Who has won the most March Madness championships?

Last Modified Jan 25, 2024 10:42 GMT
Who has won the most March Madness championships?
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Annually, the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is referred to as the NCAA March Madness. The NCAA basketball champion for the year is decided in this tournament by a single-elimination system. The competition, which was first conducted in 1939, is primarily held in mid-March to early-April, with 68 teams competing to win the title.

The 32 conference champion teams and the 36 teams, who are chosen via a day-long event known as "Selection Sunday," kick off the tournament. Following that, they are separated into four regions and seeded from 1 to 16. Three weeks are dedicated to the tournament. The First Four is where the eight teams compete.

Four of these winners then advance to the first and second rounds of the competition. The Sweet Sixteen regional semifinals and the Elite Eight finals are held over the second weekend. The national semifinals' third weekend is when the Final Four are held. The team that is left standing is ultimately crowned the year's national champion after the championship game in April.

The 2024 March Madness will also follow the same format to determine the national championship for the year. From March 19–April 8, it will take place at Glendale, Arizona's State Farm Stadium.

Discover about When does March Madness Start?

Team with the Most March Madness Championships Won

With 11 national titles, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) continues to hold the record, despite not having won the entire tournament since 1995. Kentucky is in second place with eight championships, followed by North Carolina with six. Others, like Indiana and Duke, are right behind with five apiece and may add to their totals in the years to come.

SchoolNational titlesMost recentRunner-up finishes
UCLA1119952
Kentucky820124
North Carolina620175
Duke520156
Connecticut520230
Indiana519871
Kansas420226
Villanova320181
Cincinnati219621
Florida220071
Louisville219860
Michigan State220001
North Carolina State219830
Oklahoma State219460
San Francisco219560
Arizona119971
Arkansas119941
Baylor120211
California119591
City College of New York119500
Georgetown119843
Holy Cross119470
La Salle119540
Loyola (Ill.)119630
Marquette119771
Maryland120020
Ohio State119604
Oregon119390
Stanford119420
Syracuse120032
UNLV119900
Utah119441
Texas El-Paso119660
Virginia120190
Wisconsin119411
Wyoming119430

What team has won the most NCAA Tournament games?

UCLA continues to lead the nation in national titles, but it turns out that it no longer leads the nation in NCAA Tournament victories. Although Kentucky has had multiple successful eras, this one under John Calipari may be the most productive. The Wildcats have recently surpassed North Carolina to claim the record for the most victories ever. But the Tar Heels are still very much in reach, and Duke is not far behind them.

SchoolWinsLossesWinning percentage
Kentucky13255.706
North Carolina13149.728
Duke11940.748
Kansas11649.703
UCLA11545.712

Kentucky and UCLA, in the above table, are included with their vacated titles.

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Which March Madness game has the highest score ever?

On March 18, 1990, Loyola Marymount defeated Michigan by a final score of 149-115 to collect 264 points, setting the record for the highest scoring game in NCAA tournament history. That score is far higher than Loyola Marymount's second-place total of 234.

PointsWTScoreLTScoreYear
264LMU149Michigan1151990
234LMU119Wyoming1151988
232UNLV131LMU1101990
227Iowa121Notre Dame1061970
225Houston119Notre Dame1061971
223 Arizona114UNLV1091976
221Arkansas120LMU1011989
220North Carolina123LMU971988
216UNLV121San Francisco951977
216 West Virginia111Wake Forest1052005

Also read about Has a 9 seed ever made it to the championship?

FAQ's on Who has won the most March Madness championships?

A. The 2024 March Madness runs from March 19 to April 8 at Glendale's State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

A. Sixty-eight teams compete in the single-elimination tournament, aiming to be crowned the NCAA Division I men's basketball champion.

A. UCLA holds the record with eleven championships, followed by Kentucky with eight and North Carolina with six.

A. Kentucky currently leads with 132 wins, surpassing North Carolina and Duke in NCAA Tournament victories.

A. Loyola Marymount vs. Michigan in 1990 holds the record with a combined score of 264 points, ending 149-115 in Loyola Marymount's favor.

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