Niche College Rankings: UCONN #4 "Best Athletics" College Rankings

[Dooley]

https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-athletics/

SCHOOL
NICHE GRADE

• 1
  University of FloridaGainesville, FL
  
  
  
• 2
  University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
  
  
  
• 3
  University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
  
  
  
• 4
  University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
  Hide
  
  FactorValue
  Average Home Football Attendance30,932
  Average Home Men's Basketball Attendance10,728
  Conference Average Football Attendance33,712
  Conference Average Men's Basketball Attendance10,699
  NCAA Championship Score51
  NCAA Championship Score for Conference2
  Percentage of Men in Varsity Sports3.8 %
  Percentage of Women in Varsity Sports3.8 %
  Student Surveys on Athletics3.9 out of 5

 

[Ha Who]

https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-athletics/

SCHOOL
NICHE GRADE

• 1
  University of FloridaGainesville, FL
  
  
  
• 2
  University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
  
  
  
• 3
  University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
  
  
  
• 4
  University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
  Hide
  
  FactorValue
  Average Home Football Attendance30,932
  Average Home Men's Basketball Attendance10,728
  Conference Average Football Attendance33,712
  Conference Average Men's Basketball Attendance10,699
  NCAA Championship Score51
  NCAA Championship Score for Conference2
  Percentage of Men in Varsity Sports3.8 %
  Percentage of Women in Varsity Sports3.8 %
  Student Surveys on Athletics3.9 out of 5

We need to get you in the athletic department. You'll have us in the P5 within six months.

 

[Dooley]

Here's how they scored their list: https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-athletics/methodology/

To summarize:

"A high ranking in Athletics generally indicates that:

• Students report athletics playing a significant, positive role in student life, including varsity sports, intramural sports, and athletic facilities;
• The college competes for National Championships across various sports, and games are well attended;
• The college competes in top conferences, whose members win National Championships across various sports, with high average game attendance."

Here's the Top 25 (since that's how athletic polls are conducted):

• 1
  University of FloridaGainesville, FL
  Details
• 2
  University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
  Details
• 3
  University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
  Details
• 4
  University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
  Details
• 5
  Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LA
  Details
• 6
  Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OH
  Details
• 7
  University of Texas - AustinAustin, TX
  Details
• 8
  University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC
  Details
• 9
  University of KentuckyLexington-Fayette, KY
  Details
• 10
  University of California - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
  Details
• 11
  University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN
  Details
• 12
  University of Michigan - Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI
  Details
• 13
  University of WisconsinMadison, WI
  Details
• 14
  University of Notre DameSouth Bend, IN
  Details
• 15
  Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
  Details
• 16
  Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
  Details
• 17
  Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
  Details
• 18
  University of OklahomaNorman, OK
  Details
• 19
  University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
  Details
• 20
  Duke UniversityDurham, NC
  Details
• 21
  University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
  Details
• 22
  Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
  Details
• 23
  University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
  Details
• 24
  University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
  Details
• 25
  University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
  Details

 

[Dooley]

Just in case anyone cares about how UCONN stacks up across all measured metrics on this particular site: here you go.

Some highlights:
Overall Niche Grade
#132 of 892

Academics
#166 of 595

Athletics
#4 of 274

Campus Food
#115 of 1,174

Campus Quality
#191 of 942

Hottest Girls
#200 of 730

Friendliest Students
#198 of 588

Party Scene
#259 of 1,195

Technology
#254 of 1,056

 

[pj]

Something is wrong with these rankings. MIT wasn't even ranked for athletics, yet it came in #2 overall. And it came in in the top 35% for hottest girls. https://colleges.niche.com/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/rankings/.

 

[Gfunk]

Good for UConn and more ammo for BIG membership, which I would absolutely welcome.

But, this list only puts weight on 8 sports for its NCAA Championship Score metric. That's really unfair to a school like PSU, who absolutely thrives on overall athletic success. Why Women's Volleyball is not considered a major enough sport is beyond me. It's pretty damn competitive across the country, has a 64 team tourney format. At least 120 D1 schools play it. Every p5 school has a major women's volleyball program - at least I think. W. Volleyball has more reach than softball & hockey, esp hockey & not nearly as subjective as baseball.

It's nice to check in on here. Waiting for the day I can login and see UConn to the BIG. I want basketball superiority for the BIG - UConn is the obvious answer : ). If Pa, NJ & Md can represent the eastern region of the BIG, Ct deserves a spot as well.

