Which team has won the most March Madness tournaments?
The most successful team in the history of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament hasn’t won in nearly three decades. We look at the top five.
It may come as a surprise to younger fans, but UCLA is the most decorated team in the tournament’s history, popularly known as March Madness. Anyone under 30 years old has never seen the Bruins lift the trophy in their lifetime.
UCLA’s March Madness title drought continues since 1995
The last of UCLA’s 11 national titles came in 1995, when a team coached by Jim Harrick defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 89-78 in the championship game in Seattle.
Under legendary head coach John Wooden, the Bruins won 10 titles between 1964 and 1975, a golden era that included a streak of seven consecutive championships. Their most recent championship was added two decades later, in 1995.
Since then, the closest UCLA has come to another title was in 2006, when Ben Howland’s team lost 73-57 to the Florida Gators in the final in Indianapolis.
The Los Angeles-based team has also reached the Final Four on four occasions since 1995, most recently in 2021, when they lost in overtime 93-90 to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the semifinals.
For its part, the University of Connecticut (UConn), the Huskies have 6 titles after last year’s win in 2024.
John Wooden: the coach with the most March Madness titles
With 10 national championships, John Wooden is the most successful coach in the tournament’s history, ahead of Mike Krzyzewski, who led Duke to five titles between 1991 and 2015.
The fifth most successful team is Kansas, with four championships in its history. Meanwhile, Duke and Indiana each have five titles, placing them in a tie for fourth place among the most successful teams.
Below is the ranking of the most successful teams in March Madness history:
| Rank | 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 | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
| 3 | UConn | 6 | 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024 |
| 4 | Indiana | 5 | 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 |
| 4 | Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
| 5 | Kansas | 4 | 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 |
March Madness 2025: matchups set after Selection Sunday
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After Selection Sunday on March 16, 2025, the 68-team bracket for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament has been set. UConn, the reigning champions, will look to defend their title after defeating Purdue in last year’s final 75-60.
The 2025 tournament will begin with the “First Four” on March 18 and 19, followed by the first round on March 20 and 21. The Final Four will take place on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, culminating in the championship game on April 7 at the same venue.