The NCAA Tournament is already here, with one of the best games of the season happening between 11-seed Texas and NC State. The Longhorns took home a last-second victory, and the Wolfpack are going home early. NC State has a rich basketball history, with two national championships and four Final Four appearances to its program, including one in 2024.Â
Looking at the field, now down to 64 teams, we have an interesting mix of blue bloods, top programs, and mid-majors. With that comes an interesting history in the tournament. Some have been to more than a dozen Final Fours in the program’s history. Others have just one or two appearances in the semifinals. Then, there are some who have never been there. Let’s take a quick look at the last time each team has been to the Final Four.
The following tournament teams have never been to the Final Four: Sienna Saints, LIU Sharks, UMBC Retrievers (although they came close), Howard Bison, Prairie View A&M Panthers, Lehigh Mountain Hawks, Idaho Vandals, Tennessee State Tigers (they’ve made multiple Division II Final Fours), Queens Royals, Furman Paladins, Wright State Raiders, Kennesaw State Owls (who won the Division II title in 2004), North Dakota State Bison, Troy Trojans, Hofstra Pride, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, California Baptist Lancers, McNeese Cowboys, Akron Zips (multiple Final Fours in Division II), High Point Panthers, Northern Iowa Panthers, Miami Redhawks, South Florida Bulls, Texas A&M Aggies, Missouri Tigers, UCF Knights, Saint Louis Billikens, Utah State Aggies, TCU Horned Frogs, Clemson Tigers, Saint Mary’s Gaels, Tennessee Volunteers, BYU Cougars, Vanderbilt Commodores, and Nebraska Cornhuskers.
No. 14 Penn Quakers
Last Final Four appearance: 1979
Many might be very surprised to see that the Penn Quakers have ever made a Final Four, but the representative of the Ivy League went on a Cinderella run in 1979. Tony Price led the Quakers to wins over Iona, North Carolina, Syracuse, and St. John's before being destroyed by Magic Johnson's Michigan State team in the Final Four. The Quakers do own a "national championship," winning in both 1920 and 1921. All champions prior to 1939 were retroactively named.
No. 11 VCU Rams
Last Final Four appearance: 2011
While almost nobody remembers Penn's run to the Final Four, the run of Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the most famous in recent memory. It was the coming out party for head coach Shaka Smart, and it put mid-majors on the map, alongside George Mason University a few years earlier. They actually had a harder road than anyone on this list, because they had to win the first-ever "First Four" matchup with the newly extended 68-game tournament. They took out USC in that matchup before beating Georgetown, Purdue, and Florida State before taking out top-seeded Kansas on their way to the semis. There, they lost to fellow underdog Butler. Their best player for that tournament? Bradford Burgess.
No. 11 SMU Mustangs
Last Final Four appearance: 1956
This one, we're going way back. The star player was Jim Krebs, who is still the best player in the history of the program. Doc Hayes brought glory to the SMU Mustangs as head coach in this era, and helped them get to the Final Four in 1956. They got to beat in-state rivals Texas Tech and Houston before a matchup with Oklahoma City in the Elite Eight. After a win there, they lost to top-seeded and eventual champion San Francisco.
No. 11 Texas Longhorns
Last Final Four appearance: 2003
Unlike the other teams above them on this list, Texas has multiple Final Four appearances. Unlike their football team, Texas has only three appearances in the semifinals of the basketball competition. The Longhorns have more football championships than they do Final Four appearances. After getting the Sweet Sixteen in 2002, they built on that success in 2003. T. J. Ford won the Naismith and Wooden Awards as the top basketball player in the country in 2003, and he helped Texas make a run to the Final Four. It was the first time ever Texas earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament.
No. 10 Santa Clara Broncos
Last Final Four appearance: 1952
Bob Feerick went from Santa Clara basketball star to joining the program as head coach. College basketball was in a strange place after World War II, and things were starting to get back to normal. Santa Clara became a dominant team in the early 1950s, going to three straight Elite Eights. They advanced to the semis in 1952 on the back of freshman Ken Sears. He was great at Santa Clara and eventually went to the NBA.
