYOMING Men's hoops made NCAAs; student groups
compete pushing car up stadium ramp;
nation's highest campus (7,220 feet)

181. BALL STATE David Letterman's Indiana alma mater
[G] No. 3 in volleyball, top 40 in tennis; both
hoops teams won 23-plus games, made NIT

182. HAMPTON Historically black Va. school No. 1 overall
in MEAC women's sports; men's hoops
made NCAAs; FB 7-4; tennis teams top 40

183. BOWLING One of six schools with at least eight D-I FB
GREEN victories and 24 hoops wins in '01-02;
students do Zulu war chant at games

184. SOUTHWEST Bobcats won all-sports title in Southland
TEXAS Conf.; women's soccer made NCAAs; fan
group brings wooden cow to games

185. GEORGE Baseball made NCAAs; has only bowling
WASHINGTON lanes in D.C., except ones at White House;
IMs played near Washington Monument

186. IDAHO Jerry Kramer's school 1-10 in FB but 108th
in NCAA all-sports rankings; decathlete Dan
O'Brien an alum too; track finished No. 17

187. TENNESSEE- Mocs (shortened from old nickname,
CHATTANOOGA Moccasins) made NCAAs in women's hoops;
17th in softball; alma mater of Terrell Owens

188. BUCKNELL Bison made top 40 in women's soccer and
[G] women's hoops; No. 1 overall in Patriot
League; streaking tradition at lacrosse games

189. IDAHO STATE Bengals made NCAAs in women's soccer;
117th in all-sports rankings; some fans toss
spuds; Stacy Dragila, Marvin Lewis alums

190. MIAMI No. 17 in women's soccer; synchro skating
(OHIO) team No. 2 in world; FB 7-5; student
[G] fans wear red-and-white hardhats

191. MARIST Red Foxes from upstate N.Y. made baseball
NCAAs; hoops 19-9; No. 1 sports school in
MAAC for last four years; alum: Rik Smits

192. EASTERN Eagles finished 19th in NCAA track: Boaz
MICHIGAN Cheboiywo won X-C and 10,000-meter
titles; George Gervin, Charlie Batch alums

193. GEORGE Patriots from Va. scored at swimming,
MASON wrestling NCAAs; have made postseason
in hoops three of last four years (NIT in '02)

194. VALPARAISO Small Ind. school reached basketball NCAAs
[G] for sixth time in seven years; women made
NIT; alum: Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon

195. DAVIDSON Basketball made NCAAs; 25% of 1,672
[G] undergrads on varsity teams; high-SAT
student body taunts foes: "We're not stu-pid!"

196. WINTHROP S.C. school made hoops NCAAs; top 40 in
women's tennis; nation's best Frisbee golf
course; 350-acre complex of fields, gyms

197. HOLY CROSS Basketball double: men to NCAAs, women
[G] to NIT; only New England school with College
World Series title ('52); Bob Cousy an alum

198. NORTH Made NCAAs in men's hoops, NIT in
CAROLINA- women's; top 5 cheerleaders; fans put
CHARLOTTE basketballs on heads, paint faces green

199. UC IRVINE Second straight 20-win hoops season; two
[G] drafted from 33-26 baseball team; no FB;
ex-Anteaters: Greg Louganis, Brady Anderson

200. ST. PETER'S I-AA FB team went 10-1; women's hoops
made NCAAs; mini-Olympics part of lively
intramurals program at N.J. school

THE REST OF DIVISION I
These 124 schools didn't make this year's SI 200--some just
missed--but next year they can again give it the old college try

AKRON Kangaroos made top 40 in soccer; campus
adjacent to Firestone PGA course; only MAC
school to have beaten Ohio State in FB (1894)

ALABAMA Top 40 in women's volleyball; Bulldogs are
A&M 64-48 since jump to D-I hoops in '98-99;
alums: John Stallworth, Jearl Miles Clark

ALABAMA Archrival of Alabama A&M; three ex-Hornets
STATE DBs in NFL; FB team (8-4) set for 79th
meeting with Tuskegee on Thanksgiving

ALBANY Only school whose teams are Great Danes;
site of N.Y. Giants' camp; Bob Ford started
FB program as club in '70--he's still coach

ALCORN Braves from Miss. lost NCAA hoops play-in
STATE game; first winning FB season (6-5) since
'94; alums: Medgar Evers, Steve McNair

ARKANSAS Derek Fisher's alma mater had 18 hoops
LITTLE ROCK wins; Croatian pipeline to strong women's
volleyball team; Trojans have no FB team

ARKANSAS Small school was in NAIA just six years ago;
PINE BLUFF three former Golden Lions play DB in NFL;
tough '01-02: 4-7 in FB, 6-21 in basketball

ARKANSAS Real mess: losing teams, budget woes,
STATE Title IX noncompliance; FB team (14-41
since 1997) could be demoted to I-AA

AUSTIN PEAY Tenn. school made NCAAs in women's hoops;
unique bathroom-call cheer: "Let's go Peay"
(rhymes with see); Governors 3-7 in FB

BELMONT Vince Gill, other country stars attend
Bruins hoops games; Nashville school is
within mile of archrival Lipscomb; no FB

BETHUNE- Baseball team played in NCAAs, but
COOKMAN football (6-4) is focus at Florida school;
Wildcats have produced 30 NFL draftees

BINGHAMTON Tony Kornheiser's N.Y. alma mater enters
second year in D-I; one senior has played
D-I lacrosse, D-II and D-III hoops here

BIRMINGHAM- Small school decent in baseball, women's
SOUTHERN hoops; no FB; 70% of students play IMs;
[G] baseball fans can sit atop visitors' dugout

BRADLEY Peoria school made NCAAs in women's
golf; rowdy soccer fans; alums: Chick Hearn,
Jerry Krause, Kirby Puckett, Charlie Steiner

BUFFALO Bulls scored points in wrestling NCAAs;
several alums in NFL; President Millard
Fillmore was school's first chancellor

UC Alma mater of quirky golf announcer Gary
RIVERSIDE McCord has bagpipe band; baseball 30-28,
had four draftees; hoops 8-18 in D-I debut

CAL STATE- Onetime D-II power joined Big West, won
NORTHRIDGE two conference titles; No. 23 in baseball;
has IM team handball; Flo-Jo an alum; no FB

CAL STATE- Hornets tennis teams made top 40; hosted
SACRAMENTO 2000 Olympic track trials; riverside bike
trails; new AD a winner at D-II North Dakota

CAMPBELL North Carolina school has smallest D-I gym
(seats 949); 27 golf holes on campus; no
football team; mascot is Fighting Camel

CANISIUS One fifth of 3,000 undergrads at Buffalo
[G] school play a varsity sport; Golden Griffins
No. 4 in synchronized swimming

CENTENARY La. school is D-I's smallest (897 undergrads);
alums: Hal Sutton, Robert Parish, Cal
Hubbard (baseball, FB Hall of Famer)

CHARLESTON Cougars have good hoops tradition,
tiny snake pit gym; no football team;
nation's 13th-oldest school is near beach

CHARLESTON Top 40 in tennis, struggles in other sports;
SOUTHERN Buccaneers' I-AA FB team has 30 wins in
12 years of existence; big on intramurals

CHICAGO Great school pride despite woes (baseball,
STATE hoops teams a combined 21-81); new track
coach is Olympic hurdler Mamie Rallins

THE CITADEL School prez leads corps in push-ups when
FB team scores; weekend's leave, curfew
policies announced in stadium after games

CLEVELAND Rollie Massamino's hoopsters 12-16; great
STATE pool; phased out Hagar the Horrible mascot;
avg. student is late-20s female commuter

COLGATE I-AA playoffs three of last four years; good
hockey; top 5 golf course; 26 sports for
2,800 students; Andy Rooney played FB here

COPPIN Md. school loves its Midnight Madness, but
STATE men's hoops 6-24, women's 13-13; '97
NCAA hoops run Eagles' last claim to fame

DELAWARE Strong fan support for I-AA FB team;
women made NIT; student hoops section
called Cockpit because mascot is Blue Hen

DELAWARE Basketball went 17-13, FB 5-6; planes
STATE used by school to teach flying cruise over
football stadium towing pro-Hornets signs

DEPAUL No. 9 in softball; women's basketball made
NIT; once-great men's hoops program was
last in Conference USA; no FB or baseball

DETROIT- Small commuter school loves basketball;
MERCY Dave DeBusschere an alum; Dick Vitale
once coached Titans; weak in rec sports

DREXEL Dragons from Philly are solid in wrestling,
swimming; no FB; popular mountain-biking
club competes against other schools

DUQUESNE MAAC football champ; Pittsburgh pro
games in easy walking distance; alums
include Steelers owners Art and Dan Rooney

EASTERN Colonels 8-2 in I-AA FB; athlete academic
KENTUCKY center funded by alum Chad Bratzke, Colts
DT; actor Lee Majors played football here

EASTERN Eagles went 7-4 in FB, 17-13 in hoops,
WASHINGTON finished No. 17 in women's v-ball; campus
near Spokane, on the sunny side of the state

