Intro
Dynasty Mode can make any game infinitely replayable, and this is no exception for NCAA Football 06. With close to 200 teams to choose from and 50+ seasons for each dynasty, you can play NCAA 06 forever. Picking a team is really fun but an important decision. Below is a tier list of sorts that show the best teams by conference.
Below are some ideas that I’ve used over the years that have provided an immense amount of fun and value. Please note that you are not restricted by the teams I list below. I am pretty knowledgeable on college football history, but I may miss one or two. All of my suggestions are based off the default 2005 season and the history up unti then.
Established Powerhouse
Most gamers follow this path when they play Dynasty Mode for the first time. This could be a favorite team or maybe they just want to know what it feels like to dominate right out of the gate. Please note that sometimes this type of dynasty may not last as long due to winning quickly on a high level, you may get bored sooner or later. Since I am a huge Tennessee fan, I use to run plenty of Tennessee dynasties back in the day. In NCAA 06, they are a top 5 school with tons of talent. Fun times for sure.
Teams: Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, USC
Emerging Powerhouse
These teams are just on the verge of winning national titles, but have never gotten over the hump, at least not within the last decade or so. These teams are very talented in 06 but just need the right coach to put them over the top. I once ran a Cal dynasty that was fun as they have great talent but was never considered a real National Title contender…until I got there.
Teams: Arizona State, Auburn, Cal, Georgia, Iowa, Louisville, Purdue, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech
Revive a Former Powerhouse
This type of storyline is always fun as you try to take a once-proud program and turn them around. This dynasty will probably take longer due to the lack of talent and the toughness of your schedule. I always enjoy this dynasty because of how realistic it is. Just like in real life, all it takes is a great coach to turn around a sliding powerhouse, just like Nick Saban has done at Alabama.
Washington is the best example of this as they were dominate in the 90s but really fell off in the mid 2000s and are ranked #86. My Washington dynasty was a ton of fun as there is talent to work with but the rebuild makes sense as we are seeing this now with Chris Petersen at UW. They also have a big stadium that is fun to play in.
Teams: Alabama, Colorado, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pitt, UCLA, Washington
Power 5 Bottom Feeder
I must admit, this might be my favorite dynasty. It takes awhile to build your teams up do their lack of talent and tough schedule. However, the rewards are worth it. This type of dynasty makes you feel like you really accomplished something. So much fun!
Teams: Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest
Those of you who have followed me the last few years know how many times I have mentioned my fabled Duke Dynasty. I actually had two dynasties. The first one was quite magical as I took the Blue Devils to multiple national championships on academic restrictions. My other Duke dynasty only lasted one season…where I won the national title. I still don’t know how I done that with that porous of a team on Heisman difficulty.
Below are some videos realted to this type of team.
Non-Power 5 Invite
This is probably the most popular dynasty idea. You take in school from a non-Power 5 conference (including the Big East), build them up, get invited to a Power 5 conference, and become a national powerhouse. What makes this dynasty special is the longevity as it will take you several seasons to accomplish the big goals. My UCF dynasty on my YouTube channel is the perfect example of this. It’s always fun doing a complete rebuild, getting invited to a bigger conference, and becoming a household name. It never gets old.
Teams: Any non-Power 5 school
Nerds
This is a unique challenge as most academic-oriented schools are not very good at football. Add is any academic house rules you want to apply (only recruiting B or better awareness prospects for example) and you have yourself quite the challenge. I’ve talked about my Duke dynasties as I too gave myself the academic restriction by only recruiting players who are smart. Always a challenge.
Teams: any school with a 5 or 6 star Academic prestige rating.
Independents and Military
The Independent route is fun as you have full control over your schedule, allowing you to make it as hard or as difficult as you like. Most military schools fall under this umbrella other than Air Force, they are in the Mountain West Conference. I can honestly say I’ve not done this dynasty for a certain length of time and stayed there. It would be fun nonetheless.
Teams: Air Force, Army, Navy, Notre Dame, Temple
1-AA Rebuild
I guess some would call this the ultimate challenge. You take any 1-AA school and move them up to 1-A by replacing them with a current 1-A school. This dynasty probably has the longest shelf life as you starting roster will be terrible. However, just like any other challenge, the rewards are greater on the other side. My Yale dynasty is all you need to see to get an idea of how challenging this is. Add in my academic restriction and you have one heck of a challenge. I am having a blast with it though.
Teams: Any 1-AA school