No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes
Last Final Four appearance: 1980
The 1980 Iowa Hawkeyes were led by head coach Lute Olsen and star player Ronnie Lester. Lester actually missed most of the season with an injury, but he returned in time for the tournament. It caused the Hawkeyes to fall to a five seed, but with their star back in the fold, they played like a one seed. They beat VCU, NC State, Syracuse, and John Thompson's Georgetown on their way to the Final Four. There, Louisville saw a dominant Lester who scored the Hawkeyes' first 10 points, but he eventually re-injured his knee and left he game, and Iowa as a whole, for good.
No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs
Last Final Four appearance: 1983
This is honestly a wild situation for the Georgia Bulldogs. Their best player in program history, Dominique Wilkins, left for the NBA ahead of his senior year in 1982, leaving Georgia in flux. They rallied around that uncertainty and made a run they never had with Wilkins on the roster. They beat some legends on their way, taking down Dean Smith, Michael Jordan, and North Carolina, and Lou Carnesecca, Chris Mullin, and St. John's before losing to eventual champion NC State. Vern Fleming took Wilkins' place as the star, and he eventually joined him in the NBA.
No. 8 Villanova Wildcats
Last Final Four appearance: 2022
Villanova is the first true superstar program on this list, with three Division I titles to its name. Two of those championships came in the last decade. Villanova is not that dominant force led by Jalen Brunson like it was then, but they have a semi-recent run on the books. Four years ago, Villanova earned a two-seed after winning the Big East, and they enjoyed relatively easy wins against Delaware and Ohio State before taking out a plucky Michigan team. Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie led this team passed Houston in the Elite Eight before falling to Kansas.
No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes
Last Final Four appearance: 2007
The Ohio State Buckeyes are for sure a football school, but they do have one national championship in basketball to their name (1960). However, after a very successful run then (three Final Four appearances in the early 1960s), they fell off hard. OSU went 45 years between Final Four appearances, but they got back there in 2007. Led by Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr., the Buckeyes looked like the most talented team in the country. Oden was eventually the number-one overall pick in the NBA Draft, and he helped Ohio State win its final 14 games of the season heading into the NCAA Tournament. They were the tournament's overall No. 1 seed, but they lost to Florida in the National Championship Game.
No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats
Last Final Four appearance: 2015
Kentucky is what you think of when you think of a blue blood. There's a presence that comes with Kentucky, even if it's not always earned. Even this season, we expect some to pick UK to go far on name value alone. However, in 2012-2015, Kentucky earned its name value. After Anthony Davis helped deliver a championship for the Wildcats in 2012, John Calipari kept the good times rolling. The 2015 team was led by young, budding stars like Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns on the roster. Undefeated going into the tournament, Kentucky was the big dog everyone wanted to stop. West Virginia's Daxter Miles even guaranteed it ahead of the Sweet Sixteen before Kentucky smacked them 78-39. However, in the Final Four, they faced a Wisconsin team that would not be beaten, and their season ended without the ultimate goal. They only lost one game all season, but it was the one that counted.
No. 7 Miami Hurricanes
Last Final Four appearance: 2023
For those not familiar with the University of Miami, they might be surprised that their surprise run in 2023 was their one and only Final Four appearance. Jim Larranaga put Miami in a much different season, getting them to a winning record in the ACC in his first season as head coach in 2011-12. He kept building, eventually leading to 2023's NCAA Tournament run. Isaiah Wong won ACC Player of the Year in 2023. They beat top seed Houston and second-seeded Texas en route to the Final Four before losing to UConn. The program seemed to be on an upswing, but a bad start in 2024-25 forced Larranaga to step down as head coach.
No. 7 UCLA Bruins
Last Final Four appearance: 2021
From 1964 to 1975, the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team was the most dominant force in sports. They won a ridiculous 10 titles in that 12-year span, putting them beyond even dynasty talk. This was untouchable territory. That was a long time ago, and UCLA is closer to the pack these days. However, in 2021, they found that old glory again. It was a year of overcoming losses, as top recruit Daishen Nix decided to play in the NBA G League, and Jalen Hill left midseason due to personal reasons. Tyger Campbell lifted the team after a disappointing end to the season (four straight losses, including the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament). They survived a matchup with Michigan State in the First Four before taking out BYU, Abilene Christian, Alabama, and Michigan. They lost to a buzzer-beater in overtime against top-seed Gonzaga in the Final Four, putting the saddest exclamation point on this season.
