Notre Dame Football & Men’s Basketball Combo Among The Best In 2015-16

From 1969-81, no athletic department in the country combined football/men’s basketball success like Notre Dame. In five of those 12 years — 1969-70, 1973-74, 1977-78, 1978-79 and 1980-81 — it finished in the top 10 in both sports, a special double-play accomplishment seldom achieved anywhere.

The Fighting Irish have been unable to duplicate that feat since then. In 2012-13 it finished No. 4 in football — but in men’s basketball it tied for 40th in the “others receiving votes” category. In 2014-15, the basketball program placed No. 5 in the final rankings — but this time football was outside the top 25 with an 8-5 record.

This year marked the third time since the 1981-82 school year Notre Dame placed in the final top 20 in both: No. 11 in football (10-3) per the Associated Press, and No. 17 in basketball (24-12), highlighted by advancing to the Elite Eight a second straight year.

Which schools had the best combination of football/men’s basketball in 2015-16? Here is our Great Eight:

1. Oklahoma

Football: 11-2 (No. 5)

Men’s Basketball: 29-8 (No. 4)

Combined: 40-10 (.800)

Summary: Yes, we’re aware Clemson pounded the Sooners in the College Football Playoff (37-17), and they also suffered the most embarrassing loss in basketball’s Final Four history (95-51) to national champ Villanova. Yet making the Final Four in both is extraordinary. Better to have loved and lost …

2. Michigan State

Football: 12-2 (No. 6)

Men’s Basketball: 29-6 (No. 7)

Combined: 41-8 (.837)

Summary: Joined Oklahoma as the lone two schools to finish in the top 10 in both. The Spartans won the Big Ten in football with a stunning defeat of Michigan, an epic upset of Ohio State and topping Iowa in the title game — all on the road. The 38-0 thrashing from Alabama in the College Football Playoff probably made them feel like once 12-0 Notre Dame in 2012 after facing the Crimson Tide.

In basketball, MSU captured the Big Ten Tournament before suffering a shocking upset to No. 15 seed Middle Tennessee in the first round. Still, the body of work has to be taken into account and the combined winning percentage in both sports is tops.

3. North Carolina

Football: 11-3 (No. 15)

Men’s Basketball: 33-7 (No. 2)

Combined: 44-10 (.815)

Summary: The Tar Heels won 11 straight in football (the longest in school history) before a 45-37 setback to No. 1 Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Losing 49-38 to Baylor in the Orlando Citrus Bowl was maybe even more disappointing. In basketball, it won both the ACC regular season and tournament crowns before losing at the horn to Villanova in the national title game.

4. Notre Dame

Football: 10-3 (No. 11)

Men’s Basketball: 24-12 (No. 17)

Combined: 34-15 (.694)

Summary: The top three in our survey dwarf Notre Dame in overall winning percentage, but earning a Big Six Bowl bid in football and advancing to the Elite Eight in basketball (second straight year) is an achievement only Oklahoma could match this season.

5. Oregon

Football: 9-4 (No. 19)

Men’s Basketball: 31-7 (No. 6)

Combined: 40-11 (.784)

Summary: Had the Ducks not blown a 31-0 lead against TCU in the Alamo Bowl and lost 47-41 in triple OT to end a six-game winning streak (including winning at Stanford by the same 38-36 count Notre Dame lost by to the Cardinal, and whipping USC 48-28), we would have placed them ahead of the Irish. In basketball, top-seeded Oregon lost to Oklahoma in the Elite Eight.

6. Iowa

Football: 12-2 (No. 9)

Men’s Basketball: 22-11 (No. 25)

Combined: 34-13 (.723)

Summary: Both at one point were ranked in the top five, with football starting 12-0 and basketball 19-4, before their disappointing finishes. The Hawkeyes lost 16-13 to MSU in the Big Ten title game, otherwise they would have been in the College Football Playoff. Basketball lost in the second round to national champ Villanova, 87-68.

7. Utah

Football: 10-3 (No. 17)

Men’s Basketball: 27-9 (No. 20)

Combined: 37-12 (.755)

Summary: Highlights in football included beating Michigan, Oregon and archrival BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. In basketball, the Utes earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament while finishing 13-5 in the Pac-12 and also defeating Duke, but lost in the second round.

8. Wisconsin

Football: 10-3 (No. 21)

Men’s Basketball: 22-13 (No. 23)

Combined: 32-16 (.667)

Summary: For the fifth time in the last seven years, the Badgers won at least 10 games in football, highlighted by the bowl win over USC. They also advanced to the Sweet 16 in basketball for the fifth time in six years before losing in the 11th hour to Notre Dame.