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.Â
Fortunately, hope springs eternal. Every season, long-suffering programs have a chance to remove themselves from this list by winning their conference tournament.
In 2026, this is best exemplified by Tennessee State, which hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament since Bill Clinton was the U.S. president.
Longest NCAA Tournament Droughts
| Team | Last Tournament Appearance | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho State | 1987 | Big Sky |
| Marist | 1987 | MAAC |
| Jacksonville | 1986 | Atlantic Sun |
| Brown | 1986 | Ivy |
| Houston Christian | 1984 | Southland |
| Toledo | 1980 | MAC |
| VMI | 1977 | SoCon |
| Rice | 1970 | C-USA |
| Seattle | 1969 | WAC |
| Bowling Green | 1968 | MAC |
| Columbia | 1968 | Ivy |
| Tennessee Tech | 1963 | Ohio Valley |
| Dartmouth | 1959 | Ivy |
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