Teams With Longest NCAA Tournament Droughts

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VMI is trying to end an NCAA tournament drought dating back to 1977.
(AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)
Chase Kiddy @chaseakiddy Mar 27, 2024, 4:43 PM

College basketball fans often talk about the teams that have never made an NCAA Tournament, but spare a thought for those schools that haven’t qualified for a single March Madness bracket in decades. 

Fortunately, hope springs eternal. Every season, long-suffering programs have a chance to remove themselves from this list by winning their conference tournament.

In 2024, this was best exemplified by the Duquesne Dukes, who won the Atlantic 10 men’s basketball tournament and ended an NCAA Tournament drought that dated all the way back to 1977.

Longest NCAA Tournament Droughts

TeamLast Tournament AppearanceConference
Idaho State1987Big Sky
Marist1987MAAC
Jacksonville1986Atlantic Sun
Brown1986Ivy
Houston Christian1984Southland
Toledo1980MAC
VMI1977SoCon
Rice1970C-USA
Seattle1969WAC
Bowling Green1968MAC
Columbia1968Ivy
Tennessee Tech1963Ohio Valley
Dartmouth1959Ivy

March Madness Tournament Droughts

Last season, Furman ended its 42-year drought by winning the SoCon Basketball Tournament. The Paladins defeated Chattanooga in the 2023 championship game to earn their first tournament berth since 1980.

Also in 2023, Toledo nearly ended its 42-year drought. Though the Rockets did earn the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, they ultimately lost to Kent State in the championship game.

History repeated itself this year when Toledo clinched the No. 1 seed in the MAC basketball tournament but lost to the Golden Flashes in the quarterfinals.

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About the Author

Chase Kiddy

Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.