 

[Rocktheworld]

How in the duck are there 258 better schools at which to party than UConn. This must literally be amount/attendance of on campus bars.

 

[Drew]

How in the duck are there 258 better schools at which to party than UConn. This must literally be amount/attendance of on campus bars.

we have three bars on campus (four if you count sports bar in Willimantic) and the police have effectively shut down carriage/hunting lodge parties while kicking off the two fraternities that throw the most parties this past year.

Go to a place like Athens and party and let me know how that stacks up to Storrs.

 

[Rocktheworld]

we have three bars on campus (four if you count sports bar in Willimantic) and the police have effectively shut down carriage/hunting lodge parties while kicking off the two fraternities that throw the most parties this past year.

Go to a place like Athens and party and let me know how that stacks up to Storrs.

Well exactly, that's mostly my point as to why this is not accurate. I dunno how much things have changed since 2012, but spend a couple weekends in Garrigus or Hilltop or Willy and party there and tell me you'd rather be at two hundred and fifty eight other schools. Anyone who knows anything about UConn partying knows most of it is done in dorms, but I guarantee you whoever made this list wasn't going in to Russel to check out dorm festivities. Everyone at UConn will freely admit the Greek and bar scenes blow, but that's not all it's about.

All I know is everyone I've met around New England and in Boston who didn't go to UConn know it is a party school with a basketball problem. I also think making a "pound for pound" argument could be appropriate here too because UConn more than holds its own when you consider its academic year spends more time below 60 degrees than above, while in the South....

 

[Drew]

Well exactly, that's mostly my point as to why this is not accurate. I dunno how much things have changed since 2012, but spend a couple weekends in Garrigus or Hilltop or Willy and party there and tell me you'd rather be at two hundred and fifty eight other schools. Anyone who knows anything about UConn partying knows most of it is done in dorms, but I guarantee you whoever made this list wasn't going in to Russel to check out dorm festivities. Everyone at UConn will freely admit the Greek and bar scenes blow, but that's not all it's about.

All I know is everyone I've met around New England and in Boston who didn't go to UConn know it is a party school with a basketball problem. I also think making a "pound for pound" argument could be appropriate here too because UConn more than holds its own when you consider its academic year spends more time below 60 degrees than above, while in the South....

Think were on the same page here. Went to Cancun for spring break last year with my fraternity (who's now off campus) and the workers hotel told us we were the second craziest group of people they've ever had besides the 2011 Rutgers football team. I agree there's probably not 258 places I would rather attend a party but there's definitely at least 50. For UConn to grow in this regard it would need to increase its viable housing around campus while increasing Greek participation from 10% to closer to 20%. Also need a less stringent police force. Obviously it'll never happen that way but that's what would have to happen in order to our ranking to go up.

I've been to (and thrown) a lot of great parties during my time on campus. But realistically dorm drinking doesn't get you high up on a list of "party" schools.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Think were on the same page here. Went to Cancun for spring break last year with my fraternity (who's now off campus) and the workers hotel told us we were the second craziest group of people they've ever had besides the 2011 Rutgers football team. I agree there's probably not 258 places I would rather attend a party but there's definitely at least 50. For UConn to grow in this regard it would need to increase its viable housing around campus while increasing Greek participation from 10% to closer to 20%. Also need a less stringent police force. Obviously it'll never happen that way but that's what would have to happen in order to our ranking to go up.

I've been to (and thrown) a lot of great parties during my time on campus. But realistically dorm drinking doesn't get you high up on a list of "party" schools.

I completely agree there are probably 50 better schools. How far does UConn climb back up if Spring Weekend was still around and the person who wrote this attended? I mean it is legend around all of New England.

UConn has some of the best partying spirit, but less than desirable means to cultivate that spirit; hence, when placed in the right environment i.e. Cancun..... I mean just imagine if UConn had the year-round weather that a school like Georgia or Arizona has. That's where the pound-for-pound thing comes from

 

[pj]

Before you strategize too much, might want to check whether being a party school counts positively or negatively in the rankings.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Something is wrong with these rankings. MIT wasn't even ranked for athletics, yet it came in #2 overall. And it came in in the top 35% for hottest girls. https://colleges.niche.com/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/rankings/.

It’s MIT, they probably hacked the site in between classes on quantum physics and molecular biology just for laughs.

 

[CL82]

Something is wrong with these rankings. MIT wasn't even ranked for athletics, yet it came in #2 overall. And it came in in the top 35% for hottest girls. https://colleges.niche.com/massachusetts-institute-of-technology/rankings/.

Sounds like those MIT kids found the Votamatic 2000

 

[HoopsFan21]

How in the duck are there 258 better schools at which to party than UConn. This must literally be amount/attendance of on campus bars.

Because UConn is small potatoes compared to some of the mega schools that are out there.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Because UConn is small potatoes compared to some of the mega schools that are out there.

Oh so there are two hundred and fifty eight bigger potatoes. Sure thing, brah

 

[HoopsFan21]

Oh so there are two hundred and fifty eight bigger potatoes. Sure thing, brah

Maybe not 258, but like any ranking, after the top 10 or 20, does it really matter? Also consider that a lot of the big "party schools" are in the middle of nowhere hours away from any city or civilization outside of the school. UConn, despite its relatively rural location, is still in the middle of the Northeast megalopolis which means there are other things to do besides go out into a corn field and drink, or set couches on fire. We should be happy UConn is not near the top of this particular list.

 

[Hoophound]

Maybe not 258, but like any ranking, after the top 10 or 20, does it really matter? Also consider that a lot of the big "party schools" are in the middle of nowhere hours away from any city or civilization outside of the school. UConn, despite its relatively rural location, is still in the middle of the Northeast megalopolis which means there are other things to do besides go out into a corn field and drink, or set couches on fire. We should be happy UConn is not near the top of this particular list.

UConn's party school rep has diminished drastically as the campus has become more and more strict. Killing off spring weekend as we know it was a major change in culture. Spring weekend is generally when most school admins turn a blind eye to debauchery.

Do the frat houses still have raucous parties or are those gone too?

 

[HoopsFan21]

UConn's party school rep has diminished drastically as the campus has become more and more strict. Killing off spring weekend as we know it was a major change in culture. Spring weekend is generally when most school admins turn a blind eye to debauchery.

Do the frat houses still have raucous parties or are those gone too?

The frat houses still do their thing. Problem is the adults will shut them down if they do something stupid. At the mega schools it's the usual boys will be boys mentality.

 

[Rocktheworld]

The frat houses still do their thing. Problem is the adults will shut them down if they do something stupid. At the mega schools it's the usual boys will be boys mentality.

Yeah greek culture down South is completely different from anything up here.

 

[UConNick]

I slightly disagree on the party point; I'm only a sophomore, but I've already been to quite a few great parties in Carriage and on Hunting Lodge last year, in addition to straight ruining my quad in North every weekend. In January-March we would regularly have 25+ ppl in our room, and those were some straight $hitshows between the strobe lights and flip cups. So basically my
Point is that Dorm parties are fun (when done correctly), but nothing beats 500 people behind Hunting Lodge apartments. Only went to one Frat party (at Casablanca) and I thought it was nothing special. I'm sure Sig Chi (god rest their souls) go much harder than AEPi tho.

However, this year is a different story. Labor Day party last night was shut down by 11 at Hunting Lodge. The cop situation is completely out of control so far this year. And since I don't have the quad to fall back on, this could not bode wel.

 

[Drew]

I'm a Sigma Chi here. No offense but 25 people playing flip cup and blasting hardwell in a quad in north doesn't really compare to a cave party.

 

[UConNick]

I'm a Sigma Chi here. No offense but 25 people playing flip cup and blasting hardwell in a quad in north doesn't really compare to a cave party.

None taken. That was kind of my point; the dorm was fun when it was too cold to go anywhere, but obviously there's better partying out there (just maybe not in February when it's 2 degrees). Look, I'm on your side. I have a multitude of friends in Sig Chi and even rushed. What happened is BS as further demolished UCONN's moribund party scene.

 

[Drew]

None taken. That was kind of my point; the dorm was fun when it was too cold to go anywhere, but obviously there's better partying out there (just maybe not in February when it's 2 degrees). Look, I'm on your side. I have a multitude of friends in Sig Chi and even rushed. What happened is BS as further demolished UCONN's moribund party scene.

Loved my north parties my freshman year. Lived in Hartford hall and had a blast. We're on the same page and I agree it sucks but we're doing what we gotta do.