EAST Several alums in NFL, PGA; domed stadium;
TENNESSEE new rec center; only school to offer
STATE degrees in storytelling, bluegrass music

ELON N.C. school made NCAAs in baseball;
played toughest I-AA FB schedule for third
straight year (went 2-9); NAIA to D-I in 10 years

EVANSVILLE Made NCAAs in softball, women's soccer;
fun IM: cannonballing into pool; hoops
jerseys will no longer have traditional sleeves

FAIRFIELD Stags from Conn. made first trips to
lacrosse and field hockey NCAAs; student
basketball fans known as the Red Sea

FAIRLEIGH N.J. school made Elite Eight in soccer; three
DICKINSON new women's teams since '99; incentive
program draws students to games; no FB

FORDHAM Bronx alma mater of Vince Lombardi and
Vin Scully has oldest D-I gym, with floor-
to-ceiling photo of Seven Blocks of Granite

GEORGIA No. 1 for men's sports in Atlantic Sun; Lefty
STATE Driesell-coached hoops team (20-11) made
NIT; campus one block from state capitol

GRAMBLING Defending SWAC, black-college FB champ
STATE coached by Doug Williams; spending
$10 million to upgrade facilities; great band

HARTFORD Hawks made NCAAs in women's basketball;
competitive in soccer; no football team;
alums include Jeff Bagwell, Vin Baker

HIGH POINT Fifth year in D-I; namesake of N.C. town
that's "furniture capital of the world;" no FB;
Kentucky hoops coach Tubby Smith an alum

HOWARD D.C. school scored at wrestling NCAAs; new
arena planned; only historically black
college to have won D-I title (soccer, '71, '73)

INDIANA U- D-I school since 1998, IUPUI had best
PURDUE U basketball season ever (15-15); great
AT INDIANAPOLIS tennis facilities and pool; no FB team

INDIANA STATE Larry Bird's school went 6-22 in hoops;
biggest campus events: tricycle, tandem-
bike races; John Wooden coached here

IONA Gaels from N.Y. good in X-C; fans can drown
13-17 hoops sorrow at bar (once called the
Levee) made famous by alum Don McLean

JACKSON Walter Payton's alma mater No. 1 in I-AA
STATE attendance; FB 7-4; last losing season
was '84; band is Sonic Boom of the South

JACKSONVILLE Dolphins have had 21 All-Americas from
various sports over the last five years;
only 1,800 undergrads; alum: Artis Gilmore

JACKSONVILLE Gamecocks were sub-.500 in all major
STATE sports, but FB (5-6) on upswing; fans paint
selves red and white for rival Troy State

LAFAYETTE FB rivalry with Lehigh is nation's oldest; 85%
of students in IM, club or varsity sport; alum
George Barkley invented FB helmet in 1896

LAMAR L Raisers student fan group lives up to its
name; alums include three PGA golfers and
erstwhile hoops coach Billy Tubbs, now AD

LA SALLE Explorers went 5-4 in I-AA FB; 15-17 in
basketball; La Salle Lunatics student fan
group and tradition of Philly hoops add fun

LIPSCOMB Nashville-based Church of Christ school is
Pat Boone's alma mater; basketball team
went 6-22 in fourth year in D-I; no FB

LONG Hoops team plays in old converted theater
ISLAND U with Wurlitzer organ behind visitors' bench;
no FB; half mile from rival St. Francis's gym

LOUISIANA- School near Bayou DeSiard has won 15 of
MONROE last 22 national waterskiing titles; alma
mater of Ben Sheets, Chuck Finley

LOYOLA Ramblers won Horizon titles in five sports;
(ILL.) has both water polo (IM) and polo (club);
only Ill. school with D-I hoops title ('63)

MANHATTAN Lacrosse made NCAAs, basketball the NIT;
seventh-inning stretch invented by
Jaspers baseball coach in 1880s; no FB

MARYLAND Art Shell's alma mater a small (3,400
EASTERN undergrads), historically black college;
SHORE loves hoops, but team went 11-18

MERCER Bears from Ga. made top 40 in soccer;
hoops a dismal 6-23; has campuswide
Midnight Madness, with fireworks; no FB

MISSISSIPPI Jerry Rice's alma mater 0-11 in FB but hired
VALLEY new coach: ex-Delta Devils QB Willie Totten,
STATE who set 75 I-AA records passing to Rice

MISSOURI- Alma mater of Casey Stengel and Don Fehr
KANSAS CITY has no baseball team; kangaroo mascot
first drawn by Walt Disney; No. 17 in soccer

MONMOUTH Hawks from N.J. had winning marks in all
major sports; scored in track NCAAs; Blue
Crew fan group launched to enliven arena

