This is a list of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament bids by school, and is updated through 2026. There are currently 68 bids possible each year (31 automatic qualifiers, 37 at-large). Schools not currently in Division I are in italics (e.g., CCNY) and some have appeared under prior names (e.g., UTEP went by Texas Western in 1966). Vacated appearances are excluded from the Bids table and noted below it.
The NCAA recognizes Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight since the beginning of the tournament, despite the fact that there were no games to advance to the final eight teams before 1951 and not all teams had to play a game to advance to the final sixteen teams before 1975. Between 1939 and 1950, there were only 8 teams in the tournament, so all teams can claim an Elite Eight appearance. Between 1951 and 1952, there were sixteen teams in the tournament, so all could claim a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Between 1953 and 1974, participating teams fluctuated from 22 to 25 teams and some received byes to the Sweet Sixteen. Between 1975 and 1984, all teams were required to play at least one game before the Sweet Sixteen, and since 1985 all teams are required to play at least two games.
The schools shown in the tables below have never made it to the NCAA tournament. Several schools are not yet eligible for the NCAA tournament since NCAA rules state programs transitioning from NCAA Division II must wait three years after joining Division I (reduced from four in 2025) before they are eligible for championship tournaments. St. Thomas, making an unprecedented transition directly from Division III to Division I, completed its four-year transition (reduced from five) in July 2025.
Below is a list of schools that have been eligible for at least one NCAA tournament but have never made it. There are 42 schools that have never made the NCAA tournament.
Below is a list of schools that are active but not yet eligible for the NCAA tournament.
This is a list of the most consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament by programs.
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Table up to date through the 2026 NCAA tournament. Only schools with five or more consecutive appearances are included. Conference affiliations reflect those in the current 2025âÂÂ26 NCAA season.
List of schools with the longest time between NCAA tournament appearances (minimum 20-year drought). Bold indicates an active current streak as of the 2026 tournament: