The Tokyo Olympics kick off this week and we are so excited to watch! Despite it being a bit different than previous Olympic Games (on top of being a year late), we know it will be an incredible showing of strength and abilities across the globe. Olympians come from all ages with many of them being current college athletes -- which got us wondering, which universities in the United States hold the most medals? We did some digging and found the top 10!

1. University of Southern California (USC): 309

• Gold: 144
• Silver: 93
• Bronze: 72

• Gold: 139
• Silver: 73
• Bronze: 58

• Gold: 123
• Silver: 54
• Bronze: 56

• Gold: 117
• Silver: 51
• Bronze: 39

• Gold: 68
• Silver: 39
• Bronze: 37

• Gold: 83
• Silver: 38
• Bronze: 22

• Gold: 60
• Silver: 33
• Bronze: 33

• Gold: 46
• Silver: 41
• Bronze: 21

• Gold: 51
• Silver: 26
• Bronze: 30

• Gold: 55
• Silver: 17
• Bronze: 32

• Gold: 46
• Silver: 35
• Bronze: 23

*Numbers may differ from the university’s official count because those include coaches, staff, managers, etc.

Not only does USC hold the top spot with most Olympic medals, they’ve also won a gold medal in every Olympics since the 1912 Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Additionally, they also hold the most gold medals and the most medals of any color -- crazy! 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletes from over 1,200 colleges/universities in the US. The NCAA supports student athletes and provides incentives to those who qualify and wish to compete in the Olympics. While student athletes competing in the Olympic Games will need to work with their respective institutions if the semester starts during competition time, the NCAA will cover the expenses for the athlete representing the country and allow them to receive prize money. 

As stated on the NCAA website, “Reaching the Olympics is the ultimate accomplishment for many athletes. And for the vast majority of the U.S. national team and many international athletes, college sports played a key role in that dream. At the 2016 Summer Games, more than 80 percent of the U.S. national team — and more than 1,000 Olympians overall — competed in college before experiencing Olympic glory. On those campuses, they received the coaching, training opportunities and competitive experience that developed them into elite athletes. A new generation of college athletes is now eyeing the dream of competing in the 2020 Tokyo Games. Over the next year, their college programs will prepare them to turn that dream into a triumph.”

We’re looking forward to following the Olympic Games -- especially all of the student athletes competing! Congratulations to Team USA!