MONTANA No. 16 in skiing; hoops made NIT; cage-
STATE fighting a club sport; odd fan: Hairy Back
Guy shaves MSU into hirsute back

MOREHEAD School in Ky. mountains is alma mater of
STATE Phil Simms; has won 16 national
cheerleading titles; holds IM turkey shoot

MORGAN Baltimore school redid FB stadium for 2-9
STATE Bears; hoops coach is Butch Beard; cheer:
"Don't take no mess!"; famed cheerleaders

MORRIS Rough D-I debut for Atlanta school named
BROWN for noted Episcopal bishop; Wolverines
went 4-25 in men's hoops, 2-23 in women's

MOUNT Md. school-seminary has just 1,636 students;
ST. MARY'S no FB; winningest active hoops coach, Jim
Phelan, entering NCAA-record 49th season

NICHOLLS La. school hosts NFL Saints camp; FB
STATE game vs. SW Texas lost to flood in '98, so
matchup now called Battle for the Paddle

NEW No FB, but hosts national college flag-FB
ORLEANS championship each year; baseball coach
is alum (and former Twin) Randy Bush

NIAGARA Women's hockey team made Frozen Four;
holds Midnight Madness for hockey; no
FB; alums include Calvin Murphy, Hubie Brown

NORFOLK Spartans from Va. made women's hoops
STATE NCAAs; one of largest I-AA FB stadiums
(34,000); alum: sprinter Tim Montgomery

NORTH Aggies 3rd in MEAC in FB (8-3), led by
CAROLINA A&T Blue Death defense; eight alums in NFL;
hoops teams a combined 15-42

NORTH Blue Ridge Mountains school in top 3 in
CAROLINA- Big South hoops for last seven years; great
ASHEVILLE cycling club, paddling sports; no FB
NORTH Big soccer school; both hoops teams
CAROLINA- played in NIT; was women's college until
GREENSBORO 1963, D-III until '88; no FB team

NORTHEASTERN No. 19 in field hockey; first World Series
(1903, Boston-Pittsburgh) was played
where Beantown campus now stands

NORTH TEXAS Women's hoops made NIT; national-level
clubs in fencing, racquetball, weightlifting,
ice hockey; Mean Joe Greene an alum

OAKLAND Suburban Detroit school, new to D-I, made
top 40 in three women's sports (softball,
basketball, soccer); no FB team

PORTLAND I-AA FB team was 7-4, had nation's No. 4
STATE offense; hoops arena being renovated;
former Miss America Katie Harmon is a junior

PRAIRIE Texas school 7-110 in FB since 1991; noted
VIEW A&M for engineering, nursing programs; once
called "black Notre Dame" for its academics

QUINNIPIAC Conn. school made hockey NCAAs; just
changed nickname from Braves to
Bobcats; moved up from D-II in 1998; no FB

RADFORD Highlanders from Va. had first losing
hoops season in 11 years; no FB team; just
opened new track-soccer stadium

RHODE Dorms overlook FB field, so students grill
ISLAND and watch games from roofs; new hoops
and skating arenas; has synchro-swim club

RIDER Ludacris performed at Midnight Madness;
N.J. school named for cranberry mogul
Andre Rider; alum: Digger Phelps

ROBERT MORRIS Pa. school named for patriot; ex-Jets
coach Joe Walton led FB to 6-3 mark; big
campus draw: Fight Night student boxing

SACRED Pioneers from Conn. went 11-0 in I-AA FB;
HEART also good in wrestling, women's sports
(bowling top 15); moved up to D-I in '99

ST. BONAVENTURE Bonnies' hoops team made NIT; raucous
home court; students sit together by dorm
floors; no FB at small Buffalo-area school

ST. FRANCIS Brooklyn school sends teams to parks,
COLLEGE (N.Y.) fields throughout NYC to practice; new rec
complex in '03; alum: John Halama

ST. FRANCIS Red Flash made women's hoops NCAAs;
UNIV. (PA.) soccer team forms wacky Rockheads
basketball cheer group; 1,250 undergrads

ST. JOSEPH'S Both hoops teams made NIT; costumed
Hawk mascot flaps wings throughout
games; seven alums have coached in NBA

SAINT LOUIS Billikens finished No. 5 in men's soccer;
athletes have highest GPA of any in
Conference USA; no FB; five alums in MLS

ST. MARY'S Gaels finished No. 17 in women's soccer;
(CALIF.) I-AA football team had second straight
winning year; alum: Tom Candiotti

SAMFORD Small (2,800 undergrads) Baptist college
in Ala.; unusual basketball court has wall
of windows; Willie McGee an alum

