March Madness is a wild ride. Only one team gets to celebrate with the trophy each year. With 68 squads battling it out, consistency is tough to come by. Yet, some programs have cracked the code, turning the Sweet 16 a regular affair for their team.
Teams That Have Dominated Sweet 16
Since the NCAA Tournament grew to 64 teams in 1985, reaching the Sweet 16 has been a test for all the teams. It takes at least two wins, sometimes three, for First Four teams. Only a few programs have managed to appear consecutively each year.
The list is led by the Gonzaga Bulldogs. From 2015 to 2024, they’ve reached the Sweet 16 nine straight times, tying them with North Carolina (1985–93) and Duke (1998–06) for the all-time record.
Duke may not have the same glory as their past anymore, but that doesn’t mean they are any less. Beyond their nine-year streak, they also notched seven straight from 1986 to 1992. No other team has managed more than five consecutive trips besides these three. Houston’s on the rise, with five in a row since 2019. They could hit six in 2025.
Kansas, Kentucky, and Michigan have also posted five-year runs. But Gonzaga’s eyeing history. One more in 2025 would make it 10 straight, a first since the tournament expanded.
Over the last nine years, Gonzaga’s landed spots like No. 2, No. 1 (four times), and No. 5. Talent and coaching have kept them rolling. Houston’s streak, meanwhile, shows a program hitting its stride. Behind them, only a handful, like Alabama and UConn, have managed back-to-back Sweet 16s recently.
Here’s a Table With All the Teams and Their Consecutive appearances:
- Gonzaga – 9 (2015-2024)
- Duke – 9 (1998-2006)
- North Carolina – 9 (1985-1993)
- Duke – 7 (1986-1992)
- Houston – 6 (2019-present)
- Kansas – 5 (1993-1997)
- Kentucky – 5 (1995-1999)
- Michigan – 5 (2017-2022)
- Arkansas – 4 (1993-1996)
- Florida – 4 (2011-2014)
- Indiana – 4 (1991-1994)
- Kansas – 4 (2001-2004)
- Louisville – 4 (2012-2015)
- Memphis – 4 (2006-2009)
- Michigan State – 4 (1998-2001)
- Ohio State – 4 (2010-2013)
- Michigan State – 4 (2012-2015)
- Wisconsin – 4 (2014-2017)
This year, the SEC is breaking records left and right. Seven teams crashed the Sweet 16, smashing the ACC’s old record of six. Ole Miss stunned No. 3 Iowa State. Alabama crushed Saint Mary’s. Kentucky, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, and Arkansas joined the party.
KEEP READING: Top 10 Players to Watch in the Sweet 16 of 2025 Men’s March Madness
The conference went 58-19 against power foes early in the season. Fourteen of its 16 teams made the tournament. Arkansas, once 0-5 in SEC play, turned it around with a wild upset over St. John’s.
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