When you think about being a part of a national championship team, many factors come into play. Some ingredients for a great team is raw talent, knowledgeable leaders and coaches, work ethic, and, most importantly, team chemistry. This all comes together in one single place, and that is the locker room. The top division 1 locker rooms will be based on the most recent national championships.
The Florida Gators have intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida. The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida. The community and sports fans are often collectively referred to as the “Gator Nation.” The Gators compete in the NCAA and the SEC and are consistently ranked among the top college sports programs in the United States. The University of Florida has won the College World Series, securing the first national title in baseball in the school's history. It's rather surprising that this was the first title, given that Florida has won 13 SEC championships and appeared in 11 College World Series, but 2017 was the first time the Gators achieved the ultimate goal.
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have won seven men's college basketball national championships (1924, 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, and 2017).
Fun Fact: North Carolina played its first basketball game on January 27, 1910, beating Virginia Christian 42-21.
The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team represents the University of South Carolina and competes in the SEC. Under current head coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have improved their win totals every year, culminating in winning the SEC Championship in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Fun Fact: The first Gamecocks women's basketball team to compete at an intercollegiate level was 1923 when they were called the Pullets.
The 2016 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They finished the season 14–1 overall with an 8–0 mark in CAA play to win the conference title. This earned them an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, where they defeated New Hampshire, Sam Houston State, and five-time defending champions North Dakota State. This advanced the team to the National Championship Game. They fought hard and defeated Youngstown State.
Fun Fact: This was their first national championship since 2004.
1. FBS Football- Clemson
The Clemson Tigers are known as the “Clemson University Fighting Tigers.” The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the NCAA and the Atlantic Division of the ACC. Since 1896, the program has over 700 wins and has achieved two consensus Division I Football National Championships. Clemson University was a finalist in 2015 and 2016, winning the championship game over the Alabama Crimson Tide for the 2016 season.
Fun Fact: The Tiger Paw logo was introduced at a press conference on July 21, 1970.
Advice from one of our student-athlete interns:
When it's your time to decide on the best place to further your education, make sure you consider some factors. It's nice to go to a big D1 college because the experience, diversity, and gear may be great, but if you feel like the team atmosphere off the field, court, or track is not what you expected, you will find yourself filling out transfer applications. Move slowly, ask questions, and take your time with making important college decisions.
* Originally published on October 16, 2017, by Bryan Sosoo
