University of Missouri

Mizzou is a Division I school with over 20 different athletic teams. From these 20, two are the most successful.

The Missouri Tigers are most known for football. While the organization as a whole has not won many awards since 2007, the players seem to stand out amongst others. This year, Kevin Coleman Jr. was a finalist for the Biletnikoff award, given to the most outstanding wide receiver, according to mutigers.com.

Their wrestling is ranked in the top 10 in the country, with three NCAA national titles by J’den Cox, the Hodge trophy won by both Keegan O’Toole in 2024 and Cam Steed in 2025. Cox has since earned a bronze Olympic medal at the 2016 Olympics, according to mutigers.com.

Northwest Missouri State University

NMSU is a Division II school. Although it is in a lower division, they have received many awards.

The NMSU Bearcats have accumulated 29 consecutive winning seasons, making it the longest active streak among Division II schools, according to bearcatsports.com.

Their men’s basketball team has earned many prestigious awards within the past ten years. This includes six national championship titles and 30 conference titles, according to bearcatsports.com.

Lindenwood University

The Lindenwood Lions are a newly named Division I school in the NCAA as of Aug. 1. They were unofficial because of the process the school has to go through to get to that division, according to lindenwoodlions.com.

Women’s soccer won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament Nov. 10, 2024, against Morehead State with an ending score of 3-2, according to lindenwoodlions.com.

The cheerleading girls have accumulated two national titles and three trophies this year. The team traveled to Walt Disney World Resort and ranked first out of 32 teams, according to lindenwoodlions.com.