Which school had the best season in college sports? We here at CBS Sports decided to find out.
The National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has been ranking athletic programs for years by weighing every sport equally, meaning a football national title is worth the same number of points (100) as a women's water polo title.
We tweaked the formula and weighed it more heavily toward sports that generate the broadest base of fan and media interest. We rated every FBS football school in three sports -- football, men's basketball and women's basketball -- along with two "wild card" sports to come up with the Best in College Sports award.
The wild-card spot went to the most successful among the school's following spectator sports: baseball, men's lacrosse, men's ice hockey, men's soccer, men's volleyball, men's gymnastics, wrestling, women's lacrosse, women's ice hockey, women's soccer, women's volleyball or women's gymnastics.
For our formula (which takes into account only schools that field FBS football programs): we weighed football worth 2.5 times as much as the other sports, while men's basketball is worth twice as many points. Teams that didn't finish in the final AP Top 25 in football but played in a bowl were awarded 62.5 points (25 x 2.5). Teams that made the NIT, CBI or CIT were given 20 points (10 points times two), while WNIT teams received 10 points.
For all titles that were settled via a bracket, point totals were based on via how many teams participated in the bracket. All champions in the other sports we surveyed received 100 points for a national title. For example -- Oklahoma's women's gymnastics and softball titles each resulted in 100 points, Ohio State's third-place finish in men's wrestling garnered 85 points, and Michigan's fifth-place finish in softball gained them 78 points.
Ultimately, it was the Oklahoma Sooners that stood above the rest as the best athletic program in college sports for 2015-16.
OU claimed the honor with a 2015 Big 12 football title, a trip to the College Football Playoff, a 2016 Final Four berth in basketball as well as national championships in softball and women's gymnastics. Along the way, Buddy Hield became the Naismith Player of the Year for basketball coach Lon Kruger, and Bob Stoops took back his mantle as one of the top college football coaches in the country.
Previous winners include Louisville in 2013, Stanford in 2014 and Ohio State in 2015.
CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd takes a closer look at how Stoops' hiring 18 seasons ago set renewed greatness in Sooners football and set a new course for Oklahoma athletics.
Best in College Sports 2015-16 | ||||||
School | Total | FB | MBB | WBB | WC | WC |
Oklahoma | 603.5 | 187.5 | 166 | 50 | 100 | 100 |
North Carolina | 530 | 150 | 180 | 0 | 100 | 100 |
Notre Dame | 505.25 | 161.25 | 146 | 64 | 70 | 64 |
Stanford | 475.5 | 212.5 | 0 | 73 | 100 | 90 |
Ohio State | 469 | 200 | 20 | 64 | 100 | 85 |
Alabama | 438 | 250 | 20 | 10 | 85 | 73 |
Syracuse | 422 | 0 | 166 | 90 | 83 | 83 |
Iowa | 406.25 | 168.75 | 100 | 10 | 75 | 52.5 |
Florida State | 403.75 | 153.75 | 20 | 64 | 83 | 83 |
Utah | 388.5 | 146.25 | 100 | 10 | 68.25 | 64 |
Oregon | 380 | 135 | 146 | 10 | 64 | 25 |
Wisconsin | 379.5 | 132.5 | 128 | 0 | 64 | 55 |
Texas A&M | 377.5 | 62.5 | 128 | 50 | 73 | 64 |
UConn | 376.5 | 62.5 | 100 | 100 | 64 | 50 |
Michigan State | 372.75 | 183.75 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 39 |
Michigan | 371.3 | 165 | 50 | 10 | 78 | 68.3 |
Clemson | 365 | 225 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 50 |
Maryland | 358 | 0 | 128 | 50 | 90 | 90 |
Indiana | 350.5 | 62.5 | 128 | 50 | 64 | 46 |
Oklahoma State | 335.5 | 137.5 | 0 | 25 | 90 | 83 |
Duke | 333.5 | 62.5 | 128 | 0 | 90 | 53 |
Baylor | 330.5 | 157.5 | 50 | 73 | 50 | 0 |
Georgia | 321.5 | 125 | 20 | 25 | 78 | 73.5 |
Florida | 320.5 | 122.5 | 20 | 25 | 80 | 73 |
LSU | 315.5 | 142.5 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 83 |
Miami (FL) | 313.5 | 62.5 | 128 | 25 | 73 | 25 |
Washington | 302.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 83 | 73 | 64 |
TCU | 298 | 180 | 0 | 10 | 83 | 25 |
Ole Miss | 286.5 | 172.5 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 50 |
West Virginia | 282 | 62.5 | 50 | 50 | 73 | 46.5 |
Virginia | 279 | 0 | 146 | 10 | 73 | 50 |
UCLA | 274.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 64 | 75 | 73 |
Auburn | 270.75 | 62.5 | 0 | 50 | 90 | 68.25 |
Arizona | 266.5 | 62.5 | 50 | 0 | 90 | 64 |
Kentucky | 266.5 | 0 | 100 | 64 | 52.5 | 50 |
Penn State | 262.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 100 |
BYU | 261.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 25 | 90 | 64 |
Minnesota | 255.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 10 | 100 | 83 |
Tennessee | 253 | 130 | 0 | 73 | 50 | 0 |
Oregon State | 245.25 | 0 | 50 | 83 | 59.25 | 53 |
Nebraska | 243 | 62.5 | 0 | 10 | 100 | 70.5 |
Iowa State | 242.5 | 0 | 128 | 0 | 64.5 | 50 |
Texas Tech | 240.5 | 62.5 | 50 | 0 | 78 | 50 |
Texas | 238 | 0 | 50 | 73 | 90 | 25 |
Navy | 232.5 | 140 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 32.5 |
California | 230.75 | 62.5 | 50 | 0 | 68.25 | 50 |
Kansas | 229 | 0 | 146 | 0 | 83 | 0 |
Louisville | 226.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 50 | 50 | 64 |
Virginia Tech | 222.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 10 | 80 | 50 |
Northwestern | 215 | 130 | 0 | 10 | 50 | 25 |
Arizona State | 212.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Hawaii | 198 | 0 | 100 | 25 | 73 | 0 |
