It’s one thing to be a consistent team in terms of making the NCAA Tournament. It’s another thing entirely for a program to make it to March Madness and then find reliable success once they get into the field of 68. There's a volatility when it comes to college basketball and the tournament that simply can never be overlooked.
The Virginia Cavaliers might be the most egregious example of this. They went from becoming a historic No. 1 seed in the worst way as they lost to 16-seed UMBC in the Round of 64 to then winning a title the following year. That's patently absurd but that's why they call it March Madness too.
So for a program to be able to consistently make it into the NCAA Tournament but also be well-coached and talented enough to win games is remarkable to witness. And it's even more impressive if a team can consistently get out of the first weekend of the tournament and into the Sweet 16.
But which programs have shown not only that ability with what we'd call consistency but have been able to do it every year? These are the programs who have been able to put together the most conseuctive Sweet 16 appearances in March Madness history.
Most consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in March Madness history
Team | Consecutive Sweet 16 Appearances | Active Years of Streak |
|---|---|---|
Gonzaga | 9 | 2015-active |
Duke | 9 | 1998-2006 |
North Carolina | 9 | 1985-93 |
Duke | 7 | 1986-92 |
Houston | 5 | 2019-active |
Michigan | 5 | 2017-22 |
Kentucky | 5 | 1995-99 |
Kansas | 5 | 1993-97 |
The Gonzaga Bulldogs under legendary Mark Few are now tied for the most consecutive Sweet 16 appearances with nine from 2015 until the current tournament. They now tie two blue bloods in North Carolina and Duke. What's interesting for the Bulldogs in the 2025 NCAA Tournament is that they come into this year's March Madness as a No. 8 seed, meaning they'll have to upset No. 1 seed Houston — a program that has a five-year active streak of Sweet 16 appearances — to keep their streaks alive.
As for the programs that the Zags are currently tied with at nine straight Sweet 16 appearances, the North Carolina Tar Heels first set the mark for the most consecutive Sweet 16 appearances with nine from 1985-93, a run that resulted in a National Championship for the illustrious program at the end in 1993.
That mark was then matched by the Heels’ biggest rival, the Duke Blue Devils, from 1998-2006. Duke also captured a title in that run with their net-cutting coming in 2001.
Gonzaga has the chance to hold the crown for the most Sweet 16 appearances in a row this year but, if they fail to make it, Houston and Kelvin Sampson will have the chance to match that streak in the coming years as well if they can make it this postseason.