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You know the drill, you get through high school, you apply to universities, you aim to rank highly on your GPA scores, and next thing you know, you are seeking out college applications. This is how the US works in terms of the educational system, and every year students evaluate universities and colleges based on their future needs, future goals, aspirations and hopes, and dreams to come. Whilst many do not even bother to seek out a sporting career, a flock of students opt for a more conventional approach, and instead of hoping to reach the perils of NASA, hope to land Olympic Gold, just like Simone Biles, Tom Dolan, Randy Barnes and Andre Agassi did. And, do you really want to know how the road to Olympic gold is paved? How do you hold your heart to the national anthem, surrounded by cheer, love and a mark in history? Well, if you are looking into the best sports programs to enroll in right now, we have got you covered. There are many athletes that have been there before, the ones that chose sport as their future, and the ones who made their dreams come through. So, let’s have a look at colleges to consider.
The University of Florida
Ever thought about the Sunshine State as a place where you could live? Well, the good news is, you can enroll at the University of Florida to enjoy the perks of one of the best sports college programs in the United States. The Florida Gators are a force to be reckoned with, a powerhouse that has managed to achieve and take home a total of 234 cups, making them one of the top ranked in the country, the envy of many, and sought after by many athletic hopefuls. The athletics team has also managed to land some great stats, landing a total of 30 cup wins in the tennis, football and basketball categories.
The University has seen a good number of notable athletes passing by, and making it to sports and Olympic strandom. Some of these include boxing’s Stephen O’Connell, volleyball’s Aurea Cruz, Olympic champion Ryan Lochte and NFL’s Emmitt Smith.
Stanford University
Many engineering hopefuls opt for Stanford, as the college hosts one of the best engineering programs out there. NASA, the Pentagon, and the US secret Service are all rumored to host Stanford graduates, and the reason is one: the university is go-getter. Having that on your resume will get you places, indeed. However, Stanford is also a place for sport, despite cutting 11 of its sports programs, and is the alma mater of many sporting legends, including Katie Ledecky, Taylor Ruck, Regan Smith, Simone Manuel and Brooke Forde. Truth be told, having a degree from Stanford, or just representing Stanford at a sporting event holds the same weighting in today’s cutthroat society.
When hopefuls are touring colleges in the US, there is one common trend, one common sentence that you will hear: “If you want to become a legendary swimmer, and if you want to walk away with Olympic Gold, you have to choose Stanford”. This is how the college is marketed, and indeed delivers on its promises. Just to give you a glimpse of how powerful Stanford is when it comes to swimming, they boosted 6 swimmers to the Olympic team at Tokyo 2020.
Princeton University
Princeton might be regarded as one of the most expensive colleges out there, and indeed they do charge a fortune for their tuition. However, Princeton is the place to be if you would like to make it to the NBA and be a superstar in the world of basketball. The university is home to the Princeton Tigers, and has given the NBA some top quality players such as: Devvin Cannady, Steve Goodrich, Brian Taylor and many more. Bottom line is, when it comes to sports, especially basketball, Princeton does mean business. The pride of Princeton, the poster child, and the pillar of the game T.J Bray has scored a total of 100 assist passes, making him a star player. The former Princeton student went ahead to play basketball professionally, and made a name for himself playing at Bayern Munich in the German Basketball Bundesliga. In 2020 he joined the Spanish league playing for Casademont Zaragoza.
Princeton also offers other sports for athletes that seek an alternative to basketball. The college hosts impeccable sports programs in the fields of athletics, swimming, ice hockey and many more sports. Future sportsmen are spoilt for choice, really.
University of Oregon
We cannot mention the University of Oregon without stating how the college excels in the athletics sector. Notable home and alma mater to many Olympic medallists and athletes, UOO is the place you want to be if you aim to become the next Marlene Ottey, Tyson Gay or even Usain Bolt. When the University of Oregon markets it’s track and field program, they promise to get you not just to an Olympic level, they promise you the stars, gold medals and of course some of the most picturesque views of the endless countryside.
Some of the star athletes that list the college as their home include English Gardner gold in Rio 2016 and Silver in Tokyo 2020, Phyllis Franics landed gold also at the Rio Olympics, and Ashton Eaton landing gold both at London 2012 and Rio 2016. The university has a dedicated athletics website, and gives prospective students a glimpse of life at the University, with many sports offering professional tuition and guidance. Basketball, baseball, football, gold, track and field, tumbling, lacrosse and many more sports are available. Just close your eyes, envisage your future and go all in at the Beaver State.
The best bookmakers Canada offers, as well as those in the US, list the above as highly ranked universities and colleges where you can make it in the world of sports. There are some dedicated betting sites that will also allow parents to bet on their children’s future, and how well the offspring will do in their chosen sport. This is how the world goes round, and as we resume sporting events across the globe, the above list of universities will change, and more will reign. We always suggest that you do your research wisely when opting for your sports college. Your future starts now, and Olympic gold depends on your choices.
