Bigger dynasty last decade - Alabama football or UConn WCBB?

[BackBay]

Just limiting this to the 2 major televised college sports - football & basketball. Both teams have won multiple titles, led by hated head coaches (outside their fan base) & continuously attract top talent.

 

[Sonny44]

Realistically, I'd call it a draw.

 

[Plebe]

Let's see here.

Alabama FB has won 5 of the last 10 championships: in 2010, 2012-13, 2016 and 2018. Also lost the 2017 championship game.

UConn WBB has won 6 of the last 10 championships, in 2009-10 and 2013-16. Slight edge to UConn on number of titles.

But more importantly, UConn's winning percentage is much better. Maybe that's a bit of oranges and apples because football plays much fewer games. But Alabama has only had one undefeated season (2009), not counting the current (still in progress) season. UConn has had 3 undefeated seasons in the last 10 years.

Alabama's "lows" were also lower than UConn's during the past 10 years. Alabama finished 2010 ranked #10 and finished 2013 ranked #7. UConn's lowest finish was #4 (coaches' poll) after the 2012 season.

 

[JonathanXIV]

I vote for UConn for a couple of reasons. In addition to championships, UConn has established levels of dominance (6 undefeated seasons, no one else with more than 1; 111, 90 and 70 game winning streaks) that are unmatched and unprecedented in the sport. Also, I think it is easier for basketball programs to become contenders as a couple of outstanding players can make a huge difference (ask South Carolina). Plus, the WCBB tournament provides more opportunities to get upset than the two game (previously one game) playoff. Finally, UConn doesn't have the recruiting advantage of playing in a P5 conference.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

There are good arguments for both. It's hard to compare, though, because there is much more depth of talented football players than WBB players.

 

[bballnut90]

UCONN has been more dominant. Since 2013 they havent lost a single game in regulation and have lost just 3 games in total. When Alabama has won titles and bowls they've had some close calls. UCONN had zero close calls during their title runs the last 10 years. You can look at many of Alabama's title seasons and think, "if 1-2 plays didnt work out in their favor, they wouldn't be the champion," but the same cant be said for any of UCONN's titles.

 

[bballnut90]

There are good arguments for both. It's hard to compare, though, because there is much more depth of talented football players than WBB players.

This is true as well. More often than not the best of the best choose to come to UCONN every year. With only 5 players on the court at a time, UCONN almost always has a significant talent advantage over their opponent. Not sure the same can be said with football where talent is more widespread, although Bama almost always lands the #1 class.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Just limiting this to the 2 major televised college sports - football & basketball. Both teams have won multiple titles, led by hated head coaches (outside their fan base) & continuously attract top talent.

College football is far harder to dominate than women's college basketball.

 

[tomcat]

You know, it's funny how these thoughts occur to people. I was listening to NPR on Saturday and they were interviewing ESPN's Howard Bryant, one of their sports experts, and during the conversation with the host about football, he mentioned exactly this, that Alabama football and UConn Women's Basketball are the two dynasties in sports. Personally, I think the two are just too difficult to compare in any meaningful way, but I'm really pleased that a sports analyst put the two of them together for a national audience, which does not happen as often as it should.

 

[HopJim]

Excellent slow day/week blog topic!

 

[DallasBUFan]

If someone is really bored they should try and find the top 5 dominant schools in the various sports and see how they all add up. I know UCLA has like 10 titles in softball. I believe women's soccer has a team or two that have always won or been a contender at one point.

 

[veryolddog]

Clearly, it is Alabama football. Look at the prestige and the revenue that the University of Alabama sports program has earned. UConn just gets women's basketball a day of headlines in the news.

 

[EricLA]

Clearly, it is Alabama football. Look at the prestige and the revenue that the University of Alabama sports program has earned. UConn just gets women's basketball a day of headlines in the news.

Not really a fair argument. WCBB in general (TV revenue, viewership, etc etc), is far below all the major men's college sports (hoops, football, and maybe even a few others - baseball? Soccer? Rugby?).

WCBB never come close to the men's games in terms of revenue or prestige. Hell, UCONN has been passed over numerous times for invitations to power conferences in spite of 15 combined NC's between men's and women's basketball - our football program languishes in the dark ages and may never see the light of day.

Football rules as far as conference affiliation goes, and it's not close. But that does not diminish the accomplishments of UCONN's women's basketball (nor the men's teams' accomplishments, in spite of it's unfortunate recent nosedive)...

 

[Plebe]

Clearly, it is Alabama football. Look at the prestige and the revenue that the University of Alabama sports program has earned. UConn just gets women's basketball a day of headlines in the news.

The question posed was most dominant, not most prestigious or most lucrative.