No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels
Last Final Four appearance: 2022
It's been a few unexpected seasons for the North Carolina Tar Heels, failing to make the Final Four three years in a row now, and this year, they have an unlikely path as a six seed. However, their history speaks for itself. They are college basketball, and that includes in 2022 when they made a run to the National Championship Game, losing to Kansas. That year, they fell out of the Coaches Poll in Week 2, and didn't return until they were ranked second in the final poll. This was also the first season after Roy Williams retirement, making the roster a little flux. It ended up being a three-headed scoring monster at the top with Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, and Brady Manek all averaging more than 15 points game.
No. 6 Louisville Cardinals
Last Final Four appearance: 2013*
Rick Pitino was at the peak of his prowess, and the Louisville Cardinals had star guard Russ Smith rolling in 2013. They used a relentless full-court press for most of their big games, and that overwhelming defensive scheme made life hard for opponents. As a No. 1 seed that season, they had an easy early slate, but things started to get more difficult in the Sweet Sixteen against Oregon. Oh, wait, no, it didn’t. They dominated the Ducks on both ends of the court. In the Elite Eight, they dominated Duke, and Louisville looked legitimately unstoppable. Many will remember this tournament for the sick injury Kevin Ware suffered earlier, but the run was still fun.
No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last Final Four appearance: 2019
There are so many programs in both football and basketball in Texas that multiple teams fall under the radar. The most prominent of which is Texas Tech, which was the program left behind when the rest of the top Lone Star state programs left for the SEC. In 2019, Tech made their move, using a conference tournament upset to West Virginia as motivation in the big tournament. Chris Beard led this team’s rise as head coach, and Jarrett Culver was their dominant scoring guard. The Red Raiders went into the tournament as a three-seed and dominated their first two teams. They were expected to have a harder time with No. 2 Michigan, but they dominated them, too. It looked like this special season was going to end with some nets cut after they beat Michigan State in the semifinals, but the National Championship went Virginia’s way.
No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers
Last Final Four appearance: 2015
The Frank Kaminsky era at Wisconsin was something to behold. He was a dominant force for a program not used to great moments on the basketball court. In 2014-15, Kaminsky and Sam Decker made this one of the best teams in the country. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, they faced a surprising test from Oregon before taking on traditional force North Carolina. Taking out the Tar Heels showed this team was for real. They had what everyone thought was the best team in the country in Kentucky in the Elite Eight. They came into the game undefeated at 38-0, but when the final buzzer sounded, they were 38-1. Kaminsky and Co. took down the favorites, and the tournament was a toss up. They made it all the way to the championship game, but they lost to Duke.
No. 5 St. John's Red Storm
Last Final Four appearance: 1985
St. John’s has come close to some magical seasons before, making the Elite Eight six times in program history, but they’ve only made it to the Final Four twice. That season, St. John’s was the best team in the Big East, but they lost in the finals of the conference tournament. Unfortunately, they could not beat Georgetown, losing to them in the regular season, the conference tourney, and in the Final Four. If someone was able to beat the Hoyas in an earlier round, St. John’s and star player Chris Mullin likely have a championship to their name.
No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
Last Final Four appearance: 2024
For a team with the name value of the Alabama Crimson Tide, one would expect a better history on the hardwoods. They never made the Elite Eight in the 20th century, finally breaking the threshold in 2004. Lately, they’ve been much better, making the Elite Eight in both 2024 and 2025. The 2023-24 season is still their only Final Four appearance. That season, they got a somewhat easy start when Grand Canyon met them in the second round. In the third round, they had No. 1 North Carolina. They won an insane game thanks to Grant Nelson’s 24 points and 12 rebounds. They took out Clemson in the Elite Eight before falling to No. 1 UConn in the Final Four. Can Alabama find magic again this season?
