Is it the most championships? Is it longevity of a core group of players? Is it the stability of a winning coach and staff? Is it a star-studded roster that may win lots of games yet fails to win a ring? Who qualifies as a dynasty?

I think winning has to be one of the key factors, but not the only one. Championships are tough to win, no matter the sport. As they say, “on any given day”. Consistency? Winning consistently, keeping a core group of players and staff together – I think this could constitute a dynasty. I think fan “buy-in” plays a big part in it as well. If the fans believe in the team and gets behind them, supporting the wins the losses the year after year loyalty to a town and team…but then again if you look at this statement, you could call a few groups of Chicago Cubs teams a dynasty…and they certainly have lost more than they have won. So, winning must be a big part of it.

In pro sports there has been the Patriots, Steelers, Packers, Cowboys, 49ers, and now the Chiefs that have had the word dynasty bestowed upon them at one time or another. Yet, in the NBA there are only two standout teams with multi-digit championships – the Lakers and the Celtics. No one comes close to the 27 titles won by the Yankees. I think we can all attest to these teams at one time being dynasties…But what about college?

In today’s landscape, most of us know only the successful teams in men’s basketball & football because they have been the “premier” sports on TV and the money makers that the NCAA has promoted – so let’s look there.

In men’s basketball there is UCLA with 11, Kentucky 8, UNC 6, Duke, Indiana, and UConn all have 5…no real surprises. But in football, I am betting you would not know the team that has the longest, most successful dynasty…SEC hosts a bunch of great teams, but only Alabama has double-digit wins with 16 and that brings them to almost the most successful football dynasty. There is one team with 18 and that is Yale University. Now, there are plenty of people that would say that the current era, the beginning of the AP Poll era of football, is when we should be counting from…If we go back to 1936 when the AP Poll started, yes, Alabama is the only dynasty with double digit wins 13. Once again, we are reminded that you can make statistics say anything you want them to say with the right parameters.

So, what do you define a dynasty as?

The longest winning streak in high school sports ever was the 777 win streak of the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Ohio gymnastics team from 2003-2014…a definite dynasty.

I think in the long run, a combination of sustained success, some championships, a few star players, strong leadership by staff and or players, and having a community impact defines what a dynasty must be.