NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament bids by school
This is a list of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament bids by school, and is updated through 2026.[1] There are currently 68 bids possible each year (31 automatic qualifiers, 37 at-large). Schools not currently in Division I are in italics (e.g., CCNY) and some have appeared under prior names (e.g., UTEP went by Texas Western in 1966). Vacated appearances are excluded from the Bids table and noted below it.
Bids
The NCAA recognizes Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight since the beginning of the tournament, despite that there were no games to advance to the final eight teams before 1951 and not all teams had to play a game to advance to the final sixteen teams before 1975. Between 1939 and 1950, there were only 8 teams in the tournament, so all teams can claim an Elite Eight appearance. Between 1951 and 1952, there were sixteen teams in the tournament, so all could claim a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Between 1953 and 1974, participating teams fluctuated from 22 to 25 teams and some received byes to the Sweet Sixteen. Between 1975 and 1984, all teams were required to play at least one game before the Sweet Sixteen, and since 1985 all teams are required to play at least two games.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Was awarded the automatic bid[5] when the 2020 WAC men's basketball tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the NCAA canceling the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It is not reflected in the totals.
- ^ Was awarded the automatic bid[6] when the 2020 ACC men's basketball tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the NCAA canceling the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It is not reflected in the totals.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Was awarded the automatic bid[7] when the 2020 America East men's basketball tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the NCAA canceling the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It is not reflected in the totals.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Was awarded the automatic bid[8] when the 2020 MAC men's basketball tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the NCAA canceling the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It is not reflected in the totals.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ After the 2018–19 school year, Long Island University merged its two existing athletic programs—the Division I program of its Brooklyn campus (historically known as "Long Island" and "LIU Brooklyn") and the Division II program of its Post campus—into a single Division I athletic program that now competes as the LIU Sharks. Because the unified athletic program inherited the Division I membership of the Brooklyn campus, it is credited with all of Brooklyn's NCAA tournament appearances.
- ^ Was awarded the automatic bid[9] when the 2020 Ivy League men's basketball tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the NCAA canceling the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It is not reflected in the totals.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Patriot League men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Was awarded the automatic bid[10] when the 2020 MAAC men's basketball tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prior to the NCAA canceling the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It is not reflected in the totals.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 ASUN men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 CAA men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Summit League men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 Horizon League men's basketball tournament but is not reflected in the totals when the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Active schools with no bids
The schools shown in the tables below have never made it to the NCAA tournament. Several schools are not yet eligible for the NCAA tournament since NCAA rules state programs transitioning from NCAA Division II must wait three years after joining Division I (reduced from four in 2025) before they are eligible for championship tournaments. St. Thomas, making an unprecedented transition directly from Division III to Division I, completed its four-year transition (reduced from five) in July 2025.
Eligible
Below is a list of schools that have been eligible for at least one NCAA tournament but have never made it. There are 42 teams that have never made the NCAA tournament.
Ineligible
Below is a list of schools that are active but not yet eligible for the NCAA tournament.