 

[MSUFan2003]

I think arguments can be made for both. I can't pick one over the other.

 

[nwhoopfan]

If someone is really bored they should try and find the top 5 dominant schools in the various sports and see how they all add up. I know UCLA has like 10 titles in softball. I believe women's soccer has a team or two that have always won or been a contender at one point.

UCLA, USC and Stanford all have more than 100 total National Championships, all sports, mens and womens. Nobody else is remotely close. I know everybody hates the "Conference of Champions" thing, but there is a reason somebody came up with that name. I don't think Bill Walton actually coined the phrase, he just uses it several dozen times each game he broadcasts.

North Carolina has a bunch of women's soccer Championships.

Stanford just moved out of a tie w/ Penn St. for most women's volleyball Titles, now have 8. Nebraska is a few behind Penn St. for third most.

UCLA still has the most men's basketball Championships even though they've only added 1 in the last 40+ years.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Back to the OP, it's so apples and oranges it's hard to really answer. Consider the difference in playoff format. Only in recent years has there been a 4 team playoff in football. For a number of years before that it was essentially a 2 team playoff. And before the incarnation of the BCS Championship Game, National Title fell to the whims of voters after all the bowl games were completed. Football teams don't really prove it on the field the same way basketball teams do. So few teams have an opportunity to compete for a Championship. In a way the entire season is the playoffs, to position yourself to be one of the four chosen.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Easy choice: UConn. In recent history, Alabama football was pretty average with an occasional great season before Saban came to town ten years ago. UConn has dominated WCBB for a quarter of a century now and counting. In the last 25 seasons (including this partial one), UConn has an 846-55 (.939) record, 6 undefeated seasons, 11 national championships, and win streaks of 73, 90, and 111 games. In addition to that, UConn has not lost consecutive games since the 1992-93 season, is on a streak of 11 straight final fours, hasn't lost a game in regulation since 2013, hasn't lost a regular season game since 2014, and in the last 5+ seasons has a 199-3 (.985) record with 3 national titles.

 

[eebmg]

Easy choice: UConn. In recent history, Alabama football was pretty average with an occasional great season before Saban came to town ten years ago. UConn has dominated WCBB for a quarter of a century now and counting. In the last 25 seasons (including this partial one), UConn has an 846-55 (.939) record, 6 undefeated seasons, 11 national championships, and win streaks of 73, 90, and 111 games. In addition to that, UConn has not lost consecutive games since the 1992-93 season, is on a streak of 11 straight final fours, hasn't lost a game in regulation since 2013, hasn't lost a regular season game since 2014, and in the last 5+ seasons has a 199-3 (.985) record with 3 national titles.

Over the 30 year Geno period, it would not be a contest. That is why the OP limited it to the 'last decade";

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Well here in the deep south it's all football, all the time. Living in Atlanta I get the overload of love for Bama, Clemson and UGA football teams all in close proximity. All are outstanding programs but the women's basketball world is very small. I've actually been proud of how the Mississippi State community has been supporting their women's team the last few years.

What Bama has done is impressive given just how competitive the football landscape is. For better or worse UConn hasn't really had a peer since UT's fade although ND isn't too shabby.

 

[JordyG]

As great as Saban and his program down in Tuscaloosa has been, he has only once won back to back championships. This Geno guy has won back to back once, 3 in a row once, and 4 in a row once. That alone trumps anything Saban has done. However, Saban has had to deal with far more recruiting because of the short stay of many of his charges, since the lure of the NFL looms over every recruit. So I'd say Geno's is the far greater dynasty, but Saban has had the tougher coaching job.

 

[triaddukefan]

Whole lot easier to be a dynasty in WCBB than it is in College Football.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Another apples and oranges thing is the number of players on the field and the number of players on a roster. In basketball one truly transcendent player can make all the difference in the world. If you have 2 or 3 elite players that can carry you all the way to a Championship. I don't think you can do that in football. You need so much more overall depth. Agree with above, basketball lends itself more to dynasties than football. Although North Dakota St. has won 6 of the last 7 Championships in FCS (used to be 1AA) with a chance to add another in about a week.

 

[NWHoopFan2]

If someone is really bored they should try and find the top 5 dominant schools in the various sports and see how they all add up. I know UCLA has like 10 titles in softball. I believe women's soccer has a team or two that have always won or been a contender at one point.

North Carolina women’s soccer may have had the most dominant stretch in any sport, men or women.

 

[Plebe]

North Carolina women’s soccer may have had the most dominant stretch in any sport, men or women.

They won 13 out of 14 national championships in the stretch from 1981 to 1994.
17 out of 20 in the stretch from 1981 to 2000.
A total of 21 national championships from 1981 to 2012.