Which college has the most sports teams in the United States of America?

Which college has the most sports teams in the United States of America?

Ciku Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:26 PM

Over the years, the rising popularity of college sports culture is fueled by its rich history, drama, rivalries, youthful excitement, and raw energy. Explore with us and find out which college has the most sports teams in the United States of America.

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Nick Patti (C) of the Pittsburgh Panthers leads the band in the fight song in celebration after defeating the UCLA Bruins at Sun Bowl Stadium in December 2022 in El Paso, Texas. Photo by Sam Wasson.
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Initially, intercollegiate sports activities began with Amherst and Williams colleges in 1859. Since then, over a thousand institutions have made the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Dig in and discover what college has the most sports.

At the start of collegiate sports, institutions such as Amherst, Yale, Williams, Princeton, and Havard took a pioneering role that ushered millions of students into successful sports careers. Today, organized institutional sport comprises 24 sports with over nineteen thousand squads and is coordinated by the NCAA.

What college has the most sports teams?

According to AthletesAgency, US colleges have over 19,000 squads participating in NCAA intercollegiate competitions annually, with about 57,000 student-athletes. Although the most popular college sport in America is football, other sports played in varsities include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, football, golf, swimming, rowing, softball, tennis, volleyball, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Here is a summary of colleges that have the most NCAA sports teams.

10. University of Virginia

With an impressive 25 programs, the Wahoos proudly carry 25 NCAA championship titles in various sports. Three of the titles were won consecutively between 2015 and 2017. Today, the school boasts several pro-athlete alums, such as tennis champion Dominic Inglot and NFL quarterback Matt Blundin.

What sports do most colleges offer?
Camryn Taylor of the Virginia Cavaliers jumps for the opening tip against the Duke Blue Devils at the John Paul Jones Arena in February 2023 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Photo by G Fiume.
Source: Getty Images

9. Pennsylvania State University

Out of its 26 programs, the school has excelled in various sporting activities, including wrestling, fencing, volleyball, and football. In addition to its 52 NCAA titles, the school's athletes brought eight medals from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

8. University of Notre Dame

What sport is Notre Dame known for? Out of 26 programs, the school's football team has become its most famous. The women's basketball and soccer teams have also enjoyed impressive success in the national and NCAA championships.

What is the most common college sport?
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team celebrates after a victory over the Brigham Young Cougars in the Shamrock Series at Allegiant Stadium in October 2022 in Las Vegas. Photo by Ethan Miller.
Source: Getty Images

7. Duke University

Throughout its history, the Duke University athletics program has brought home 27 NCAA championship titles and 130 ACC Championships. The 27 teams in the program have pushed the school's popularity, especially its basketball, golf, and lacrosse teams.

6. The University of North Carolina

Out of 28 squads in various sports, the school's women's soccer team is arguably its most successful. Since 1982, the Tar Heels women's soccer team has won 21 NCAA championship titles. Its most famous alums include NBA legends Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, and soccer star Mia Hamm.

5. University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a top-tier public university with 30 athletics programs. In total, the school has won 36 NCAA titles and 325 individual titles. The men's swimming program has achieved the most success, with 13 national championship titles.

4. University of California, Berkeley

Out of 30 teams, UC Berkeley, is best known for its football, basketball, soccer, swimming, volleyball, water polo, rugby, and rowing squads. The Division I college has won over 100 national titles, with 327 individual titles for athletes in various sporting activities.

3. The Ohio State University

With successful athletic alums such as four-time Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens and pro-golfer Jack Nicklaus, Ohio State has earned its spot among the best colleges. As one of the most successful schools, it has recorded numerous victories in football, women's rowing, men's volleyball, wrestling, and fencing squads.

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Meechie Johnson Jr. of the Ohio State Buckeyes drives the basket against the Towson Tigers during a game at Value City Arena in December 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Emilee Chinn.
Source: Getty Images

2. Stanford University

As an Ivy League school, the college is highly sought after for its academic and extracurricular programs. The Stanford Cardinals represent the varsity in 20 women's and 16 men's sports programs. As one of the best academic and athletic colleges, the school boasts over 130 NCAA championships and 141 national titles.

1. Harvard University

Throughout history, academic success has been synonymous with Ivy League institutions such as Harvard. However, with 42 squads, the Harvard Crimson teams have achieved outstanding success with 151 national championships. Here is a summary of the top 20 colleges with the most sports programs.

What are the most popular college sports in America?
Terence Patterson of the Harvard Crimson runs the ball away from the Yale Bulldogs during their 1998 Ivy League Conference game at the Harvard Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo by Al Bello.
Source: Getty Images

School

Teams

Harvard

42

Stanford

36

Ohio State

36

USC, Berkeley

30

Michigan

30

North Carolina

28

Notre Dame

26

Duke

27

Penn State

26

University of Virginia

25

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

23

University of Kentucky

22

University of Connecticut

21

University of Alabama

21

University of Georgia

21

University of Oklahoma

21

University of Arizona

20

Texas A&M

20

University of Tennessee

20

Baylor

19

What colleges have the most NCAA sports championships?

Which college has the most NCAA sports championships? As of February 2023, Stanford has won over 130 championship titles, with UCLA coming in second with 118 titles. Here is a detailed summary of the best-performing Division I college sports programs.

Which college has the best athletic program?
The Stanford Cardinal women's rowing team celebrates coming in second in the Division I Championship held at Nathan Benderson Park in May 2022 in Sarasota, Florida. Photo by Scott Taetsch/NCAA Photos.
Source: Getty Images

Rank

School

Titles

1

Stanford

131

2

UCLA

120

3

Southern California

111

4

Texas

55

5

Oklahoma

52

6

Penn State

55

7

North Carolina

48

8

Arkansas

48

9

LSU

44

10

California

41

11

Florida

40

12

Michigan

36

13

Denver

34

T13

Oregon

34

T15

Maryland

32

T15

Georgia

31

Which college has the best sports teams?

In 2022, CBS released a comprehensive ranking of the best-performing varsity football squads. Have a look at the ten of the top 25 and 1 college rankings.

Rank

Team

School

Record

1

The Cougars

Houston

27-2

2

The Crimson Tide

Alabama

25-4

3

The Jayhawks

Kansas

24-5

4

The Bruins

UCLA

24-5

5

The Boilermakers

Purdue

24-5

6

The Longhorns

Texas

22-7

7

The Wildcats

Kansas State

22-7

8

The Golden Eagles

Marquette

23-6

9

The Zags

Gonzaga

25-5

10

The Bears

Baylor

21-8

What college has the most athletes?

What college has the highest percentage of student-athletes? A 2021 Alternative College Ranking Index revealed that Michigan State University had the highest student-athlete enrollment of about 26%.

What state has the most major sports teams?

Although California has the most major league sports teams, Texas is home to the most collegiate athletic programs. The state has about 12 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams. However, some publications argue that Pennslyvania is home to most football colleges.

Do all colleges have sports teams?

In an effort to offer holistic education to students, all colleges in the United States of America offer various extracurricular activities, including sports. While some may not compete in major leagues, club sports offer numerous benefits to students.

It is crucial for student-athletes looking to enroll in higher education institutions to have knowledge of which college has the most sports teams. This article allows them to prepare for a sports career at a school of their choice.

READ ALSO: The 10 best colleges with the most NFL players in the league at the moment

Sportsbrief recently published an article highlighting colleges that produced the most NFL players in 2023. The report ranks each school based on the current number of NFL players on active rosters. Click the link above to discover which colleges produce the most pro-football players.

Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.