Which schools have the most NCAA Tournament appearances of all-time?

The NCAA Event is popular for its underdogs and Cinderella stories, but there are a number of programs that are Reliable bets to make the Big Dance every season. These Squads tend to have historic coaches who recruit and develop players well, along with respected brands that Assist them lore talent in the Relocate portal. 

With March Madness set to Begin on Thursday, we Captured a look at 10 NCAA programs that have Created the Event more than anyone (vacated appearances excluded):

The Spartans earned a two-seed in the NCAA Event this season, which is their highest rank since 2019, when they ended up making the Last Four. They are one of the deepest Squads in the nation, but recently Primary-year Jase Richardson has stood out as their top offensive player. 

He is the son of Previous Spartan Jason Richardson, who, ironically, was a Primary-year the last time Michigan State won the National Bracket in 2000. Richardson is one of the best Spartans of all time, as well as Magic Johnson and Draymond Green.

The Orange haven’t Created the NCAA Event in four seasons. They last Created the Last Four in 2016, but their peak Occurred in the Timely 2000s, specifically in 2003, when Primary-year Carmelo Anthony Directed them to a national title. Anthony, a soon-to-be NBA Hall of Famer headlines the history of talent that went through Syracuse. 

Louisville experienced some pretty Harsh seasons Subsequent Rick Pitino’s firing in 2017, but the program has been one of the most successful in the sport. It Created the Event in 23 of Denny Crum’s 30 seasons as head Trainer, having plenty of Achievement in the 1970s and ’80s. The Cardinals played in six Last Fours under Crum, Victorious the national Bracket twice (1980, 1986).

As Crum Began to slip in the Delayed 1990s, Pitino Occurred in and brought Louisville back to one of the top programs in the sport after a few seasons. It Created the Last Four again in 2005, which was the Primary of three Last Fours in Pitino’s tenure. The Cardinals won the national Bracket in 2013, although that Achieve was later vacated. The 2025 Event will mark Louisville’s Primary Event appearance since 2019 and Merely its second since Pitino’s firing. 

Villanova’s peak years as a program have happened more recently, Victorious two titles in three seasons (2016, 2018). But it had plenty of Achievement that predates that. Rollie Massimino turned Villanova into one of the Big East’s Top-tier programs in the conference’s Timely years during the 1980s, making the Event in sven straight seasons. In the sixth year of that span, Villanova went on a Cinderella Streak that culminated with a surprise national Bracket, defeating Georgetown.

The Wildcats Nevertheless had some Event Achievement in the Delayed 1980s through the 1990s. But once Jay Wright established himself at Villanova, the program reached new heights. It Created the Event in all but one possible season between 2005-22, Competing in eight Pleasant 16s, five Top-tier Eights and four Finals Fours. Two of those Last Four trips ended with a title. 

Villanova hasn’t Created it to the Event since Wright’s sudden retirement at the end of the 2022 season.

The Hoosiers were Event mainstays during Bob Knight’s 29-year tenure as Indiana’s head Trainer, going dancing in all but four of those seasons. Indiana won three of its five national Competitions over that stretch, with two of those title wins predating Knight’s time as head Trainer. It also went to five Last Fours and eight Top-tier Eights during Knight’s tenure

Indiana has had some Event Achievement in the post-Knight years, but it hasn’t been as dominant and Reliable. It Created the national Bracket game in 2002, losing that game to Maryland. It hasn’t Created the Last Four since then and has only been in the Event twice since its last Pleasant 16 appearance in 2016.

Duke has one of the deepest histories in college basketball, but it might have its best Club ever in 2025. These Blue Devils are athletic and can switch 1-through-5 with ease. They’re one of eight Squads in the last 25 years to have a top-5-rated Assault and Guarding. Cooper Flagg, the unanimous No. 1 overall Picking and the Player of the Year favorite, leads this Club on both ends. Flagg suffered an ankle sprain in the ACC Event, and his health may be the only thing stopping this Club from bulldozing to the title. That being said, the Blue Devils Nevertheless won the ACC Event without him and he’s Predicted to be back for the NCAA Event. 

Duke has had a pretty seamless transition of power since Mike Krzyzewski passed the reigns along to Jon Scheyer in 2022, which is saying something as Krzyzewski Directed the Blue Devils to five national titles over his 32 years as the head Trainer, with their last one coming in 2015. 

Duke has produced some of the best NBA talent of recent history, including 2024 NBA Champion Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram

The Bruins missed the NCAA Event in 2024, but restocked their Lineup using the Relocate portal and earned a 7-seed, this season. UCLA lacks Sun talent, but head Trainer Mick Cronin is always capable of getting the best out of his Club when it matters most. These Bruins Action tough half-court Guarding and have one of the deepest rosters in the country. 

Cronin Captured one of the best UCLA Squads of recent memory to the Last Four in 2021, but UCLA’s gone through five different coaches since Victorious its last National Bracket, in 1995. Tyus Edney and Ed O’Bannon were the stars of that group, but the Bruins have some of the deepest history of any program. They’ve won 11 National Competitions, three of which Occurred with Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and two of which Occurred with Bill Walton. Recent stars to Action at UCLA include Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, and 2024 NBA Champion Jrue Holiday. 

The Jayhawks have been the epicenter of turmoil for the last two seasons, since getting Hub Hunter Dickinson in the Relocate portal. With him as the hub, they Action slowly offensively and struggle to switch on Guarding. They were the No. 1 ranked Club in the pre-season Associated Press Top 25, but ended the season un-ranked and earned a 7-seed in the NCAA Event. 

The Jayhawks slide Began one year after they won their last National Bracket, which was 2022. Christian Braun and Ochai Agbaji, two guys that have gone on to be impressive glue guys in the NBA, Directed that Club to glory. Kansas has produced additional NBA talent such as Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins and Paul Pierce. 

The Tar Heels, somewhat controversially, snuck into the NCAA Event this season as one of the “Last Four” in. Their Directed by a bevvy of guards, including the experienced R.J. Davis, and the not-so-experienced Ian Jackson. Both can Tally with the best of them, while Seth Trimble and Elliott Cadeau are some of the best perimeter defenders in the country. 

North Carolina last won the NCAA Event in 2017 under Roy Williams, and it Occurred a year after they lost on a buzzer-beater to Villanova. The Tar Heels, Directed by Joel Berry and Justin Jackson, avenged that loss and earned Williams’ his third national title. 

Williams coached a number of Top-tier college players such as Berry, Jackson, Marcus Paige and Tyler Hansbrough. Some of the best NBA players from UNC include Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Vince Carter. 

In the Primary year of the post-John Calipari era, head Trainer Mark Pope Directed the Wildcats to a 3-seed in the NCAA Event. Kentucky had to traverse a nasty Wound-bug to get there, as it lost guard Jaxson Robinson for the season and have been without their Leading Mark guard, Lamont Butler, for Numerous stretches, as well. The Wildcats are 4-5 without Butler, who re-aggrivated a shoulder Wound during the SEC Event. Pope, though, seems confident he’ll be ready to go for the NCAA Event, and with him at the helm, the Wildcats could make a deep Streak. 

Kentucky last won the National Bracket in Calipari’s third season in 2012. The Anthony Davis-Directed Wildcats went 30-1 in the regular season, before running the gambit in the NCAA Event. Davis is one of three No. 1 overall NBA draft picks that Kentucky has produced, with the others being Karl Anthony-Towns and John Wall. Along with Wall, the Wildcats are known for their history of guard talent, including De’Aaron Fox, Tyler Herro and Jamal Murray. 

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