SAN Dons finished No. 25 in women's golf; alma
FRANCISCO mater of Bill Russell sub-.500 in hoops,
though Kobe's cousin starts at guard; no FB

SIENA Saints made NCAAs in men's hoops, NIT in
women's; nation's youngest FB coach (29,
but team 1-8); intramurals big at N.Y. school

SOUTH Women's hoops 18-11; Bulldogs strong in
CAROLINA track and field; I-AA football team finished
STATE 6-5; renowned Marching 101 band

SOUTHEAST Made baseball NCAAs; among last schools
MISSOURI to call teams Indians; women's soccer (16-2)
STATE led nation in goals-against average (.44)

SOUTHEASTERN Dismal sports school on upswing: FB
LOUISIANA program (cut in '85 for financial reasons)
to restart in '03 under Hal Mumme

SOUTHERN Brett Favre's school 6-5 in FB; 36-22 in
MISSISSIPPI baseball; 15 alums in NFL; before games,
band, fans march through campus together

SOUTHERN Thunderbirds made top 40 in women's
UTAH gymnastics but had losing records in all
major sports; outdoorsy school

STETSON Hatters made baseball NCAAs; surfing club
big (Daytona Beach nearby); Florida school
was founded by hatmaker John Stetson

SUNY- Fourth year in D-I for Long Island school;
STONYBROOK Seawolves made lacrosse NCAAs; just
opened $22 million FB-lacrosse stadium

TENNESSEE- School set in soybean country; trying to
MARTIN upgrade weak I-AA FB program; Skyhawks'
cartoon mascot is airplane-flying hawk

TENNESSEE Storied alma mater of Wilma Rudolph,
STATE Wyomia Tyus was Ohio Valley track champ;
FB 8-3; other alums: Too Tall Jones, Oprah

TEXAS A&M Fourth straight winning season in women's
CORPUS CHRISTI hoops; athletic program began in 1998;
school located on its own island; no FB

TEXAS- Mavericks' hoops, volleyball teams play on
ARLINGTON unique court that's above fans, like a
stage; women's volleyball good; no FB

TEXAS- No. 15 in track, but a combined 15-56 in
EL PASO major sports; IM indoor soccer popular;
alums: Tim Hardaway, Antonio Davis

TEXAS PAN Southernmost four-year college in
AMERICAN continental U.S.; Broncs went 20-10 in
hoops; Abe Lemons, Lon Kruger coached here

TEXAS- Roadrunners' arena known as the Bird Cage;
SAN ANTONIO not bad in tennis; no FB; athletic program
launched in 1981; new rec center this fall

TEXAS Michael Strahan's alma mater 3-7 in FB;
SOUTHERN Tigers from Houston made top 40 in track;
has hosted annual relay meet since '52

TOWSON No. 25 in soccer, good in lax (parents play
kazoos at games); Johnny Unitas (two
kids at Md. school) promoted athletic dept.

TROY STATE Trojans from Alabama have seven alums in
NFL; went 7-4 in FB last season; rodeo
team produces many pros too

VIRGINIA Keydets frosh Jason Conley led nation in
MILITARY basketball scoring (29.5 ppg); one of two
INSTITUTE D-I schools without women's hoops team

WAGNER Tiny (1,750 undergrads) Staten Island school
made NIT; 3-6 in FB; Sopranos, Max
Bickford scenes filmed on gorgeous campus

WESTERN N.C. school has fun: offers IM men's and
CAROLINA women's arm wrestling, plays Appalachian
State in FB for symbolic moonshine jug

WESTERN Brian Cox's alma mater 5-5 in FB; teams
ILLINOIS known as the Leathernecks (used to be
the Fighting Teachers); big ROTC school

WESTERN Winning year for hoops teams; 5-6 in FB;
MICHIGAN only it and Miami of Ohio have varsity
synchronized skating; alum: John Saunders

WISCONSIN- Women's hoops made NCAAs for third
GREEN BAY straight year; big in Nordic skiing; campus
built on former golf course (nine holes remain)

WOFFORD One in six students is on Terriers FB team;
hosts Carolina Panthers camp; higher SAT
average (1,236) than enrollment (1,100)

WRIGHT Dayton school has mini-Camden Yards park,
STATE wheelchair sports; hoops coach Ed Schilling
rose from HS to D-I head job in 311 days

YOUNGSTOWN Penguins' FB team (8-3) enters stadium in
STATE tight "hive" formation; alums include Bob
Davie, Ron Jaworski, Carmen Policy

