5 Colleges With the Most March Madness Appearances

It’s every basketball fan’s favorite time of year – March. As the March Madness tournament tips off in the upcoming month, only 68 teams will be able to compete for the March Madness Naismith Trophy, some of which are making their first-ever appearance.

However, other teams are veterans of the March Madness tourney, which is why we found the five teams that have appeared the most in the March Madness tournament throughout history.

5. Duke University – 46 appearances

Duke University is always present in the modern March Madness tournaments, achieving the top seed on 14 occasions, the second most in NCAA history. Their first-ever appearance was back in 1955, and it took nearly 40 years before achieving their first tournament victory.

Having won the tournament in 1992, 2001, 2010, and 2015, it’s no surprise the Blue Devils have made 46 appearances in the annual tournament. Duke holds the highest win percentage in tournament history at 75.5% and the third most number of wins at 122.

4. University of California, Los Angeles – 50 appearances

Up next is the famed UCLA, with 50 total appearances in the March Madness tourney. While they may not have the most appearances out of any team on this list, they do have the most national championship wins (11).

However, it’s been a long time since they last took home the trophy, with their most recent championship coming in 1995. But, the team still boasts a 68.8% win rate (having fallen from 93.8% from 1964-1975) with 110 overall tournament match wins.

3. University of Kansas –  51 appearances

The Kansas Jayhawks beat UCLA in overall appearances by exactly one tournament cap. While they overshadow their Californian opponents with an extra appearance, they’d only win the championship on four separate occasions, the most recent of which was in 2022.

The University of Kansas boasts a 66.2% win rate throughout tournament history and 113 overall wins. While it’s much lower than some of the competitors on this list, Kansas still took home the trophy two times in the 21st century, leading them to be one of the best contenders in recent years for the championship.

2. University of North Carolina – 53 appearances

The University of North Carolina is one of the oldest teams (besides Kansas and Kentucky) to appear in the prestigious NCAA March Madness tournament, with their first appearance in 1941. UNC has made the annual tournament 53 times, the second most in March Madness history.

The Tar Heels have showcased incredible skill and grit in March Madness, winning six separate championships in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009 and 2017. They are one of the most solid annual contenders for the Naismith trophy, achieving a 62.3% win rate in all their games. Finally, they’ve showcased their potential to be a top seed virtually every year they participate with the most tournament wins sitting at 133.

1. University of Kentucky – 61 appearances

Last but not least is the University of Kentucky, with the highest number of NCAA March Madness tournament appearances, sitting at 61 and counting. The Wildcats rank the fourth highest among win rates with a 70.7% total win rate throughout all their games in tournament history.

The 40s to 50s (and 90s) were glory years for the Wildcats, where they’d win eight championships, the last of which occurred in 2012. Kentucky sits behind UNC in overall wins by just three in tournament history (130 wins), making them the team with the second-largest number of wins throughout March Madness.