Kentucky baseball making the NCAA Tournament helped put UK in rare company across the country. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Only 12 Division I schools had a football team play in a bowl game and also had men’s basketball and baseball teams make the NCAA Tournament. It’s a hard feat to accomplish as national football champion Georgia did not have its football or basketball teams qualify for NCAA play.
So what 12 teams qualified for postseason play in the three major men’s sports? Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee from the Southeastern Conference were three of the teams. Duke, Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina State, TCU and Texas also pulled off that feat.
The other team — Kentucky. The Wildcats played in the Music City Bowl, reached the second round of the basketball tourney and made the Super Regional in baseball.
Which team was the most successful? TCU lost to Georgia in the national football championship game, reached the second round of the NCAA basketball tournament and made the Super Regional in baseball.
Tennessee beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl, lost in the Sweet 16 and made the Super Regional. Alabama won the Sugar Bowl, lost in the Sweet 16 and got to the Super Regional.
