The NCAA Tournament, which is contested every year in March and April to decide the national champion in Division I men's and women's collegiate basketball, is generally referred to as March Madness. There are 68 teams competing in a single-elimination tournament staged in the United States, becoming one of the biggest annual sporting events in the United States.
Eight teams participated in the inaugural March Madness in 1939: Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah State, Villanova, Brown, Wake Forest, and Ohio State. Oregon defeated Ohio State 46–33 in the final game. The 32 Division I conference winners are among the tournament teams, in addition to the 36 schools that receive at-large bids. All these 36 schools are announced on Selection Sunday, a nationally televised event, following their selection by an NCAA selection committee. In the 2024–25 season, it was held on March 16, with the First Four on March 18 and March 19.
March Madness Year-to-Year winners list
The year-to-year winner list of the March Madness is as follows:
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Score | Winning Coach | Venue |
| 2024 | Connecticut | Purdue | 75-60 | Dan Hurley | Glendale, Arizona |
| 2023 | Connecticut | San Diego State | 76-59 | Dan Hurley | Houston, TX |
| 2022 | Kansas | North Carolina | 72-69 | Bill Self | New Orleans, LA |
| 2021 | Baylor | Gonzaga | 86-70 | Scott Drew | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2020 | Tournament Canceled | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Virginia | Texas Tech | 85-77 (OT) | Tony Bennett | Minneapolis, MN |
| 2018 | Villanova | Michigan | 79-62 | Jay Wright | Houston, TX |
| 2017 | North Carolina | Gonzaga | 71-65 | Roy Williams | Phoenix, AZ |
| 2016 | Villanova | North Carolina | 77-74 | Jay Wright | Houston, TX |
| 2015 | Duke | Wisconsin | 68-63 | Mike Krzyzewski | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2014 | Connecticut | Kentucky | 60-54 | Kevin Ollie | Arlington, TX |
| 2013 | Louisville | Michigan | 82-76 | Rick Pitino | Atlanta, GA |
| 2012 | Kentucky | Kansas | 67-59 | John Calipari | New Orleans, LA |
| 2011 | Connecticut | Butler | 53-41 | Jim Calhoun | Houston, TX |
| 2010 | Duke | Butler | 61-59 | Mike Krzyzewski | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2009 | North Carolina | Michigan State | 89-72 | Roy Williams | Detroit, MI |
| 2008 | Kansas | Memphis | 75-68 (OT) | Bill Self | San Antonio, TX |
| 2007 | Florida | Ohio State | 84-75 | Billy Donovan | Atlanta, GA |
| 2006 | Florida | UCLA | 73-57 | Billy Donovan | Indianapolis, IN |
| 2005 | North Carolina | Illinois | 75-70 | Roy Williams | St. Louis, MO |
| 2004 | Connecticut | Georgia Tech | 82-73 | Jim Calhoun | San Antonio, TX |
| 2003 | Syracuse | Kansas | 81-78 | Jim Boeheim | San Antonio, TX |
| 2002 | Maryland | Indiana | 64-52 | Gary Williams | Atlanta, GA |
| 2001 | Duke | Arizona | 82-72 | Mike Krzyzewski | Minneapolis, MN |
| 2000 | Michigan State | Florida | 89-76 | Tom Izzo | Indianapolis, IN |
| 1999 | Connecticut | Duke | 77-74 | Jim Calhoun | St. Petersburg, FL |
| 1998 | Kentucky | Utah | 78-69 | Tubby Smith | San Antonio, TX |
| 1997 | Arizona | Kentucky | 84-79 (OT) | Lute Olson | Indianapolis, IN |
| 1996 | Kentucky | Syracuse | 89-78 | Rick Pitino | East Rutherford, NJ |
| 1995 | UCLA | Arkansas | 89-78 | Jim Harrick | Seattle, WA |
| 1994 | Arkansas | Duke | 76-72 | Nolan Richardson | Charlotte, NC |
| 1993 | North Carolina | Michigan | 77-71 | Dean Smith | New Orleans, LA |
| 1992 | Duke | Michigan | 71-51 | Mike Krzyzewski | Minneapolis, MN |
| 1991 | Duke | Kansas | 72-65 | Mike Krzyzewski | Indianapolis, IN |
| 1990 | UNLV | Duke | 103-73 | Jerry Tarkanian | Denver, CO |
| 1989 | Michigan | Seton Hall | 80-79 (OT) | Steve Fisher | Seattle, WA |
| 1988 | Kansas | Oklahoma | 83-79 | Larry Brown | Kansas City, MO |
| 1987 | Indiana | Syracuse | 74-73 | Bob Knight | New Orleans, LA |
| 1986 | Louisville | Duke | 72-69 | Denny Crum | Dallas, TX |
| 1985 | Villanova | Georgetown | 66-64 | Rollie Massimino | Lexington, KY |
| 1984 | Georgetown | Houston | 84-75 | John Thompson | Seattle, WA |