| School | First season | Number of seasons | Eligible year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Moyne | 2024 | 2 | 2028[12] |
| Mercyhurst | 2025 | 1 | 2029[13] |
| New Haven | 2026 | 0 | 2029[14] |
| West Georgia | 2025 | 1 | 2029[15] |
Streaks
This is a list of the most consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament by programs.[16]
Consecutive appearances by team
| Rank | Team | Length of streak | Years | Head coach(es) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas* | 36* | 1990–present | Roy Williams (14), Bill Self (21) |
| 2 | Michigan State | 28‡ | 1998–present | Tom Izzo |
| 3 | North Carolina | 27 | 1975–2001 | Dean Smith (23), Bill Guthridge (3), Matt Doherty (1) |
| 4 | Gonzaga | 27‡ | 1999–present | Dan Monson (1), Mark Few (26) |
| 5 | Duke | 24‡ | 1996–2019 | Mike Krzyzewski |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 19 | 1999–2017 | Dick Bennett (2), Brad Soderberg (1), Bo Ryan (14), Greg Gard (2) |
| 7 | Indiana | 18 | 1986–2003 | Bob Knight (15), Mike Davis (3) |
| 8 | Kentucky | 17 | 1992–2008 | Rick Pitino (6), Tubby Smith (10), Billy Gillispie (1) |
| 9 | UCLA | 15 | 1967–1981 | John Wooden (9), Gene Bartow (2), Gary Cunningham (2), Larry Brown (2) |
| 10 (tie) | Arizona* | 14 | 1985–1998 | Lute Olson |
| 10 (tie) | Cincinnati | 14 | 1992–2005 | Bob Huggins |
| 10 (tie) | Georgetown | 14 | 1979–1992 | John Thompson |
| 10 (tie) | Texas | 14 | 1999–2012 | Rick Barnes |
| 10 (tie) | UCLA | 14 | 1989–2002 | Jim Harrick (8), Steve Lavin (6) |
Bold Indicates an active streak as of the 2026 tournament
*Kansas has appeared in 36 consecutive NCAA tournaments from 1990-2026, but its 2018 appearance, which ended in the Final Four, was vacated five years later due to use of a player, Silvio De Sousa, who was ruled ineligible retroactively.
*Arizona appeared in 25 consecutive tournaments from 1985 to 2009, but has since had seasons vacated for NCAA rules violations.
‡Streak impacted by COVID-19 pandemic which led to the cancellation of the 2020 tournament. No streak received credit for that year but all streaks were still considered active for teams that qualified for the 2021 Tournament.
Current consecutive appearances by team
| Team | Consecutive appearances | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 28 | Big Ten |
| Gonzaga | 27 | WCC |
| Purdue | 11 | Big Ten |
| Houston | 8 | Big 12 |
| Tennessee | 8 | SEC |
| Kansas* | 7 | Big 12 |
| Alabama | 6 | SEC |
| Illinois | 6 | Big Ten |
| Texas | 6 | SEC |
| UConn | 6 | Big East |
| Arizona | 5 | Big 12 |
| Duke | 5 | ACC |
| Iowa State | 5 | Big 12 |
| Kentucky | 5 | SEC |
| Saint Mary's | 5 | WCC |
*Kansas has appeared in 35 consecutive NCAA tournaments from 1990-2025, but its 2018 appearance, which ended in the Final Four, was vacated five years later due to use of a player, Silvio De Sousa, who was ruled ineligible retroactively.
Table up to date through the 2026 NCAA tournament. Only schools with five or more consecutive appearances are included. Conference affiliations reflect those in the current 2025–26 NCAA season.
Droughts
List of schools with the longest time between NCAA tournament appearances (minimum 20-year drought). Bold indicates an active current streak as of the 2026 tournament:
| School | Appearance | Next appearance | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth | 1959 | – | 67 years (did not play the 2020–21 season) |
| Harvard | 1946 | 2012 | 66 years |
| Tennessee Tech | 1963 | – | 63 years |
| Bowling Green | 1968 | – | 58 years |
| Columbia | |||
| Seattle | 1969 | – | 57 years (not in Division I in 29 of those years) |
