The first and second round of March Madness is complete, the field was trimmed by more than half the selected college programs than when the tournament kicked off with 68 teams at the inception. Now with the Sweet 16 also behind us, we only have eight teams remaining in the bracket. That means the Elite Eight is the next round up and it’s quickly approaching.
You likely reached is when you Googled your curiosity about which college programs have had the most appearances in the Round of Eight. If you have a sense of which teams advanced to the Sweet 16 the most times, you wouldn’t have to wager too much on the teams you’ll find in the following list.
| Rank | School | Elite 8s | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky Wildcats | 38 | 2019 |
| 2 | North Carolina Tarheels | 29 | 2022 |
| 3 | Kansas Jayhawks | 24 | 2022 |
| 4 | Duke Blue Devils | 24 | 2024 |
| 5 | UCLA Bruins | 22 | 2021 |
| 6 | Michigan Wolverines | 14 | 2021 |
| 6 | Michigan State Spartans | 14 | 2019 |
| 6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 14 | 2012 |
| 6 | Villanova Wildcats | 14 | 2018 |
| 6 | Kansas State Wildcats | 14 | 2023 |
| 11 | Connecticut Huskies | 13 | 2023 |
| 12 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 12 | 2022 |
| 13 | Indiana Hoosiers | 11 | 2002 |
| 13 | Louisville Cardinals | 11 | 2009 |
| 13 | Arizona Wildcats | 11 | 2015 |
| 13 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 11 | 2004 |
| 17 | Syracuse Orangeman | 10 | 2016 |
| 17 | Illinois Illini | 10 | 2024 |
In the 2024 tournament, UConn is coming together at the right time; absolutely dominating their four opponents by an average margin of victory of 27.75 points. They have steamrolled their way to their 13th Elite Eight appearance nearing the top 10 of the list above.
The 2023 March Madness was the first time in the history of the NCAA tournament that no #1 seed made it into the Elite Eight. And it’s a very rare occasion to not see any of the traditional big name college basketball programs to show up. No Duke or Kentucky. No North Carolina. No Kansas or UCLA.
Blue Bloods Dominate Elite Eight History
If you know college basketball history, then it comes as no surprise that the bluest of Blue Bloods sits at the top of this list; the Kentucky Wildcats have appeared in 38 Elite Eights. Coming in a distant second is the North Carolina Tarheels with 29 — for those of you that skipped your stats class — that’s nine fewer Elite Eight appearances than #1 Kentucky.
Rounding out the top five in regards to college programs that have advanced into the Elite Eight the most times are the Kansas Jayhawks (25), Duke Blue Devils (23) and UCLA Bruins (21) – all official Blue Bloods and college programs that are synonymous with March Madness.
From there, it’s a 50% drop in Elite Eight appearances. Michigan State (14), Ohio State (14) and the University of Michigan Wolverines (13) might not be considered Blue Bloods, but these three Big Ten teams, along with Villanova (14) and Kansas State (13), form the top ten list of college programs that appeared.
And it should come as no surprise that these same college programs clock in with the most Final Four appearances.
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