| 1983 | North Carolina State | Houston | 54-52 | Jim Valvano | Albuquerque, NM |
| 1982 | North Carolina | Georgetown | 63-62 | Dean Smith | New Orleans, LA |
| 1981 | Indiana | North Carolina | 63-50 | Bob Knight | Philadelphia, PA |
| 1980 | Louisville | UCLA | 59-54 | Denny Crum | Indianapolis, IN |
| 1979 | Michigan State | Indiana State | 75-64 | Jud Heathcote | Salt Lake City, UT |
| 1978 | Kentucky | Duke | 94-88 | Joe Hall | St. Louis, MO |
| 1977 | Marquette | North Carolina | 67-59 | Al McGuire | Atlanta, GA |
| 1976 | Indiana | Michigan | 86-68 | Bob Knight | Philadelphia, PA |
| 1975 | UCLA | Kentucky | 92-85 | John Wooden | San Diego, CA |
| 1974 | North Carolina State | Marquette | 76-64 | Norm Sloan | Greensboro, NC |
| 1973 | UCLA | Memphis State | 87-66 | John Wooden | St. Louis, MO |
| 1972 | UCLA | Florida State | 81-76 | John Wooden | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1971 | UCLA | Villanova | 68-62 | John Wooden | Houston, TX |
| 1970 | UCLA | Jacksonville | 80-69 | John Wooden | College Park, MD |
| 1969 | UCLA | Purdue | 92-72 | John Wooden | Louisville, KY |
| 1968 | UCLA | North Carolina | 78-55 | John Wooden | Los Angeles, CA |
| 1967 | UCLA | Dayton | 79-64 | John Wooden | Louisville, KY |
| 1966 | UTEP | Kentucky | 72-65 | Don Haskins | College Park, MD |
| 1965 | UCLA | Michigan | 91-80 | John Wooden | Portland, OR |
| 1964 | UCLA | Duke | 98-83 | John Wooden | Kansas City, MO |
| 1963 | Loyola (Ill.) | Cincinnati | 60-58 (OT) | George Ireland | Louisville, KY |
| 1962 | Cincinnati | Ohio State | 71-59 | Ed Jucker | Louisville, KY |
| 1961 | Cincinnati | Ohio State | 70-65 (OT) | Ed Jucker | Kansas City, MO |
| 1960 | Ohio State | California | 75-55 | Fred Taylor | Daly City, CA |
| 1959 | California | West Virginia | 71-70 | Pete Newell | Louisville, KY |
| 1958 | Kentucky | Seattle | 84-72 | Adolph Rupp | Louisville, KY |
| 1957 | North Carolina | Kansas | 54-53 (3OT) | Frank McGuire | Kansas City, MO |
| 1956 | San Francisco | Iowa | 83-71 | Phil Woolpert | Evanston, IL |
| 1955 | San Francisco | La Salle | 77-63 | Phil Woolpert | Kansas City, MO |
| 1954 | La Salle | Bradley | 92-76 | Ken Loeffler | Kansas City, MO |
| 1953 | Indiana | Kansas | 69-68 | Branch McCracken | Kansas City, MO |
| 1952 | Kansas | St. John's | 80-63 | Phog Allen | Seattle, WA |
| 1951 | Kentucky | Kansas State | 68-58 | Adolph Rupp | Minneapolis, MN |
| 1950 | CCNY | Bradley | 71-68 | Nat Holman | New York, NY |
| 1949 | Kentucky | Oklahoma A&M | 46-36 | Adolph Rupp | Seattle, WA |
| 1948 | Kentucky | Baylor | 58-42 | Adolph Rupp | New York, NY |
| 1947 | Holy Cross | Oklahoma | 58-47 | Doggie Julian | New York, NY |
| 1946 | Oklahoma State | North Carolina | 43-40 | Henry Iba | New York, NY |
| 1945 | Oklahoma State | NYU | 49-45 | Henry Iba | New York, NY |
| 1944 | Utah | Dartmouth | 42-40 (OT) | Vadal Peterson | New York, NY |
| 1943 | Wyoming | Georgetown | 46-34 | Everett Shelton | New York, NY |
| 1942 | Stanford | Dartmouth | 53-38 | Everett Dean | Kansas City, MO |
| 1941 | Wisconsin | Washington State | 39-43 | Bud Foster | Kansas City, MO |
| 1940 | Indiana | Kansas | 60-42 | Branch McCracken | Kansas City, MO |
| 1939 | Oregon | Ohio State | 46-33 | Howard Hobson | Evanston, IL |
Get detailed insights on: What is March Madness?
Which team won March Madness 2023-24?
No.1 UConn earned its fifth national championship last year, defeating Purdue 75-60. Zach Edey from the Purdue Boilermakers concluded the tournament as the top scorer with 177 points.
Discover more about: When does March Madness start?
FAQs on March Madness
A. The NCAA Tournament is also known as "The Big Dance," serving as an annual thrilling competition for college basketball championships.
A. A total of sixty-eight teams participate in the March Madness tournament, making it a major and exciting sporting event in the United States.
A. Selection Sunday for the 2024-25 season falls on March 2025, followed by the First Four games on March 18 and March 19.
A. UConn clinched its sixth national championship by defeating Purdue 75-60 in the final game.
