11 College Basketball Teams With The Most NCAA Tournament Appearances But No Titles

College basketball has one of the most grueling postseason setups in all of sports. Of the more than 320 Division I programs across the country, just 68 have a chance to win a national title each year.

Of those 68, only one can cut down the nets. That squad must survive six straight games across a two-week period to be crowned champion.

Most schools do not own a national championship. A large majority have never reached the Final Four. It is difficult enough to make the March Madness field on an annual basis. It’s even harder to succeed once there.

There are a handful of programs that have learned that lesson all too well. These teams have reached the Big Dance at least 30 times across their storied histories but have never won a championship.

Most NCAA Tournament appearances without a college basketball title.

These 11 schools rank high on the list of NCAA Tournament appearances. They have never hoisted the trophy at season’s end.

Here, we’ll list those teams in order from least to most. The rankings include the usual suspects in terms of college basketball success. Unfortunately, winning a title has proven elusive.

*Note: This list does not include any pre-NCAA Tournament championships recognized before 1939.

Xavier Musketeers

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 30

Xavier has been to 30 Big Dances. That total ranks 27th all-time amongst college basketball teams. The Musketeers have never won it all.

They also rank high on the list of Final Four-less schools. The furthest the program has ever made it is the Elite Eight, which it’s done on three occasions.

Those came in 2004, 2008, and 2017.

St. John’s Red Storm

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 31

Another Big East power comes in at No. 2 on the list with 31 March Madness appearances. The Red Storm has come much closer than the previously mentioned Musketeers, though.

St. John’s made the national title game in 1952 when it fell to Kansas. It also went to a Final Four in 1985 where it lost to national runner-up Georgetown.

West Virginia Mountaineers

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 31

The Mountaineers also boast 31 NCAA Tournament appearance without a national title. Like St. John’s, they have come close.

In 1959, West Virginia made the championship game only to lose by a point to the Cal Bears. It represented one of two program Final Fours, with the most recent coming in 2010.

BYU Cougars

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 32

BYU has no national championships and no Final Fours to its name. The furthest the Cougars have ever gone is to the Elite Eight.

They’ve done so three different times, two of which came in the early 1950s with the most recent occurring in 1981. Their 32 total NCAA Tournament appearances rank 22nd all-time.

Kansas State Wildcats

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 32

The Wildcats, too, have 32 total appearances in the Big Dance. The first came all the way back in 1948. Three years later, Kansas State got its national title opportunity.

Unfortunately, the team fell to Kentucky in the championship game. While they’ve failed to return to the title round, they did make the Final Four in both 1958 and 1964.

Temple Owls

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 33

Temple has received 33 NCAA Tournament bids only to come up short of a national title 33 times. In fact, they’ve never reached the championship round.

The Owls do have a pair of Final Four appearances, which is an achievement in and of itself. Unfortunately, they were unable to complete those deep runs in 1956 and 1958.

Oklahoma Sooners

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 34

The Sooners are the first SEC team on this list, coming in with 34 March Madness showings. Oklahoma has played for the national title on two separate occasions. It is 0-2 in those contests.

The first came in 1947. The team fell to Holy Cross in Madison Square Garden. More than four decades later, the Sooners returned only to lose rival Kansas by four points.

Purdue Boilermakers

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 35

Purdue has been one of the most successful college basketball programs of all time. It ranks 10th overall in wins dating back to its first season in 1897.

That success has not led to a championship, however. The Boilermakers are 0-35 in title pursuits, with an 0-2 mark in the final game.

In 1969, Purdue was blown out in the national championship by UCLA. In 2024, the Boilermakers lost to UConn.

Illinois Fighting Illini

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 35

Fellow Big Ten rival Illinois matches Purdue’s 35 NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking 15th all-time. For reference, that total is even with Arizona, often in the conversation of college basketball’s most successful programs.

The Illini made their lone national championship game in 2005 when it fell to North Carolina. The school also boasts an impressive five Final Fours.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 37

The Irish rank eighth all-time in overall wins. They are tied for 11th with 37 March Madness appearances. They have yet to be the last team standing.

Maybe even more surprising is the fact that Notre Dame only boasts one Final Four appearance, which came in 1978. The program has arguably the least amount of postseason success among college basketball’s winningest programs.

Texas Longhorns

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 39

Texas is the lone team on this list that ranks inside the Top 10 in all-time NCAA Tournament appearances. It currently sits in ninth place with 39 March Madness bids.

The Longhorns are a woeful 0-for-39 in national championship tries. In fact, they’ve yet to make a title appearance. They do own three Final Four appearances, which is more than most can claim.