EIGHT COLOR PHOTOS: PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER READ MILLER [COVER] SPECIAL REPORT AMERICA'S BEST SPORTS COLLEGES WHO'S No. 1 Stanford vs. Texas STANFORD Teyo Johnson - Football Nicole Powell - Basketball Tony Azevedo - Water Polo Marcia Wallis - Soccer TEXAS Chris Simms - Football T.J. Ford - Basketball Cat Osterman - Softball Moushaumi Robinson - Track All 324 Schools Ranked Top 10 Graduation Rates

COLOR PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANASTASIA VASILAKIS

COLOR PHOTO: GONZALESPHOTO.COM (STANFORD)

COLOR PHOTO: BILL FRAKES (FLORIDA)

COLOR PHOTO: BILL FRAKES (SOUTH CAROLINA)

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID E. KLUTHO (MINNESOTA)

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID E. KLUTHO (OKLAHOMA)

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID BERGMAN (NORTH CAROLINA)

COLOR PHOTO: GARRETT W. ELLWOOD (TENNESSEE)

COLOR PHOTO: GONZALESPHOTO.COM (TEXAS)

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO (MICHIGAN)

COLOR PHOTO: BILL FRAKES (LSU)

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTODISC (POMPOMS)

COLOR PHOTO: JIM SIGMON/UT SPORTS INFORMATION (LONGHORN)

COLOR PHOTO: PETER READ MILLER (2) Quarterback Chris Simms

COLOR PHOTO: GONZALESPHOTO.COM (TREE)

COLOR PHOTO: PETER READ MILLER (2) Forward Nicole Powell

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID BERGMAN (LEFT)

COLOR PHOTO: TOM HAUCK

COLOR PHOTO: DAMIAN STROHMEYER

COLOR PHOTO: BILL BAPTIST/RICE SPORTS INFORMATION Junior running back Robbie Beck of co-No. 1 Rice

COLOR PHOTO: GEORGE TIEDEMANN/GT IMAGES NCAA wrestling champ Luke Becker of Minnesota

COLOR PHOTO: PETER H. BICK The IUPUI natatorium

COLOR PHOTO: GREG FOSTER (BEANIES)

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO (CEMETERY)

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID BERGMAN

COLOR PHOTO: DARREN CARROLL

COLOR PHOTO: CHUCK SOLOMON (TOWER)

COLOR PHOTO: BILL FRAKES

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO

COLOR PHOTO: VINCENT MUZIK

COLOR PHOTO: CHUCK SOLOMON

COLOR PHOTO: MIKE MAPLE

BEST MUD VOLLEYBALL
[UCONN]

With 100 teams, a deejay and an official T-shirt for all
participants, UConn's spring coed "oozeball" tournament is a
daylong blast--and an escape from the sad realization that the
Huskies' basketball season is over.

BEST DIVISION II SCHOOL [UC DAVIS]

The University of California at Davis is a jock juggernaut. It
has more varsity athletes (765) than any other Division II
school, 32 club teams--including snowboarding--and diverse
intramurals in which more than 14,000 of its 27,000 students take
part. Last year it earned its fifth NCAA D-II all-sports trophy
since 1996 and had its division-record 32nd straight winning
football season (10-3). Set in a city of 56,000 that has a
small-town feel, the school is academically solid (the most
recent class of incoming athletes had an average SAT of 1,130)
and recreationally innovative (inner-tube water polo was invented
here in 1969). SI Women has twice named it the best D-II school
for female athletes. "I've worked at Washington, Washington State
and George Washington, and at those places there is a pecking
order," says women's basketball coach Sandy Simpson. "Here there
is true gender equity."

The relaxed campus hosts huge Ultimate Frisbee tournaments and
annual dachshund races. Serious change may be coming, however:
Davis is considering joining the Big West Conference--in Division
I. --George Dohrmann

BEST DIVISION III SCHOOL
[WILLIAMS COLLEGE]

These are happy days in Williamstown, Mass., where the tiny
school with the sterling academic reputation has been busy
cultivating a Division III dynasty. Take last year. In November
the football team capped an 8-0 season by ruining archrival
Amherst's own bid for a perfect campaign. After their 23-20 win,
the Ephs marched through town to St. Pierre's Barber Shop, closed
the door, pulled the shades, puffed some cigars and shaved the
freshmen's heads. By the end of the school year Williams had won
three D-III national titles (men's and women's tennis, women's
crew), its 31 teams had gone a combined 595-50-1, and Alex Blake
(soccer, left, in white) and Josh Lefkowitz (tennis) had been
named D-III players of the year. Williams earned its sixth NCAA
Division III all-sports trophy in seven years.

