Out of the 134 colleges who played both FBS football and D-I men's basketball at the end of 2023 through the beginning of 2024, which ones had the least amount of fun?
Of course women's basketball and, depending on the school, a few other sports can help drive revenue, but for now, it's football and men's basketball continue to pay most of the bills.
Really, it's football, but hoops plays a big role, too.
Out of those 134 colleges that do both at the highest of collegiate levels, 27 failed to get to a bowl game on the gridiron AND miss the NCAA Tournament on the courts.
Sam Houston gets off this list because it transitioned into the FBS in football, so it gets a pass this year. Wake Forest is right there at the end of the list after a rough football season (4-8) and missing the NCAA Tournament, but it went 21-14.
Basically, what schools and fan bases didn't have any fun in the two major college sports?
25 Worst College Football and Basketball Schools 2023-2024
Hoops & Helmets 2023-2024
Worst 25 schools in football and basketball
1-12 | 13-20
These five teams had a decent season in one sport, but it wasn't enough to get into the NCAA Tournament or a college football bowl game.
25 Pitt Panthers
Football: 3-9
The team that should’ve been good enough to be in the mix for the ACC title only won two games against FBS teams to finish with its first losing season since 2007. There was a stunning win over a Louisville team good enough to play in the ACC Championship, but that was it.
Basketball: 22-11
Pitt shouldn’t be on this list at all - it deserved a spot in the NCAA Tournament. What was its crime? Too many losses? Of the 11, five were against three teams - North Carolina, Duke, Clemson - in the Sweet 16. So there was a Syracuse problem? The 10-2 finishing kick should’ve been enough.
24 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Football: 5-8
There’s no dogging the 2023 season. Head coach Timmy Chang continues to deal with a total rebuild with a good-looking offense to set the tone for 2024. Closing out with three wins in the final four games was big.
Basketball: 20-14
An entertaining team in the Big West, they were a late night blast. 17-0 when scoring 72 points or more, the Rainbow Warriors were dangerous when the O worked. A loss to UC Davis early in the conference tournament ended a solid season.
23 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Football: 3-9
The defense never showed up. For a program that went to bowls seven years in a row, it’s now been three straight - and two under Sonny Cumbie - without. The offense hasn’t kicked in like yet like it’s supposed to.
Basketball: 22-10
Being the second-best team in CUSA wasn’t enough, especially when the Bulldogs got bounced out of the conference tournament right away by a Middle Tennessee team they beat by 14 just a few days earlier.
22 North Texas Mean Green
Football: 5-7
Going to bowl games in three straight seasons and six of the last seven wasn’t enough, and new head coach Eric Morris was supposed to take things up a notch. Unfortunately, the D - part of the problem before - will still take a bit. Winning the final two games of the season helped.
Basketball: 19-15
It was simple. When the Mean Green scored, they won. When they sputtered, they didn’t. Overall they weren’t bad, and winning a few games in the NIT was nice, but they weren’t quite good enough against the best AAC teams.
21 UMass Minutemen
Football: 3-9
There’s actual hope for Minutemen football. The plus side. The three wins matched what the school came up with over the previous four years combined. The bigger plus side? It’s going to the MAC in 2025. The win over Army late in the season was a great highlight.
Basketball: 20-11
After looking like a potential power player in the A-10 with a strong 10-3 start to the season and a great run going into the conference tournament. But there were too many tough losses throughout the year - five of the ten by four points or fewer - before ending it all with a blowout loss to VCU.
Hoops & Helmets 2023-2024
Worst 25 schools in football and basketball
1-12 | 13-20
Most Popular
Comments / 0