No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks
Last Final Four appearance: 1995
Arkansas is a team with an interesting history. They haven’t been great in a long time, but they’ve been really good for a while. Even last season, Arkansas made a great run as a 10 seed, beating Kansas and St. John’s before falling to Texas Tech. They also beat Kansas in 2023. Despite all the recent success, they’ve fallen before making the Final Four. Their last appearance in the Final Four was when they made their second consecutive National Championship Game in 1995. As a two seed, they beat Texas Southern, Syracuse, Memphis, Virginia, and North Carolina before falling to UCLA. Corliss Williamson was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1994 tournament when the Razorbacks won their first and only championship, and he was back for round 2.
No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks
Last Final Four appearance: 2022
Kansas is this interesting team, considered one of the blue bloods and often gifted a number-one seed for surviving the insane Big 12 schedule, the Jayhawks have more heartbreaking defeats than resounding wins. They have four national championships to their name, and their last Final Four appearance was when they won it all in 2022. Strangely, that season they saw bigger competition early in the tournament than late. They beat Creighton by just seven in the second round and Providence by just five in the Sweet Sixteen. Then, they destroyed both Miami and Villanova before a three-point win over North Carolina to cut down the nets. In the tournament, it was very much a shared stardom, but Ochai Agbaji was their best player during the season.
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini
Last Final Four appearance: 2005
The University of Illinois has had a strange history with basketball, and they have now gone 20 years since making the Final Four. That seems insane, no? Illinois always seems like a decent team, as evidenced by their three-seed this season. However, they haven’t made the semifinals since 2005. Something magical came together in 2005, and this felt like the best team in the country. Let’s fast forward to an insane National Championship Game. One of their best players, James Augustine, fouled out in just nine minutes without scoring. It was a questionable officiating practice. Still, Illinois went shot-for-shot with North Carolina in the second half and cut their lead to just a few points. In the end, Illinois didn’t have enough, but this was still a magical season that deserves praise (and maybe a little anger towards the refs).
No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers
Last Final Four appearance: 2019
In 2019, the Virginia Cavaliers were out for revenge. Just one year earlier, they were the biggest upset in the history of the tournament. They became the first No. 1 seed to ever lose in the first round. Both Kyle Guy and De’Andre Hunter were exactly what the Cavaliers needed, scoring just over 15 points each. They lost in the ACC Tournament to Florida State, setting up another disappointment, but the run began there. They got a little luck, facing no 1 or 2 seeds during their run to a championship. The highest seed they faced was Purdue, who they beat in overtime in the Elite Eight, and Texas Tech, who lost in the title game. Both were three seeds.Â
No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs
Last Final Four appearance: 2021
Man, Gonzaga. The team with the seed that many just expect to eventually fall short. And to be fair, haters have a point. They did make 27 straight tournaments and nine straight Sweet Sixteens from 2015 to 2024 (ending last year with a loss to Houston in the second round). However, they lost there four times. They only made the Final Four twice. The last time they did that was in 2021, when they beat Norfolk State, Oklahoma, Creighton, USC, and UCLA to remain undefeated into the National Championship Game. There, they lost to Baylor, but it showed they could make the Big Game. And Corey Kispert showed he could be a star, making the All-American team as a small forward.Â
No. 3 Michigan State Spartans
Last Final Four appearance: 2019
The Michigan State Spartans have a surprising amount of success in college basketball. However, getting over the hump has been a problem. They’ve been to the Final Four 10 times, including eight times this century, but they haven’t won a national championship since 2000. This year, the Spartans are trying to do more than play spoiler. Cassius Winston helped this team move towards dominance as the No. 2 seed in the East region. The Spartans took on Minnesota in the second round, destroying them in the process. They also destroyed LSU in the Sweet Sixteen, preparing for a matchup with Duke. Tom Izzo got just his second win against Coach K, sending his team to the Final Four.Â
No. 2 Houston Cougars
Last Final Four appearance: 2025
Houston’s recent history is as close to a championship as they’ve ever gotten. Last season, the Cougars got all the way to the championship game, won the Big 12, and got a No. 1 seed. To get there, they beat Purdue, Gonzaga, Tennessee, and Duke before falling to Florida. LJ Cryer won a championship with Baylor before transferring to Houston. He became their best player and led them to new heights. He was a 3-point sharp shooter that gave his team an advantage every night. Now that he’s done with college, it’s interesting to see how Houston performs this season.Â
No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones
Last Final Four appearance: 1944
A seed so high in this year's tournament with such a long drought between Final Four appearances is kind of nuts. Doing some quick match here, Iowa State has not made it to the Final Four in 82 years. That doesn't even seem like real life. They've only made it to the Elite Eight once since then, so if they do exactly what they are supposed to do this year without getting upset, they'll match what they've only done twice in program history. There's not a ton on the 1944 Cyclones, but we know Price Brookfield was their best player. Oh, and they only needed one win to get to the Final Four, so this feels like cheating.