| Rice | 1970 | – | 56 years |
| Yale | 1962 | 2016 | 54 years |
| VMI | 1977 | – | 49 years |
| Brown | 1939 | 1986 | 47 years |
| Stanford | 1942 | 1989 | |
| Wisconsin | 1947 | 1994 | |
| Duquesne | 1977 | 2024 | |
| Toledo | 1980 | – | 46 years |
| Furman | 1980 | 2023 | 43 years |
| Lafayette | 1957 | 1999 | 42 years |
| Air Force | 1962 | 2004 | |
| Houston Christian | 1984 | – | 42 years (not in Division I in 19 of those years) |
| Iowa State | 1944 | 1985 | 41 years |
| Brown | 1986 | – | 40 years |
| Jacksonville | |||
| Washington State | 1941 | 1980 | 39 years |
| Canisius | 1957 | 1996 | |
| Idaho State | 1987 | – | 39 years |
| Marist | |||
| Baylor | 1950 | 1988 | 38 years |
| Miami (FL) | 1960 | 1998 | 38 years (no team 14 of those years) |
| Saint Louis | 1957 | 1994 | 37 years |
| Portland | 1959 | 1996 | |
| Drake | 1971 | 2008 | |
| Idaho | 1990 | 2026 | 36 years |
| Loyola Marymount | 1990 | – | 36 years |
| Montana State | 1951 | 1986 | 35 years |
| Manhattan | 1958 | 1993 | |
| Butler | 1962 | 1997 | |
| Niagara | 1970 | 2005 | |
| Louisiana Tech | 1991 | – | 35 years |
| Towson | |||
| Cornell | 1954 | 1988 | 34 years |
| Oregon | 1961 | 1995[17] | |
| Saint Francis (PA) | 1991 | 2025 | |
| Campbell | 1992 | – | 34 years |
| Fordham | |||
| Georgia Southern | |||
| Loyola Chicago | 1985 | 2018 | 33 years |
| East Carolina | 1993 | – | 33 years |
| Georgetown | 1943 | 1975 | 32 years |
| Missouri | 1944 | 1976 | |
| Oklahoma | 1947 | 1979 | |
| George Washington | 1961 | 1993 | |
| Tennessee State | 1994 | 2026 | |
| Rider | 1994 | – | 32 years |
| Marshall | 1987 | 2018 | 31 years |
| Howard | 1992 | 2023 | |
| FIU | 1995 | – | 31 years |
| Tulane | |||
| Saint Mary's | 1959 | 1989 | 30 years |
| California | 1960 | 1990 | |
| Massachusetts | 1962 | 1992 | |
| Cal State Fullerton | 1978 | 2008 | |
| Rutgers | 1991 | 2021 | |
| Santa Clara | 1996 | 2026 | |
| Canisius | 1996 | – | 30 years |
| Louisiana–Monroe | |||
| Northern Illinois | |||
| Portland | |||
| San Jose State | |||
| Western Carolina | |||
| San Jose State | 1951 | 1980 | 29 years |
| Mercer | 1985 | 2014 | |
| Charleston Southern | 1997 | – | 29 years |
| Fairfield | |||
| Texas State | |||
| Mississippi State | 1963 | 1991 | 28 years |
| Colorado | 1969 | 1997 | |
| Eastern Michigan | 1998 | – | 28 years |
| Illinois State | |||
| Navy | |||
| Nicholls | |||
| Tulsa | 1955 | 1982 | 27 years |
| Arkansas State | 1999 | – | 27 years |
| Evansville | |||
| Missouri State | |||
| Penn State | 1965 | 1991 | 26 years |
| Eastern Kentucky | 1979 | 2005 | |
| Oregon State | 1990 | 2016 | |
| Montana State | 1996 | 2022 | |
| Ball State | 2000 | – | 26 years |
| Northern Arizona | |||
| Arizona | 1951 | 1976 | 25 years |
| LSU | 1954 | 1979 | |
| Bradley | 1955 | 1980 | |
| Georgia Tech | 1960 | 1985 | |
| Navy | |||
| Morehead State | 1984 | 2009 | |
| Drexel | 1996 | 2021 | |
| Hofstra[i] | 2001 | 2026 | |
| Eastern Illinois | 2001 | – | 25 years |
| Southern Utah | |||
| Boston University | 1959 | 1983 | 24 years |
| Middle Tennessee | 1989 | 2013 | |
| Northeastern | 1991 | 2015 | |
| San Francisco | 1998 | 2022 | |
| Samford | 2000 | 2024 | |
| Alcorn State | 2002 | – | 24 years |
| Pepperdine | |||
| Utah State | 1939 | 1962 | 23 years |
| Washington | 1953 | 1976 | |
| Hofstra | 1977 | 2000 | |
| Akron | 1986 | 2009 | |
| Cleveland State | |||
| Colgate | 1996 | 2019 | |
| Southeast Missouri State | 2000 | 2023 | |
| Central Michigan | 2003 | – | 23 years |
| IU Indy | |||
| South Carolina State | |||
| Morehead State | 1961 | 1983 | 22 years |
| Xavier | |||
| Hawaii | 1972 | 1994 | |
| Western Michigan | 1976 | 1998 | |
