The Unholy Trilogy and Other Groups of Distinction

On a blog entry on Buster Sports, author Dave Nathan has discovered what he believes to be the three worst college football and basketball teams from 2006 to 2009. There are three BCS schools that have had 3 straight losing seasons in football while also missing the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Of course, NC State is a member of this “unholy trilogy” along with Colorado and Iowa St.

I had done a similar entry in May of last year about BCS schools that didn’t make a bowl game, the men’s basketball tourney and the women’s basketball tourney and BCS schools that didn’t go to a bowl or the men’s tourney.

NC State is also one of six BCS schools that did not go to a bowl and also didn’t make the men’s tourney each of the last two seasons. Interestingly, there was one school in each conference.
• NC State
• Syracuse
• Northwestern
• Iowa St
• Washington
• Ole Miss

A quick update on this group: NC State, Northwestern and Ole Miss went to bowl games last year while Syracuse and Washington made the big dance, leaving Iowa St as the only BCS school to not go to a bowl and the men’s tourney each of the last 3 years.

There are some other groups of distinction where NC State is a member. Did you know that NC State is one of eight BCS schools (and the only ACC school) that has never played in any of the four BCS bowls (Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange)? Those eight schools are:
• NC State
• Iowa St
• Rutgers
• South Carolina
• Texas Tech
• Vanderbilt
• UConn*
• South Florida*
* didn’t join Big East until 2005

Here is another group, since Lee Fowler has been AD (from 2000-2001), NC State is one of 16 BCS schools that have not won a team national championship:
• NC State
• Virginia Tech
• Pitt
• Rutgers
• Purdue
• Iowa St
• Kansas St
• Missouri
• Texas Tech
• Washington St
• Kentucky
• Mississippi St
• Ole Miss
• Cincinnati*
• Louisville*
• South Florida*
* didn’t join Big East until 2005

That means that 50 of the 66 BCS schools (75.8%) have won at least one team national championship in the past nine years. Of course, NC State is in the bottom 25%.

Although, in the category of national titles NC State is one of 14 schools to have won multiple national championships in men’s basketball.

There are two other groups that NC State is a member of that my fellow stat major ruffles31 has researched. In the nine years where Lee Fowler has been AD, there are four BCS schools (and only 3 full-time) that have failed to win a conference title in any of the four major revenue or high profile sports (football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball):
• NC State
• Texas Tech
• Arkansas
• South Florida*

If you take that analysis a little further, you will find an even more exclusive group (although the time frame was selected for more personal reasons than you might usually do for an analysis). Since myself, ruffles31 and the rest of the NCSU Class of 1996 came to campus at the beginning of the 1992-1993 season there is one full-time BCS school that has not won a single conference title in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball or baseball:

NC State

If I had gone to any other BCS school (other than South Florida*) I would have at least one t-shirt in a drawer somewhere with the name of my alma mater and the word “Champion” underneath.

State’s last conference title in the major revenue sports was baseball in 1991-1992, coincidently the season before I became a State fan.

So Dave Nathan, I take your Unholy Trinity and raise you to the Impossible One. Just to repeat:

From the beginning of the 1992-1993 season, NC State is the only full-time BCS school that has not won a single conference title in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball or baseball.

Take that Colorado and Iowa State.

About WV Wolf

Graduated from NCSU in 1996 with a degree in statistics. Born and inbred in West "By God" Virginia and now live in Raleigh where I spend my time watching the Wolfpack, the Mountaineers and the Carolina Hurricanes as well as making bar graphs for SFN. I'm @wvncsu on the Twitter machine.

AD & Department Editor's Picks General NC State Administration Rankings & Lists Stat of the Day

56 Responses to The Unholy Trilogy and Other Groups of Distinction

  1. sockerne1 10/28/2009 at 4:32 PM #

    womens basketball is a revenue sport ???

    WV Wolf: according to data from Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, women’s basketball had revenue of $339,272 in 07-08. Thanks for your insightful comment

  2. PackerInRussia 10/28/2009 at 5:27 PM #

    I remember several years ago having cups noting that NC State was one of only 5 or so schools (maybe less?) that had had their Baseball, Men’s Bball, and Women’s Bball teams go to the NCAA tournament and their football team go to a bowl game for a certain number of years in a row (3 maybe?). I wonder if they’ll make new cups to update our progress.

  3. Khan 10/28/2009 at 5:28 PM #

    WV Wolf, now you’re just going all Lunatic Fringe on us with all this not winning championships talk. I, too, graduated in ’96 and there has indeed been a miserable Championship drought here. I think we can be a good football team under TOB, eventually. Championship caliber? Possibly. Especially if the ACC as a whole doesn’t turn around, we have a better shot. Only problem with that is that we’re hoping we can win because others screw up. I’d like to see us just be plain better than everyone…a hope that seems quite far-fetched and will probably remain that way as long as Fowler is here.

    I have less optimism with respect to Sid. Maybe it’s simply a matter of talent (which hopefully will be addressed next year…wait, did I just say that?). We shall see.

    On the topic of women’s basketball being a revenue sport: I don’t know what criteria determines that, but I would personally call $300K + a good revenue stream….but before I get crazy, let me check with Common Sense Consulting first…..

  4. MrPlywood 10/28/2009 at 5:29 PM #

    shoot me now

  5. john of sparta 10/28/2009 at 6:05 PM #

    NCSU = homecoming game.
    we ought to take the
    out-of-conference
    money and run.

  6. Wulfpack 10/28/2009 at 6:42 PM #

    Damning evidence that NC State athletics has become completely irrelevant. Evidence that you can bet will be brushed aside by LF and his cronies the very second it touches their desks. But we’ll be out there cheering the Pack on when the whistle blows.

  7. tuckerdorm1983 10/28/2009 at 7:13 PM #

    It will make it all the more special when we do win that national championship in men’s basketball, football, or baseball. I was there in 1983 you young whippersnappers and I know of what i speak

  8. LRM 10/28/2009 at 8:51 PM #

    Now I feel bad for calling Iowa State the “NC State of the Big XII” all these years. It’s certainly unfounded.

  9. rdjennin 10/28/2009 at 9:15 PM #

    In 1989 something happened, it showed a glaring problem with NC State. Somebody screwed somebody for a particular reason. That problem has haunted us for the last 30 years.

    As an accounting major I can tell you its all about Control Environment which equals “Tone at the Top”, it permeates throughout every level of the organization.

    Tone at the Top my friends.

  10. ryebread 10/28/2009 at 9:46 PM #

    If this type of data (paired with all the other data) doesn’t show the ineptitude of LF, then nothing will. Sadly, I’m not sure that it matters.

  11. mafpack 10/28/2009 at 10:50 PM #

    rdjennin

    ‘In 1989 something happened … haunted us for the last 30 years … as an accounting major …’

    Seriously? Really? Dear God, please tell me you’re an accounting major at UNC or at least tell me your real name so I never use you as my CPA… sheesh. I don’t know if I should be laughing or crying?

    Back on topic, thanks for the data WV Wolf, good (or bad I guess) stuff as always. And you’re right ryebread, it really doesn’t matter at all, because those with the authority to create change obviously just don’t give a damn.

  12. ruffles31 10/28/2009 at 10:54 PM #

    The scary part is that this ineptitude started way before Fowler became AD, although he has done a very poor job in making the non-revenue sports even more irrelevant compared to the other schools in the ACC. But it is completely appalling the last section of the article. It is completely unbelievable. Everytime I hear it or say it, it always evokes the same emotion: stunned silence.

    From the beginning of the 1992-1993 season, NC State is the only full-time BCS school that has not won a single conference title in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball or baseball.

  13. Dr. BadgerPack 10/28/2009 at 11:17 PM #

    My one peeve here is saying NC State athletics is completely irrelevant. Insert the word “team” in there if you like. Let’s not insult our individual champions; we have had many; three last year off the top of my head; that represent the school well.

    I won’t get into some of the other things… Some founded, some unfounded. Let’s just not fight amongst one another.

    As I said in another thread… and will continue to allude too… CUE MUSIC!!! Baseball is coming soon…

  14. rdjennin 10/28/2009 at 11:18 PM #

    I was taking into account the next ten years as well mafpack. When losses are probable and you can estimate them, you accrue them. Looking at the way things are, I don’t see hope for the next ten years.

  15. WV Wolf 10/28/2009 at 11:54 PM #

    I think Dr BadgerPack makes a good point that has crossed my mind before. In my opinion, the blame for the lack of success in our athletic department should be placed on the department and not the athletes. I would like to think that the majority of our student athletes bleed red and white just like we do and put in a lot of hard work on and off the field/court/other playing surface. It’s not their fault they haven’t been provided with whatever it is that appears to be lacking in so many of our programs.

    We want these kids to succeed and I really wish I could spend my time making bar graphs of all our championships and compiling stats that we can use to brag about how good we are. But sadly, right now that’s not the case.

  16. rtpack24 10/29/2009 at 6:50 AM #

    Wait til next year!

  17. Wolf74 10/29/2009 at 7:37 AM #

    IT ALL STARTS AT THE TOP! If there is no pressure in the pipe, nothing comes out! If the chancellor, BOT, and AD are fat and happy, nothing happens. Without pressure, non self-motivated or stubborn coaches retain underacheiving assistants, put in minimal time, refuse to make ajustments, play their favorite (not necessarily best) players, and continue to underacheive. In short, they collect a paycheck.

    It all starts at the top.

  18. Matt S 10/29/2009 at 8:00 AM #

    Anybody ever get the feeling that we’re somehow cursed for screwing over Jimmy V., in the way the Red Sox were cursed for screwing over Babe Ruth? I mean, wasn’t 1991-1992 the year we fired him?

  19. Rick 10/29/2009 at 8:08 AM #

    These stats are why I have given up on NCSU athletics.
    I will not spend a dime on this crap.

  20. frankiepack 10/29/2009 at 8:33 AM #

    Clean house

  21. DRW 10/29/2009 at 8:43 AM #

    With performance like that, we might as well disband the athletic department and just have club and/or intramural sports. All of us giving our hard earned money for this crap can take that money and put it toward some something more productive.

  22. BJD95 10/29/2009 at 9:06 AM #

    Perhaps we should change our motto to “Wait Til Next Decade” or “Wait Til Next Generation.” For those of you who believe in reincarnation, perhaps “Wait Til Next Lifetime.”

    Damn it, I wish I could quit caring about this stuff.

  23. DRW 10/29/2009 at 9:12 AM #

    BJD: I’m getting closer and closer every day to not caring.

  24. Bubba 10/29/2009 at 9:17 AM #

    Just curious, are some of you that are complaining now, the same ones complaining when we were dancin every year?

    🙂

    BJD: Absolutely. Being decent is better than being complete dogshit, but it’s still not good enough given the institutional advantages NC State has for its basketball program.

  25. Thinkpack17 10/29/2009 at 9:31 AM #

    “Let’s not insult our individual champions”

    Indeed. Darrion Caldwell is a beast.

    He built the Eiffel Tower out of metal…and brawn.

Leave a Reply