No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers
Last Final Four appearance: 2024
Purdue had a similar tale as some on this list. After losing in an upset at the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the Boilermakers wanted revenge in the 2024 tournament. Zach Edey was incredible during the tournament, putting up one of the best performances in recent history against Tennessee. He scored 40 of his team’s 72 points. That’s more than half of his team’s output.. He pushed Purdue past the NC State Wolfpack in the Final Four before losing to the UConn Huskies in the championship game.
No. 2 UConn Huskies
Last Final Four appearance: 2024
And in that same tournament that Purdue came oh so close, UConn secured the victory. The Huskies are the best college basketball team this century. Does that surprise you? They have five championships, and the next closest is three since Y2K was a thing. North Carolina, Duke, and Florida all have three. Even if one of them won it all this season, they still wouldn’t match the Huskies. We’re not even talking about the women’s team, which has been one of the most dominant programs in all of college sports. In their last championship, Tristen Newton was their dude, taking on the big pressure moments. He joined Cam Spencer on the All-Big East first team at the end of the season.
No. 1 Florida Gators
Last Final Four appearance: 2025
Back in December, we wrote an article about 10 teams that had a chance to claim a No. 1 seed in the tournament. We had the Florida Gators on the list until the very last second, eliminating them because the early losses felt like too much. We clearly didn’t have enough faith in the Gators. They lost Will Richard, who was great in their come-from-behind win over Houston in the title game. Cleary, they had plenty in the reserves because they are back to being one of the favorites.
No. 1 Michigan Wolverines
Last Final Four appearance: 2018
For a team that seems to be in the national lexicon as much as it is, one would expect the Michigan Wolverines to have more than one championship in program history. And, for how good they seem to be recently, it was surprising to see that the last time Michigan was in the Final Four was in 2018. They look to rectify that this season, but 2018 was a fun run. They went all the way to the National Championship Game, but they lost that game for the sixth time in school history. There was some disrespect here, as Michigan’s best player (Mortiz Wagner) didn’t even make the All-Big Ten first team, but he did take them to the Final Four.
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats
Last Final Four appearance: 2001
The Arizona Wildcats made the Elite Eight in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2014, and 2015. They’ve lost the last five of those matchups. Arizona has come close multiple times, but they continue to fail when it matters. In 2001, they actually made it to the Final Four. Star guard Gilbert Arenas had this team in a special place, and Richard Jefferson was the perfect complement. Coached by the legendary Lute Olsen, Arizona had a very hard run to the semis. In the Sweet Sixteen, they had to take down Ole Miss, and then the top-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini were waiting for them in the Elite Eight. After surprisingly surviving both of those matchups, they had the defending champion Michigan State Spartans in the final round before the National Championship Game. They actually took down Tom Izzo’s team, giving them a chance at their first championship. It wasn’t meant to be as Duke took home the crown.Â
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils
Last Final Four appearance: 2025
Last, but certainly not least, is the Duke Blue Devils. Another one of those blue-blood programs we spoke so much about. Duke is the biggest villain on this list, but arguably, they have the most consistent success. They’ve made the Final Four in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. Their last appearance in the Final Four was literally last year, when it was the first season with no players who had a regular role on a Coach Mike Krzyzewski team. Like this year, Duke was a one-seed last season, led by Jared McCain. They had a pretty easy run in the tournament until they lost to Houston in the Final Four. This year, they look to finish the job for their sixth NCAA championship.