Ranking the Top Programs of the 21st Century: #300-#251

While continuing the series of the top programs of the 21st century, it is important to remember that conferences and teams have done a lot of changing over the years. At the start of the century the NCAA had a total of 318 Division I Men’s basketball teams. Those 318 teams were spread across 31 conferences and a few were considered Independents with no conference to call home. The Mid-American and Big East Conferences were the only ones to have more than twelve affiliates. Today’s game has been expanded, with 33 more teams achieving the status of a Division I program bringing the total to 351. There are now 32 complete conferences with no independent teams remaining. The life of the power conference has consumed the leagues as seven conferences have at least thirteen teams. These power conferences are bound to have teams ready to compete for the National Title, as well as a loaded field with talent and the opportunities to play high quality programs. This then takes away the opportunities for the smaller conferences to even make the tournament without winning their conference. With the development of the league overall, these ranking are ever changing allowing more teams to earn their place in the NCAA tournament or even giving other programs a chance to win their conferences titles.

Rankings #351-#301

# 300 Oregon State Beavers

# 299 TCU Horned Frogs

# 298 Nebraska Cornhuskers

# 297 Grambling Tigers

# 296 Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions

# 295 Western Illinois Leathernecks

# 294 North Carolina A&T Aggies

# 293 Prairie View A&M Panthers

# 292 Nicholls StateColonels

# 291 Northern Illinois Huskies

# 290 Campbell Fighting Camels

# 289 St. Peter’s Peacocks

# 288 Loyola (MD) Greyhounds

# 287 Northwestern Wildcats

# 286 Tennessee Martin Skyhawks

# 285 Cal Poly Mustangs

# 284 Louisiana Monroe Warhawks

# 283 Eastern Illinois Panthers

# 282 Jacksonville State Gamecocks

# 281 Navy Midshipmen

# 280 Canisius Golden Griffins

# 279 Texas State Bobcats

# 278 Tulane Green Wave

# 277 William & Mary Tribe

# 276 Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs

# 275 Bradley Braves

# 274 Montana State Bobcats

# 273 Samford Bulldogs

# 272 La Salle Explorers

# 271 Furman Paladins

# 270 Fort Wayne Mastodons

# 269 Quinnipiac Bobcats

# 268 NJIT Highlanders

# 267 Detroit Titans

# 266 Fairfield Stags

# 265 Drexel Dragons

# 264 Alabama A&M Bulldogs

# 263 Illinois State Redbirds

# 262 Missouri State Bears

# 261 Marshall Thundering Herd

# 260 Virginia Tech Hokies

# 259 South Florida Bulls

# 258 Penn State Nittany Lions

# 257 Florida A&M Rattlers

# 256 Binghamton Bearcats

# 255 Northern Colorado Bears

# 254 Washington State Cougars

# 253 Savannah State Tigers

# 252 Coppin State Eagles

# 251 Massachusetts Minutemen