Which team has won the most March Madness tournaments?
In 2022, the most successful team in the history of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament will be out to end a long wait since its last trophy.
UCLA are the most decorated team in the history of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness, although it’s been nearly 30 years since they last lifted the trophy.
UCLA in the midst of 27-year March Madness trophy drought
The most recent of UCLA’s 11 national titles came back in 1995, when a team coached by Jim Harrick saw off the Arkansas Razorbacks 89-78 in the championship game in Seattle.
Under legendary head coach John Wooden, the Bruins were March Madness winners 10 times between 1964 and 1975 - a golden period that included a run of seven titles in a row - before adding their most recent championship two decades later.
The closest UCLA have come since then was in 2006, when Ben Howland’s team went down 73-57 to the Florida Gators in the trophy decider in Indianapolis.
The Californians have also reached the Final Four on four occasions since 1995, most recently last year's event in Indianapolis. In the 2021 semi-finals, the Bruins were beaten 93-90 in overtime by the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Wooden March Madness' most decorated coach
Wooden’s 10 national championships makes him the tournament’s most successful coach, ahead of Mike Krzyzewski, who led Duke to each of their five titles between 1991 and 2015.
While Duke’s haul of March Madness triumphs puts them joint-fourth with Indiana on the list of the competition's most decorated teams, Kentucky and North Carolina complete the podium behind UCLA. The Wildcats are second with eight titles, and the Tar Heels have six.
March Madness' most successful teams
| Team | Titles | Years won | |
| 1. | UCLA | 11 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 |
| 2. | Kentucky | 8 | 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 |
| 3. | North Carolina | 6 | 1946, 1968, 1977, 1981, 2016 |
| 4. | Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
| 4. | Indiana | 5 | 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 |
March Madness 2022: matchups set after Selection Sunday
Following Selection Sunday on 13 March, the 68-team line-up for March Madness 2022 is all set. UCLA’s bid for a 13th title begins with a first-round game against Akron in Portland on 17 March, while reigning champions the Baylor Bears kick off their tournament defence against Norfolk State on the same day in Fort Worth.
Take a look at the full March Madness 2022 bracket:
A guide to March Madness
For those who are less familiar with the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, AS USA’s Jen Bubel has put together this ‘March Madness for dummies’ guide.
You might also like to check out Jen’s video guide to the event:
