For 14 years, the Men's Champions Classic has been an annual event that pits what many consider the blueblood programs of Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Michigan State against each other.
Women's basketball fans will be treated to a similar event this weekend.
The inaugural Women's Champions Classic will be held Saturday at Berkeley Center, with No. 17 Iowa taking on Tennessee at 7 p.m., and No. 2 Connecticut taking on No. 22 Louisville at 9 p.m.
Primetime doubleheaders can spark some interesting debates. Who qualifies as a Blue Bloods show?
The criteria for being a true blueblood varies depending on who you ask.
In this exercise, the Post defined a blue blood as a program that has won titles over multiple decades, appeared in five or more championship games, and made at least 10 Final Fours.
The program may run continuously for several years. But to continue decades of dominance?
That's what separates iconic blueblood programs from up-and-coming programs.
Here's where we landed:
true blue blood
Connecticut: Of course, the most dominant women's basketball program of the past 30-plus years couldn't be more blue blooded. Coach Geno Auriemma's Huskies have played in 23 of the past 33 Final Fours. They have won a whopping 11 times, tying them with the UCLA men's program for the most NCAA Tournament titles.
Tennessee: The late great played in the Final Four 18 times and won eight NCAA Tournament championships from 1982 to 2008. Pat Summitt brings a formidable blue blood to Tennessee women's basketball. The Lady Volunteers haven't made it past the Sweet 16 since 2016, but their nearly 30-year run under Summitt has been emulated by only one other program. That's not true.
Stanford: Stanford University's legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer will surpass Duke University's Mike Krzyzewski as the winningest head coach in college basketball in 2024. VanDerveer retired after last season, and her record has since been surpassed by Auriemma. But the Cardinals have always been near the top of women's basketball under VanDerveer. Stanford has won three titles (1990, 1992, 2021) and reached the Final Four 13 times in 31 years.
Notre Dame: Former head coach Muffet McGraw put Notre Dame women's basketball on the map. She led the Fighting Irish to nine Final Four appearances and coached them to seven national championship games, winning two of them (2001 and 2018). Notre Dame's most recent title game appearance was in 2019.
borderline blue blood
South Carolina: The University of South Carolina was the most dominant school in women's basketball in the '20s, reaching the Final Four four years in a row and winning two of the last three championships. But Shamcock's turnaround has happened in the last decade. If Dawn Staley's teams keep this up for a few more years, there's no doubt that South Carolina will solidify its status as an iconic blue blood.
Baylor: The Lady Bears have won titles in 2005, 2012, and 2019 and have reached the Final Four a total of four times, but none have as deep a history or as many runs as those four true blue bloods. No.
LSU: Angel Reese led LSU to the program's first national championship in 2023. This performance marked the Tigers' first appearance in the Final Four since 2008. Yes, LSU has made it to the Final Four six times, but it has never won enough NCAA Tournaments to be considered a top-tier player. The best women's basketball program.
Special notes
Old Dominion and Louisiana Tech were once elite women's basketball programs.
However, they were unable to muster similar national success in the new millennium.
