NCAA: How many national championships does North Carolina have?

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The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Duke Blue Devils 81-77 in an exciting down to the wire game that has been hailed as an instant classic, and are now on their way to the men’s finals.

North Carolina will now face No. 1 seed Kansas in the final game of March Madness.

North Carolina: Top-tier men's basketball program

The Tar Heels played their first season in 1910, and UNC is considered to have one the most successful college basketball programs in the last 50 years. They boast an impressive list of former students who have made it big in the NBA.

UNC holds the record for most Final Four appearances (21), and are tied with Duke for second-highest number of NCAA Championship Game appearances at 11 apiece. UCLA and Kentucky are tied in first place with 12.

They are also the only school to have made at least one Final Four appearance for nine consecutive decades.

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North Carolina's NCAA championships

North Carolina first won the NCAA championship in 1957, in a three-overtime 54-53 victory over Kansas.

It took them 25 years to repeat the feat, however, after narrowly beating Georgetown 63-62. After that, the gaps between championships became smaller. They won against the Michigan 77-71 in 1993; against Illinois 75-70 in 2005, and over Michigan State, 89-72, in 2009.

The Tar Heels last won the championship in 2017 against Gonzaga, 71-65.

North Carolina currently ranks third in number of national titles with six, behind UCLA which has 11, and Kentucky with eight.

If they win, the No. 8 Tar Heels will also tie the Villanova Wildcats for lowest overall seed to ever win March Madness.

North Carolina will be looking to clinch their seventh NCAA trophy when they face the Kansas Jayhawks on Monday, April 4 at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans. Tip-off is at 9:20 p.m. ET / 6:20 p.m. PT.