South Carolina | 198 | 0 | 20 | 64 | 64 | 50 |
Houston | 196.25 | 176.25 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
USC | 193 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 73 | 70 |
Mississippi State | 190.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 64 | 64 | 0 |
MTSU | 187.5 | 62.5 | 100 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
South Florida | 187.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 50 | 50 | 25 |
Missouri | 187.5 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 73.5 | 64 |
Central Michigan | 179.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 10 | 46.5 | 40.5 |
NC State | 178.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 50 |
Akron | 175.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 10 | 83 | 0 |
Boston College | 173 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 90 | 83 |
Ohio | 162 | 62.5 | 20 | 10 | 25 | 44.5 |
Tulsa | 157.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 0 | 50 | 25 |
Purdue | 157.5 | 0 | 50 | 25 | 50 | 32.5 |
Rutgers | 153 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 83 | 60 |
Boise State | 152.75 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 59.25 | 31 |
Illinois | 148.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 68.3 |
Pittsburgh | 147 | 62.5 | 50 | 0 | 34.5 | 0 |
Kansas State | 137.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 50 | 25 | 0 |
Cincinnati | 137.5 | 62.5 | 50 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
UL-Lafayette | 134 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 64 | 50 |
Louisiana Tech | 132.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
Temple | 122.5 | 62.5 | 50 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Western Kentucky | 122.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 10 | 50 | 0 |
Arkansas | 121.75 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 59.25 | 0 |
Air Force | 120 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 32.5 | 25 |
Colorado State | 112.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 25 | 25 | 0 |
Western Michigan | 112.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 25 |
Utah State | 109 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 46.5 | 0 |
Wake Forest | 108 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 73 | 25 |
Northern Illinois | 103 | 62.5 | 20 | 0 | 20.5 | 0 |
Bowling Green | 101.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
Buffalo | 100.5 | 0 | 50 | 25 | 25.5 | 0 |
South Alabama | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
Arkansas State | 97.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 10 | 25 | 0 |
Kent State | 97.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58.5 | 39 |
Appalachian State | 95 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 32.5 | 0 |
Old Dominion | 93.5 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 48.5 | 25 |
SMU | 89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 25 |
New Mexico | 87.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
San Jose State | 87.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
Southern Miss | 87.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
Washington State | 87.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
Fresno State | 85 | 0 | 50 | 10 | 25 | 0 |
Nevada | 82.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
San Diego State | 82.5 | 62.5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Georgia Tech | 80 | 0 | 20 | 10 | 50 | 0 |
FAU | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 25 |
UCF | 75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 25 |
Marshall | 72.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Memphis | 72.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
New Mexico State | 70 | 0 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 0 |
Massachusetts | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 0 |
Eastern Michigan | 67.5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 52.5 | 5 |
East Carolina | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 0 |
Georgia Southern | 62.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Georgia State | 62.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Toledo | 62.5 | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Army West Point | 60.5 | 0 | 20 | 25 | 15.5 | 0 |
Tulane | 60 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 50 | 0 |
Charlotte | 60 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 50 | 0 |
Wyoming | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 0 |
Colorado | 50 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rice | 50 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | 50 |
Idaho | 45 | 0 | 20 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
Vanderbilt | 45 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
Ball State | 30 | 0 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Troy | 25 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
FIU | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
Miami (OH) | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
North Texas | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
Texas State | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
La.-Monore | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UTEP | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Texas-Antonio | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UNLV | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |