For a small, lucky subset of FBS athletics directors, Memorial Day is among the best days of the year. It's the day the NCAA baseball brackets are announced, and this year 14 FBS programs learned they put teams in the football, basketball and baseball postseasons.
The Big 12 led the way on a per capita basis with three selections among its 10-school roster. It's the continuation of a strong year for the league, which already holds the distinction of being the only conference to put teams in the College Football Playoff and the Final Four in 2017-18. The Big 12's last baseball title came in 2005.
Florida is the defending NCAA baseball champion and enters the 2018 tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.
ACC (4)
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
NC State
American (1)
Houston
Big Ten (2)
Ohio State
Purdue
Big 12 (3)
Oklahoma
Texas
Texas Tech
Mountain West (1)
San Diego State
Pac-12 (1)
UCLA
SEC (2)
Auburn
Texas A&M
Independent/WAC (1)
New Mexico State
Now that we've established the 16 most well-rounded schools (note: the original version of this article omitted Duke and New Mexico State) in the Big 3 men's sports, let's add in the major women's sports. How many made the postseason in the Big 3 plus women's soccer?
Auburn
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
NC State
Ohio State
San Diego State
Texas
Texas A&M
UCLA
Now let's add in volleyball.
Florida State
NC State
Texas
UCLA
And women's basketball.
NC State
Florida State
Texas
UCLA
And now softball.
Florida State
Texas
UCLA
So there you have it. Florida State, Texas and UCLA are the only Division I schools to reach teh postseason in the Big 3 men's sports and every major women's sport. Congratulations to Florida State AD Stan Wilcox, Texas AD Chris Del Conte and UCLA AD Dan Guerrero.
Now slip each of them some truth serum and ask how much Olympic sport success they'd trade for better years on the gridiron.