Teams with the Most NCAA Basketball Championships
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament for men's college basketball teams in the United States. Branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, it determines the Division I national champion. Played mostly during March, the tournament consists of 68 teams and was first conducted in 1939.
The Inaugural Tournament
The first NCAA tournament was organized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Oregon won the inaugural tournament, defeating Ohio State 46-33 in the first championship game.
UCLA's Dominance
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has been the most successful college in the NCAA Tournament, winning 11 national titles. Ten of those championships came during a 12-year stretch from 1964 to 1975. UCLA also holds the record for the most consecutive championships, winning seven in a row from 1967 to 1973.
Basketball icon John Wooden was the head coach for 10 of the Bruins' 11 title runs, which is the most of any basketball coach of all time. From 1964 to 1975, UCLA had an overall record of 335-22, a win percentage of .938. Over 12 years.
Guard Gail Goodrich also helped bring two titles to UCLA in 1964 and 1965. The Bruins missed the NCAA Tournament altogether last season, but they bounced back and earned a 7-seed in 2025. While they easily handled Utah State in the first round, they have a challenge in the second round in a matchup with SEC Tournament runner-up Tennessee.
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Kentucky's Legacy
Kentucky has established itself as a historic powerhouse with eight championships to its name. Coach Adolph Rupp, for whom Kentucky's arena is named, won half of the program's championships (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958). Since, four different coaches have won a title with Kentucky: Joe B. Hall (1978), Rick Pitino (1996), Tubby Smith (1998) and John Calipari (2012).
In recent years, the Wildcats were known for their ability to lure one-and-done freshmen with NBA hopes thanks to former coach John Calipari.
North Carolina and Connecticut's Achievements
North Carolina and Connecticut are tied for third with six championships each.
The Tar Heels won half of their national championships (2005, 2009, 2017) under Roy Williams, who coached the team for 18 years before retiring in 2021. Two of their championships (1982, 1993) came under legendary coach Dean Smith. That 1982 team boasted a lineup that included Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins. Before that, UNC first won a title in 1957. They eked into the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed this season and could be primed to make a run.
Connecticut has the most national championships this century at five, and has been to six championship games and has won every time. UConn had three more titles in the 21st century: Cinderella runs as a 9-seed led by Kemba Walker (2011) and as a 7-seed with Shabazz Napier (2014), and another with the duo of Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor in 2004. Prior to that, the Huskies won the tournament in 1999.
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The Huskies have vaulted themselves into this position on this list because of their back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. They had a slew of stars who now play in the NBA, from Jordan Hawkins to Stephon Castle to Donovan Clingan.
Duke and Indiana's Notable Wins
Duke and Indiana follow with five championships each.
All five of Duke's national championships came under coach Mike Krzyzewski. He won consecutive titles in 1991 and 1992 with Christian Laettner, and also led his team to championships in 2001, 2010 and 2015. The Blue Devils are the favorites to bring home the trophy this season with coach Jon Scheyer, who took over for Krzyzewski in 2022.
The Hoosiers haven't claimed a national championship in 38 years, but they won three under head coach Bob Knight (1976, 1981, 1987). In 1976, they ran the table all the way to the finish line and remain the last men's basketball team with a perfect season. Indiana has only made the NCAA Tournament in two of the last nine seasons, and will be embarking on a new era after recently hiring Darian DeVries as its next head coach. The Hoosiers also took home titles in 1940 and 1953.
Other Teams with Multiple Championships
Several other teams have secured multiple NCAA championships:
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- Kansas: 4 (1952, 1988, 2008, 2022)
- Villanova: 3 (1985, 2016, 2018)
- Cincinnati: 2 (1961, 1962)
- Florida: 2 (2006, 2007)
- Louisville: 2 (1980, 1986) - Vacated 2013 title
- Michigan State: 2 (1979, 2000)
- NC State: 2 (1974, 1983)
- Oklahoma State: 2 (1945, 1946)
- San Francisco: 2 (1955, 1956)
The Jayhawks won two titles decades ago (1952, 1988) and have won two national championships under current head coach Bill Self (2008 and 2022). Self has guided Kansas to the Big Dance every year since being hired in 2003, except for 2020 when the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
The Wildcats won two titles in a three-year span under coach Jay Wright. Current NBA teammates Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges are responsible for the last one in 2018, while Brunson and fellow New York Knicks player Josh Hart led Villanova in 2016. Villanova, which also won it all in 1985, has now missed the NCAA Tournament three seasons in a row.
Like Florida, the Bearcats also won both their titles in back-to-back seasons. However, that happened more than 60 years ago, in 1961 and 1962. They haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 2019.
The Gators won both their titles in back-to-back seasons (2006 and 2007). Current Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan led Florida, who had NBA talent in the form of twin towers Al Horford and Joakim Noah.
Louisville won titles in 1980 and 1986 with head coach Denny Crum. The Cardinals added another championship in 2013, but it was vacated after a 2017 NCAA investigation found out that players were involved in a sex scandal.
The Spartans won their last title in 2000 in coach Tom Izzo's fifth season at the helm. Izzo, now the Big Ten's all-time winningest coach, is still leading the team and has them as 2-seed this season, with a chance to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
It's been 42 years since the Wolfpack won their last title with Jim Valvano, and they won't end that streak this season as they failed to make the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma State was actually Oklahoma A&M when it won its two titles in 1945 and 1946. The Cowboys have made the NCAA Tournament just once in the last eight seasons.
The Dons won consecutive national titles in 1955 and 1956, but they have only made the NCAA Tournament twice in the last 40 years.
Recent Champions
Connecticut is the most recent champion, with consecutive wins against San Diego State in the final of the 2023 tournament and Purdue in 2024. In the 2025 NCAA men's basketball championship, Florida beat Houston to earn their third national title.
The NCAA Tournament: A Cultural Phenomenon
The tournament has become part of American popular culture through bracket contests that award money and other prizes for correctly predicting the outcomes of the most games.
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