That number could grow with the UVA baseball team, which is two wins away from a trip to the College World Series. Beginning Friday at Disharoon Park, the Cavaliers host Duke University in a best-of-three NCAA super regional series.
With all that winning comes a star-studded list of athletes and coaches, most having great cases to appear on any “Mount Rushmore of UVA Sports.”
But instead of trying the near-impossible task of whittling that list to four names, UVA Today decided to ask ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot application that can mimic human efforts by scanning information online and produce seemingly original content, to do it for us.
When we asked the bot who it would put on a mythical “Mount Rushmore of UVA Sports,” it provided a disclaimer before delivering the goods.
“Determining the Mount Rushmore of UVA sports is subjective and can vary based on personal opinions,” ChatGPT wrote. “However, considering the achievements and impact of individuals in the history of the University of Virginia’s sports program, the following four figures could be considered for the Mount Rushmore of UVA sports ...”
The following is ChatGPT’s list, complete with the ranking and reason it gave for each figure:
When Ralph Sampson was on Grounds, the UVA men’s basketball team played in many marquee games, such as this 1982 matchup with Georgetown University and its own star center, Patrick Ewing. (Photo by Dan Grogan)
1. Ralph Sampson
“Ralph Sampson is regarded as one of the greatest college basketball players of all time. He played for UVA from 1979 to 1983 and was a dominant force in the game. Sampson won three Naismith College Player of the Year awards and led UVA to its first Final Four appearance in 1981. His impact on the basketball program and the sport as a whole makes him a strong candidate.”
