UConn makes its case for blue blood status with second consecutive NCAA men’s basketball championship

April 10, 2024
After Monday’s 75–60 dub over fellow No. 1–seed Purdue, Naismith Coach of the Year Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies became the first back-to-back national champions in 17 years, reigniting an internet debate: Are the Huskies now officially a blue blood?
CollegeBasketball
UConn makes its case for blue blood status with second consecutive NCAA men’s basketball championshipUConn makes its case for blue blood status with second consecutive NCAA men’s basketball championship
Source: UConnMBB/X

The GIST: After Monday’s 75–60 dub over fellow No. 1–seed Purdue, Naismith Coach of the Year Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies became the first back-to-back national champions in 17 years, reigniting an internet debate: Are the Huskies now officially a blue blood? 

The term: The most prestigious and successful programs in men’s college basketball history are called “blue bloods.” In the modern era, that means UNC, Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky — the “basketball schools.”

  • Being a blue blood doesn’t guarantee success every season (see: HC John Calipari’s bitter end at Kentucky), but tradition and reputation still garner them respect, and fans hold them to constantly sky-high standards.

The debate: Whether UConn has entered this exclusive company is an open question, but their unbelievable run under Hurley is quieting the naysayers. In the past two seasons, the Huskies amassed a 68-11 record, including 12 consecutive NCAA tournament wins with double-digit margins.

  • But UConn isn’t just dominant right now — the program’s bagged six titles in 25 years, more than any other school during that span. A strong historical record across three HCs? That’s one hell of a Blue Blood Club application.

What’s next: Perhaps the strongest case for the Huskies’ blue blood status is that they’re already a frontrunner to win next year’s national championship. If Hurley can pull it off — and with a whole new starting five — consider this debate officially settled.