Close to 38% of the school's 2,000 students compete at the
varsity level, and 25% are on one of 18 club teams. For those who
need extra motivation, school president (and No. 1 Ephs fan)
Morty Schapiro will look outside his window one morning this fall
and declare Mountain Day. As tradition dictates, students and
faculty will be given the day off from classes to make a hike up
one of the nearby mountains.

As usual at Williams, they will end up on top. --Scott Cacciola

[FUN FACT] Before Syracuse went Orange in 1890, its colors were
pea green and pink.

THE ACADEMIC TOP 10

These Division I schools have the highest (and lowest) graduation
rates* for athletes.

HIGHEST

1. (tie) Davidson 91%
Rice
3. (tie) Duke 90%
Georgetown
Holy Cross
Notre Dame
Stanford
8. (tie) Bucknell 89%
Richmond
Villanova

LOWEST

1. Arkansas, Little Rock 13%
2. South Alabama 18%
3. Chicago State 20%
4. (tie) Cal State Northridge 24%
New Orleans
6. Texas-Pan American 26%
7. Northwestern State 29%
8. (tie) Delaware State 30%
Jackson State
Norfolk State
UNLV

*NCAA figures for athletes who entered in 1995-96 and graduated
by 2002. Fifteen schools did not disclose their rates: the Ivies,
the service academies, Hampton, Prairie View A&M, Quinnipiac and
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

BEST IN CONFERENCE

America East: BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Atlantic Coast: NORTH CAROLINA
Atlantic Sun: CENTRAL FLORIDA
Atlantic 10: UMASS
Big East: NOTRE DAME
Big Sky: NORTHERN ARIZONA
Big South: LIBERTY
Big Ten: MINNESOTA
Big 12: TEXAS
Big West: UC SANTA BARBARA
Colonial Athletic: JAMES MADISON
Conference USA: CINCINNATI
Horizon: BUTLER
Ivy: HARVARD
Metro Atlantic: MARIST
Mid-American: CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Mid-Continent: ORAL ROBERTS
Mid-Eastern: FLORIDA A&M
Missouri Valley: SW MISSOURI STATE
Mountain West: BRIGHAM YOUNG
Northeast: MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY
Ohio Valley: EASTERN ILLINOIS
Pac-10: STANFORD
Patriot: BUCKNELL
Southeastern: FLORIDA
Southern: FURMAN
Southland: SOUTHWEST TEXAS
Southwestern Athletic: SOUTHERN
Sun Belt: WESTERN KENTUCKY
West Coast: PEPPERDINE
Western Athletic: HAWAII

THE SIX FASTEST POOLS

1. INDIANA U-PURDUE U AT INDIANAPOLIS Ten world and 88 U.S.
records have been set in the IUPUI pool, which has hosted 16 NCAA
championships and four U.S. Olympic swim trials.

2. TEXAS High filtration rate and oversized lane lines reduce
wave action; can't argue with the Longhorns' 18 national titles;
has underwater speakers and spectators' viewing windows.

3. AUBURN Excellent gutter system absorbs waves rather than
letting them rebound into swimmers.

4. TEXAS A&M Site of the 2001 men's NCAAs, at which nine U.S.
records fell and the Aggies won their first team title.

5. STANFORD Avery Aquatic Center boasts three 50-meter pools,
including the country's fastest outdoor one.

6. CLEVELAND STATE Fastest older pool (built in 1973), it's
deeper at one end; home to annual underwater jigsaw puzzle
assembly contest. --Brian Cazeneuve

[FUN FACT] Retired Wofford president Joe Lesesne is now the
school's tight ends coach.

THREE ODD TRADITIONS

1) Since 1915 freshmen at Georgia Tech have received beanies
(left) on which to write their school's football scores for the
next four years.

2) Buried in Florida State's 40-year-old sod cemetery (center) are
69 pieces of turf (some of it artificial) that were taken from
fields on which the Seminoles' football team has pulled off
upsets or won bowl games.

3) For more than half a century athletes at Maryland have sought
good luck by rubbing the nose of one of the bronze Terrapin
statues on campus. (Similarly, Clemson football players rub a
large rock; Louisiana Tech athletes a bronze bulldog.)

[FUN FACT] Wisconsin-Green Bay raises funds for athletics by
charging admission to a 15-acre corn maze near its campus.

LARGEST FOOTBALL TROPHY
[CHIEF CADDO]

In 1960 interstate rivals Stephen F. Austin of Texas and
Northwestern State of Louisiana agreed that whichever school lost
the next year's football matchup would fell a tree near its
campus and send the trunk to the winning school, where a statue
would be carved. Northwestern State won and created 7'6",
320-pound Chief Caddo (named for a Caddo Indian whose tribe
settled the areas where both schools are located) from a
2,000-pound black gum log. The Chief, held by the winner of the
annual game, is on display in the field house at Northwestern
State, awaiting this year's Nov. 23 showdown.