| St. Bonaventure | 1978 | 2000 | |
| Oral Roberts | 1984 | 2006 | |
| SMU | 1993 | 2015 | |
| McNeese | 2002 | 2024 | |
| UIC | 2004 | – | 22 years |
| DePaul | |||
| Creighton | 1941 | 1962 | 21 years |
| Holy Cross | 1956 | 1977 | |
| East Tennessee State | 1968 | 1989 | |
| Fordham | 1971 | 1992 | |
| East Carolina | 1972 | 1993 | |
| Appalachian State | 1979 | 2000 | |
| Indiana State | |||
| Little Rock | 1990 | 2011 | |
| Southern Miss | 1991 | 2012 | |
| La Salle | 1992 | 2013 | |
| Coastal Carolina | 1993 | 2014 | |
| New Orleans | 1996 | 2017 | |
| Prairie View A&M | 1998 | 2019 | |
| Appalachian State | 2000 | 2021 | |
| Florida Atlantic | 2002 | 2023 | |
| Wagner | 2003 | 2024 | |
| Alabama A&M | 2005 | – | 21 years |
| Charlotte | |||
| Delaware State | |||
| Southeastern Louisiana | |||
| Western Kentucky | 1940 | 1960 | 20 years |
| Colorado State | 1969 | 1989 | |
| Baylor | 1988 | 2008 | |
| Cornell | |||
| South Florida | 1992 | 2012 | |
| Green Bay | 1996 | 2016 | |
| TCU | 1998 | 2018 | |
| Air Force | 2006 | – | 20 years |
| Monmouth |
- ^ Received an automatic bid in 2020 for winning the 2020 CAA men's basketball tournament, but the NCAA canceled the 2020 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
See also
- NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament bids by school
- NIT bids by school
- CBI bids by school
- CIT bids by school
- List of NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament bids by school
- List of NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament bids by school
Notes
- ^ Kansas vacated the results of its 2018 NCAA tournament appearances as well as its finals appearance in 2018.
- ^ UCLA vacated the results of its 1980 and 1999 NCAA tournament appearances as well as its finals appearance in 1980.
- ^ Louisville forfeited 123 wins during 2011–2014, its NCAA tournament appearances, and its 2013 National Championship title.
- ^ Villanova vacated the results of its 1971 NCAA tournament appearance along with its championship game appearance that year.
- ^ UConn vacated the results of the 1996 NCAA tournament appearance and its Sweet Sixteen appearance that season.
- ^ Marquette turned down an invitation to the NCAA tournament in 1970 that would make 36 appearances.
- ^ Arizona vacated the results of its 1999, 2008, 2017, and 2018 NCAA tournament appearances, of which it reached the Sweet 16 in 2017.
- ^ Purdue vacated the results of the 1996 NCAA tournament which it reached the round of 32.
- ^ Ohio State vacated the results of its 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 NCAA tournament appearances, in which it reached the Final Four in 1999 and the round of 32 in 2000 and 2002.
- ^ St. John's vacated the results of its 2002 NCAA tournament appearance.
- ^ Maryland vacated the results of its 1988 NCAA tournament appearance in which it reached the round of 32.
- ^ Missouri vacated the results of its 1994 NCAA tournament appearance in which it reached the Elite Eight.
- ^ Michigan vacated the results of 113 games won while four players were not eligible, including the 1992 and 1993 Final Fours, and NCAA tournament appearances in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998.
- ^ NC State vacated the results of the 1987 and 1988 NCAA tournament appearances.
- ^ Alabama vacated the results of the 1987 tournament.
- ^ Florida vacated the results of the 1987 and 1988 NCAA tournaments.
- ^ Memphis vacated tournament appearances for 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 2008 for NCAA violations. This included Final Fours in 1985 and 2008 and the 2008 Finals appearance.
