Duke, UConn on Tier No Other Program Can Reach

Duke and UConn are maintaining a level of dominance no other progam in college basketball can.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer yells down court Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It hasn't been all that long since Dan Hurley's 2-seeded UConn Huskies shattered the hearts of Duke fans everywhere after defeating the 1-seeded Blue Devils 73-72 in the 2026 Elite Eight.

However, what these two programs are both doing, which no other program in the sport has been able to accomplish, is continue to operate at a blue-blood level through this rapidly changing landscape of college basketball.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on from the bench against the UConn Huskies during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

In this new era, dominated by NIL and the transfer portal, blue bloods are, for all intents and purposes, a thing of the past. In essence, it comes down to which programs can generate the most money to pay their players.

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts against the Michigan Wolverines in the second half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Duke and UConn Continuing To Dominate

The Blue Devils and Huskies are the only two programs in the sport that have not missed a beat or taken a step back since the portal era began. UConn has been the most dominant program in the country over the last several seasons, making three Final Fours and winning two National Championships over the last four seasons.

Duke has earned a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years, reaching the Elite Eight in 2026 and the Final Four in 2025. The Blue Devils have also had the National Player of the Year on their roster (Cameron Boozer in 2026 and Cooper Flagg in 2025) in each of the last two years.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) talks to Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) during a stoppage in play against the UConn Huskies in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

For other historic blue bloods, that isn't the case.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts in the first half against the St. John's Red Storm during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Other Blue Bloods Struggling To Keep Up

Notable blue-blood programs such as Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina have struggled to keep pace with this new landscape of college sports.

Since winning the national title in 2022, Kansas hasn't made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky hasn't made it out of the first weekend in four of the last five seasons, with the exception being a Sweet 16 appearance in 2025. The Tar Heels have been bounced in the Round of 64 in each of the last two years and failed to make the tournament altogether in 2023.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts to a play during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Additionally, the recruiting trail hasn't been kind to any of those programs. Flory Bidunga, the top player on the entire portal per 247Sports, left the Jayhawks for Louisville. Kentucky has missed on several of its top portal targets, such as Robert Wright III and Donnie Freeman.

For UNC, granted with a coaching change, it has lost eight of its top ten scorers from a season ago.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis instructs his team against the VCU Rams in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

In a nutshell, the weight that brand names such as "Kentucky" and "Kansas" once carried no longer holds the same legacy.

College basketball insider Jon Rothstein touched on the ability of Duke and UConn to remain on top.

Duke and UConn are the only programs in college basketball that are still operating at a "Blue Blood" level.https://t.co/c9JLel3odd (Apple) https://t.co/EsZxIkcHSA (Spotify)https://t.co/Ip7nntmkSx (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/SZCHZXLUbL

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 4, 2026

"There are two programs in college basketball that are still operating as traditional blue-bloods. It's UConn and Duke," Rothstein said. "It's Duke and UConn. And that is reiterated when you really dissect the rosters of the other blue blood programs in college basketball."

The traditional world of college athletics is gone by the wayside, with paychecks and dollar signs taking over.