HIGHEST ADVENTURE [MARYLAND/N.C.]

No school can top the seven-sided, five-story climbing tower at
Maryland known as the Beast (left). With 9,000 square feet of
surface area, the year-and-a-half-old structure offers students
thousands of climbing routes. A growing number of other schools
are also big on adventure sports. Here are five.

--NORTH CAROLINA has the nation's longest zipline (right), a
1,200-foot cable down which students ride at 25 mph while
dangling as high as 50 feet off the ground.

--WISCONSIN offers sports ranging from hang gliding to scuba
diving through its 71-year-old Hoofers outdoors club, which has
about 4,000 members.

--COLORADO has a world-class outdoors program that includes rock
climbing and skiing in the Rockies.

--MINNESOTA has an extensive ice-climbing program. Students
sometimes travel south to Iowa to scale old silos that have been
iced over for climbers.

--MIAMI (OHIO) sends study groups to the South Pacific and around
the U.S. to combine environmental classes with activities like
sea kayaking and ice climbing. --Cara O'Reilly

BIGGEST BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
[NOTRE DAME]

It is called Bookstore Basketball because it began in 1972 on
courts behind Notre Dame's bookstore. Now 800-plus student teams
go at it every April, and it's all-weather, single-elimination,
call-your-own-fouls action until the round of 128. For the final,
high school refs blow the whistles, and 6,000 fans watch teams
with funny names (Mmm Cheese, Project Mayhem) go at it like Duke
and North Carolina. First prize: nothing but bragging rights.

[FUN FACT] Liberty president Jerry Falwell regularly crowd-surfs
at his school's games.

ZANIEST CHEERLEADERS
[ST. JOHN'S (MINN.)]

They do wacky tumbling stunts and goofy dances, throw sausages
into the stands and sometimes don women's clothing. The handful
of students known as the Rat Pack lead the cheers at their
all-male, sports-mad Division III school in the pine woods of
central Minnesota. The appreciative home crowds often include
scores of Benedictine monks from a monastery on campus. The Rat
Pack, which began in the 1950s and got its name by pestering
opponents, is already looking forward to having a national
audience next fall. That's when Johnnies football coach John
Gagliardi is expected to break Eddie Robinson's record for most
college victories (408).

BEST FISHING CLASS [PENN STATE]

Fishing clubs and classes are popular at many colleges, including
Purdue and Montana. But Penn State's three-course fly-fishing
series--first taught by angling legend George Harvey in 1947--is
the perfect mix of fun and education. "Fly fishing is a science:
You have to know entomology, geology, hydrology," says instructor
Mark Belden, who teaches all of those things, plus casting and
fly tying. Some 250 students a year take Belden's courses, which
make use of the half-dozen blue-ribbon fishing streams within 30
miles of campus. The students throw back the brown trout they
catch but take home a lifelong passion. Says Belden, "If these
kids are still dreaming about fly-fishing when at their big-city
jobs, I've succeeded."

BEST TAILGATING [OLE MISS]

On football Saturdays as many as 25,000 Mississippi supporters
gather for pregame food and drink in the Grove, 10 acres of lawn,
shaded by stately oaks, in the heart of the university's campus
in Oxford. There is no more beautiful spot to tailgate, nor one
richer in tradition; the Grove has been the site of pregame
picnicking for more than half a century. The fans start arriving
by car at 4 a.m., many dressed formally, as if they were headed
to a wedding. They greet old friends and classmates amid barbecue
grills, silver candelabras and plenty of bourbon. Two hours
before kickoff they cheer wildly as Rebels players march by on
their way to the stadium. After the game, win or lose, many in
the crowd return to the Grove to party until midnight. They have
one thing in common: They can't wait until the next football
Saturday. --Glenn Kaplan

[INSIDERS SAY] "At UCLA we hold a fair during Beat 'SC week at
which we play games like Pin the Trojan on the Trojan."

[INSIDERS SAY] "Ole Miss has the best women in the country. We
redshirt Miss Americas."

[INSIDERS SAY] "After all we've been through, fans here at
Missouri have evolved a very thick skin. We're the walruses of
the sporting world."

[CHEERS] "Differential Y, differential X, to hell with
differentials, we want sex!"
--Georgia Tech

[INSIDERS SAY] "At Virginia Commonwealth we don't have a
football team, so we wear T-shirts that say VCU FOOTBALL:
UNDEFEATED."