- ^ New Mexico State vacated the results of the 1992, 1993 and 1994 NCAA tournaments which it reached the Sweet Sixteen (1992) and round of 32 (1993).
- ^ Western Kentucky vacated the results of the 1971 tournament, in which it reached the Final Four.
- ^ Texas Tech vacated the results of the 1996 NCAA tournament.
- ^ Saint Joseph's vacated the results of its 1961 NCAA tournament which it reached the Final Four.
- ^ USC vacated the results of the 2008 tournament.
- ^ California vacated the results of its 1996 NCAA tournament appearance.
- ^ DePaul vacated the results of NCAA tournament appearances in 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989. It reached the Sweet Sixteen during the first two tournaments and the round of 32 for the last two tournaments.
- ^ Iona vacated the results of the 1980 NCAA tournament, in which it reached the second round.
- ^ Clemson vacated the results of the 1990 NCAA tournament.
- ^ Oregon State vacated the results of the 1980, 1981 and 1982 NCAA tournaments.
- ^ Georgia vacated the results of the 1985 and 2002 NCAA tournaments.
- ^ Minnesota vacated the results of the 1972, 1994, 1995, and 1997 NCAA tournaments.
- ^ UMass vacated the results of the 1996 NCAA tournament, in which it advanced to the Final Four.
- ^ Long Beach State vacated the results of the 1971, 1972 and 1973 NCAA tournaments.
- ^ Louisiana vacated the results of NCAA tournament appearances in 1972, 1973, 2004, and 2005.
- ^ Austin Peay vacated the results of the 1973 tournament.
- ^ Fresno State vacated the results of the 2000 tournament.
- ^ Marshall vacated the results of the 1987 tournament.
- ^ Loyola Marymount vacated the results of the 1980 tournament.
- ^ Stephen F. Austin vacated the results of the 2015, 2016, and 2018 tournaments, of which it reached the Round of 32 in 2016.
- ^ Army turned down an invitation to the NCAA tournament in 1968.
- ^ Won the 2022 ASUN men's basketball tournament final but was ineligible because it was still within its transition period from Division II to Division I athletics.
- ^ Won the 2023 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament final but was ineligible because it was still within its transition period from Division II to Division I athletics.
References
- ^ "2026 MEN'S FINAL FOUR RECORDS BOOK" (PDF). Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ^ Stubbs, Roman; Bogage, Jacob (February 20, 2018). "Its NCAA appeal denied, Louisville is stripped of 2013 national championship". The Washington Post.
- ^ Waters, Mike (2016-10-19). "Syracuse basketball can't keep wins, but it can keep Big East, NCAA banners". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- ^ "Syracuse University Public Infractions Decision" (PDF). Retrieved March 9, 2016.
- ^ "WAC Official Statement". Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Boone, Kyle (March 12, 2020). "2020 ACC Tournament canceled amid coronavirus pandemic concerns". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- ^ "America East championship, NCAA Tournament canceled amid COVID-19 concerns". Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "MAC Tournament Press Conference: March 12, 2020". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Fuller, Jim (March 10, 2020). "Ivy League tournament canceled, Yale men receive automatic NCAA bid". NHRegister.com. New Haven Register. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- ^ "2020 MAAC Men's Basketball Championship". Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Chase, Chris. "The odd reason Army has never made the NCAA tournament". USA Today. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- ^ "Le Moyne College Accepts Invitation to Join Northeast Conference" (Press release). Northeast Conference. May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "Welcome To The Lake Show: Mercyhurst University Accepts Northeast Conference Membership Invite" (Press release). Northeast Conference. April 4, 2024. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024.
- ^ "Charging Ahead: University of New Haven Accepts Northeast Conference Membership Invite". University of New Haven. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Atlantic Sun Conference Welcomes the University of West Georgia as Its Newest Member" (Press release). ASUN Conference. September 8, 2023. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024.
- ^ "2015 Men's Final Four Records Book - Tournament Records" (PDF). ncaa.org. p. 9. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ^ "Can Ducks echo The Tall Firs after 78 years?". KOIN 6. 2017-03-28. Retrieved 2017-03-28.