In the world of big-time college sports, select schools sit at the top of the pecking order. Modern National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) basketball would be unimaginable without blue-blooded programs like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and UCONN. On the gridiron, programs like LSU, Alabama and Georgia loom large.
So, when it comes to the Olympics, those schools probably dominate the landscape, right? Not exactly.
As anyone who’s watched The Games can confirm, part of the joy of the Olympics is digging into less conventional sports. For every chance to watch basketball, you can also tune into canoeing, breakdancing or fencing.
And that diversity brings other schools into play. The top dogs are certainly present, but there’s also a chance for the likes of Santa Barbara City College and Tufts to get a moment in the spotlight.
But which institution has produced the most members of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team? Let’s break down the data, which is accurate as of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s July 12 update.
T-5. University of Texas (Austin) and Penn State (University Park): 14 Athletes
These two programs are no stranger to mainstream success, but they’re also holding it down at the Olympic level.
The biggest-name Longhorn heading to Paris is Kevin Durant, but he’ll be joined by a baker’s dozen of other Texas athletes. Six of them will be hitting the swimming pool, while others will be participating in track and field, golf, rowing, volleyball and diving.
And while there isn’t any American football on the Paris schedule, 14 Nittany Lions are heading across the Atlantic. The highest concentration will be playing volleyball, but athletics, soccer, wrestling, rugby, fencing, gymnastics and field hockey will also be on the Penn State docket.
3. University of Southern California (USC): 16 Athletes
USC is the first California school we’ll see in this list, but, at the risk of providing a spoiler, it won’t be the last.
On the Trojans’ side of things, six athletes will be taking part in track and field. The remainder are divided across water polo, volleyball, swimming and beach volleyball.
2. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): 17 Athletes
Thanks to the legendary John Wooden, UCLA is synonymous with NCAA basketball success. In Paris, though, there will only be one former Bruin (Jrue Holiday) hitting the hardwood.
Despite that reality, the Southern-California school boasts the second-most U.S. Olympians at The Games. Six of them will be participating in water polo but rugby, golf, table tennis, gymnastics, tennis and track and field are all on the program’s collective docket.
1. Stanford: 38 Athletes
When it comes to colleges contributing athletes to Team USA, Stanford claims the gold medal. The California school (have you noticed a trend here?) is sending more than double the second-place program’s number of competitors to Paris.
So, which sports will the Cardinal be competing in? Nine are slated to hit the pool as members of the water polo squad, but a wide range of sports are represented.
Stanford athletes will take part in fencing, gymnastics, artistic swimming, rowing, soccer, track and field, sailing, diving, volleyball, field hockey and golf. It’s also worth noting that Cameron Brink would have been on the women’s basketball squad if not for an injury.
