"We want to prove that we belong as some of the top-tier teams in the league."

On a handful of occasions during the season, the team showed flashes of its potential in wins or very close contests with top-tier teams.

Or it can be a time when top-tier teams find themselves trying to stem the bleeding caused by the big bites taken out of their pennant hopes.

The board imposed quotas on the 11 top-tier teams, saying 22 of their 121 players next year must be nonwhite.

The Mets are still a long way from being a top-tier team, though.

The team was unable to match the performances of the top-tier teams in the Netherlands.

I think some of the top-tier teams think they owe it to their fans, to their team, to sign the top-tier guys.

Coach Herb Brooks juggles his dedication to his goal of winning and creating a top-tier team while also trying to be there for his family.

The Bengals (7-3) missed another chance to prove that they belong with the top-tier teams in the American Football Conference.

Some Ivy athletic administrators, like Beckett, dream of a football schedule that contains the service academies and a select few other top-tier teams.