Top 5 college basketball teams with most March Madness wins without a championship ft. Matt Painter's Purdue 

March Madness glory proved elusive once again for Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers as they lost to the Houston Cougars in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. With that defeat, Purdue remained the record-holder for the most March Madness victories without a championship.

Here are the five college basketball teams with the most NCAA Tournament wins without a national championship.

Top 5 NCAA teams with most March Madness wins without a championship

#1. Purdue Boilermakers (51 wins)

The Purdue Boilermakers lead the list, winning 51 NCAA Tournament games but failing to capture a national championship in their program history. The closest they got to winning the NCAA title came in 1969 and 2024 when Purdue advanced to the national championship game.

The Boilermakers advanced to the finals of the 1969 NCAA Tournament under the leadership of George King. They fell short in their bid to win the title, losing 92-72 to John Wooden and the UCLA Bruins in the national championship game.

Purdue's Zach Edey (#15) hugs and consoles Lance Jones (#55) after they lost to UConn in the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship game at State Farm Stadium. Photo: Getty

The Boilermakers waited 55 years to return to the NCAA title game, where Matt Painter's team faced the defending champion UConn Huskies. Zach Edey failed to lead Purdue to that long-awaited championship, losing 75-60 in the final of the 2024 March Madness.

#2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (47 wins)

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have won 47 March Madness games without capturing an NCAA title in their program history. The closest they got to winning a national championship came in 2017 and 2021 when Gonzaga advanced to the title game.

Gonzaga fell short in its bid to win the NCAA title in 2017, losing 71-65 to North Carolina in the national championship game. The Bulldogs had an opportunity to make history in 2021, but their quest for a perfect season was thwarted by the Baylor Bears, who recorded an 86-70 victory in the title game.

#3. Illinois Fighting Illini (46 wins)

The Illinois Fighting Illini have 45 March Madness wins under their belt without securing the NCAA title in their program history. The closest they got to winning the national championship came in 2005 when they lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the title game.

Illinois head coach Bruce Weber pleads his case with an official during the 2005 NCAA national championship game against North Carolina held at the Edward Jones Dome. Photo: Getty

Luther Head sent Illinois fans into a frenzy when his 3-pointer tied the game at 70-all. The Fighting Illini failed to score a basket after that, though, as the Tar Heels recorded a 75-70 victory. Since that defeat, Illinois has not made an appearance in the Final Four.

#4. Houston Cougars (45 wins)

The Houston Cougars came close to removing themselves from this list, holding a 12-point lead in the final of the 2025 NCAA Tournament against the Florida Gators. They failed to hold on to that advantage, though, with Florida outscoring Houston 35-21 in the final 15:25 of the second half.

The Cougars had multiple chances to win the game in the closing stages of regulation, but turnovers doomed Kelvin Sampson's team. Houston also went scoreless in the final 2:05 against Florida.

#5. Oklahoma Sooners (43 wins)

The Oklahoma Sooners have 43 March Madness wins without capturing an NCAA title in program history. The closest they got to winning the national championship came in 1947 and 1988 when they finished runner-up.

Oklahoma fell short in its bid to win the NCAA title in 1947, losing 58-47 to the Holy Cross Crusaders in the national championship game at Madison Square Garden. The Sooners returned to the finals 41 years later, but they were denied the victory once again, losing 83-79 to the Kansas Jayhawks.