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

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.