If you’re anything like me, choosing any kind of team in any sports game to build over time is a daunting task. Because, truth be told, I’m not much of a “multiple saves” kind of guy. I make a save, choose a directive, and stick with it. Am I going to take a realistic approach and coast from team to team until I land my dream job? Do I go in and try to rebuild a once-great program and return it to glory? Or am I gonna stick it out with one team all the way at the bottom until it eventually becomes the best? These are likely the questions you’ve asked yourself when starting a Dynasty Mode save in College Football 26.
In order to properly address this choice, you’ll likely assess everything there is when it comes to the school’s program. But this isn’t as simple as determining which school has the best pipeline — infrastructure, academics, GPA, and tradition (among other things) are all things you must consider when choosing to be a team’s coach.
Just recently, CollegeFootball.gg released its grades for every school in the game. And they go through everything — a school’s average GPA, prestige, stability, whether they’re a contender for a national championship, etc. It’s an incredibly helpful tool that can help if you’re not sure which school you want to do your Dynasty Mode with. Lucky for you, we’ve gone through it and can help you make that decision.
Also, before we get into it, show CollegeFootball.gg some love! That site does some amazing work, and compiling data is a time-consuming task.
Which Team Should You Choose for Dynasty Mode in College Football 26?
Schools That Are Ready To Win Now
While I’m sure most of the Operation Sports community always finds gratification in taking a lowly school to the top of the nation, not everyone will choose this path; many will instead opt for a team that is built to win now and for the foreseeable future.
Teams of this ilk include (but aren’t limited to) the following:
- Alabama: SEC giants and perennial contenders for the national championship. However, since former coach Nick Saban decided to hang up the headset, the Crimson Tide haven’t won a national championship. Maybe you can help change that.
- Ohio State: For decades, Buckeyes football has been one of the most decorated programs in college sports. They’re also the defending national champs. Now, it’s possibly time for you to get on the sidelines and lead them to back-to-back glory. They’ve also got some amazing wide receivers!
- Texas: It’s been two decades since Texas last won a national championship. But that could be changing soon, as Texas is listed among the favorites to finally reach the promised land this year. But with so many programs having taken another step, the competition is steep. But they have Arch Manning, which is a plus.
These are just three examples of prestigious schools that have high prestige and good infrastructure, which makes building a winning program much easier. But not every team is built to win now. Despite being one of — if not the — most iconic schools in college football, Notre Dame is only on the cusp of competing for the title. The same goes for a team like Michigan. But, compared to others, they’re not as advantageously built for immediate success.
Schools That Need Some Work
So, we’ve talked about the teams that are built to win now, as well as made a few honorable mentions to schools that are in that conversation. But what about those schools that have good infrastructure, some good history, but aren’t necessarily top-tier contenders right now?
Here are some examples:
- USC: Having produced some of the best college football players ever, USC is in no shortage of prestige and history. However, it’s been a while since the days of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. The goal with the Trojans is to build upon an already sturdy foundation, then maybe chase glory in 3-4 seasons. It’s not going to be easy — especially with the rival UCLA in the same spot and competing over the same players — but it’s a fun ride regardless.
- BYU: Brigham Young University doesn’t have the trophy cabinet of an Alabama or a USC — the school has only one national championship in its history. But the Wildcats have always been a really solid program, capable of beating pretty much any other team on its best day. It’s time to start taking those days and turning them into multiple seasons. This is a long-term project, and one that’s not made easy by the school basically purity testing its student body (hence its C grade in campus lifestyle). But, it’ll be a worthy challenge.
- UCF: The Knights claimed their first national championship back in 2017. But since then, UCF hasn’t reached those heights. But Central Florida is completely behind that team, and it’s possible to bring them to glory again. It certainly won’t be easy, especially in the Big 12. But if you commit to long-term planning, you can make UCF a giant.
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of other programs in a similar spot as these. Some good examples are Duke, TCU, and Stanford. With this kind of save, you don’t have to worry about building a program up from scratch — all of them have somewhat of a legacy feel to them. That said, they aren’t the big boys, and you can invest plenty of seasons into them.
We’ve already covered teams in need of a rebuild, which is linked at the top of this piece. So, let’s go on to something even more fun: Building a program.
Schools That Need To Be Built From Scratch
If you’re not looking to take over an already amazing team or build a fallen giant/mid-pack team to greatness, then maybe starting at the bowels of college football is a good start. Obviously, you can go about creating your own school. However, here are some teams that have never been great that are tired of merely existing as a Division I program and are desperate for your help.
- Hawaii: Despite not being putrid in terms of results in the past, Hawaii doesn’t have a highly-touted program in College Football 26. Instead, it sits at a lowly 1-star Prestige, with the only good thing about the school being its A+ campus lifestyle (because of course it is; you’re going to school in paradise). Outside of that, however, the Rainbow Warriors are in need of some serious building. And, considering the locale, why can’t that be you?
- UNLV: The Runnin’ Rebels might have some juice and history when it comes to basketball, but that has not translated to football. Heck, they just call the football program the “Rebels”, as if it isn’t even good enough for the Runnin’. It’s time for that to change, and for you to be the catalyst to build that program from scratch and tell the world: “See? It’s not just about basketball in Vegas!”
- Kent State: For years, wrestling and track & field have been Kent State’s bread and butter. But, being in Ohio — one of the sport’s epicenters — it’s time to build the Golden Flashes into the envy of the nation. It won’t be easy, nor will it be quick, and I don’t expect a Dynasty with them to take you any less than 15 seasons just to have a decent shot. But, as the least prestigious school in the entire game, it doesn’t hurt to try.
Many of these lower-prestige schools were the focus for Dynasty Mode last year, with possibly the most notable example being Kennesaw State. But I chose these three because of how low they were on the totem pole — some are even worse than last year.
