Hold Prominent Place In NCAA Tournament History
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to a 64-team (now 68-team) bracket in 1985, the state of North Carolina has averaged about four teams per year in the Big Dance, with the Atlantic Coast Conference quartet of North Carolina, Duke, NC State and Wake Forest most often leading the way.
In the 39 NCAA Tournaments held from 1985 through 2024 (the COVID pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 event), North Carolina-based programs have received 158 bids, or just a small fraction more than four per year.
The three in-state teams that will play in the 2024 NCAA Tournament — UNC (53 all-time bids), Duke (46) and NC State (29) — represent the three in-state programs that have been there most often historically.
Davidson (15), Charlotte (11) and North Carolina A&T (10) also have been to the Big Dance with significant frequency over the years, although the 49ers haven’t been there since 2005 and the Aggies since 2013.
Meanwhile, three of North Carolina’s 19 Division One men’s basketball programs have not yet appeared in the NCAA Tournament at the highest level of college hoops: Elon, High Point and Queens (which is not yet eligible).
Under first-year coach Alan Huss, High Point finished first in the Big South Conference during the regular season and hosted the Big South Tournament, but the Panthers lost 80-79 (in overtime) in the semifinals to fifth-place Longwood, which went on to defeat UNC Asheville in the championship game and claim the league’s automatic (and only) bid to the Big Dance.
The majority of North Carolina-based teams play in one-bid conferences, meaning their only route to the NCAA Tournament is to win their respective conference tournaments.
Beyond the Big Four schools in the ACC, only Davidson (Atlantic-10), Charlotte (American Athletic Conference) and East Carolina (AAC) now play in top-10 leagues that typically get one or more at-large teams into the Big Dance, in addition to their official conference champion.
School, Conference — NCAA Tournament Bids
(Most Recent Bid)
North Carolina, ACC — 53 (2024)
Duke, ACC — 46 (2024)
NC State, ACC — 29 (2024)
Wake Forest, ACC — 23 (2017)
Davidson, Atlantic-10 — 15 (2022)
Charlotte, AAC — 11 (2005)
North Carolina A&T, CAA — 10 (2013)
UNC Wilmington, CAA — 6 (2017)
UNC Asheville, Big South — 5 (2023)
NC Central, MEAC — 4 (2019)
UNC Greensboro, SoCon — 4 (2021)
Appalachian State, Sun Belt — 3 (2021)
East Carolina, AAC — 2 (1993)
Campbell, CAA — 1 (1992)
Gardner-Webb, Big South — 1 (2019)
Western Carolina, SoCon — 1 (1996)
Elon, CAA — 0 (Division I since 1999)
High Point, Big South — 0 (Division I since 1999)
Queens, ASUN — 0 (Division I since 2022; not yet eligible for postseason)
The 2024 NCAA Tournament marks the fourth year in a row with only three North Carolina-based teams participating in the event. Prior to this stretch, that hadn’t happened since 2011.
Below is a year-by-year breakdown of North-Carolina-based teams in the NCAA Tournament, with all Sweet 16 trips and greater accomplishments highlighted in bold:Year (NC Bids) — NC Schools In NCAA Tournament
2024 (THREE) — UNC-53, Duke-46, NCSU-29
2023 (THREE) — Duke, UNC Asheville-5, NCSU
2022 (THREE) — Duke (Final Four), UNC (Final Four/runner-up), Davidson-15
2021 (THREE) — Appalachian St-3, UNC Greensboro-4, UNC
2020 — No NCAA Tournament (COVID)
2019 (FOUR) — Duke (Elite Eight), UNC, NC Central-4, Gardner-Webb-1
2018 (SIX) — Duke (Elite Eight), UNC, NCSU, Davidson, NC Central, UNC Greensboro
2017 (FIVE) — Duke, UNC (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), Wake Forest-23, NC Central, UNC Wilmington-6
2016 (FOUR) — Duke (Sweet 16), UNC (Final Four/runner-up), UNC Asheville, UNC Wilmington
2015 (FOUR) — Duke (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), UNC (Sweet 16), NCSU (Sweet 16), Davidson
2014 (FOUR) — Duke, UNC, NCSU, NC Central
2013 (FIVE) — Duke (Elite Eight), UNC, NCSU, Davidson, North Carolina A&T-10
2012 (FIVE) — Duke, UNC (Elite Eight), NCSU (Sweet 16), Davidson, UNC Asheville
2011 (THREE) — Duke (Sweet 16), UNC (Elite Eight), UNC Asheville
2010 (TWO) — Duke (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), Wake Forest
2009 (THREE) — Duke (Sweet 16), UNC (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), Wake Forest
2008 (THREE) — Duke, UNC (Final Four), Davidson (Elite Eight)
2007 (THREE) — Duke, UNC (Elite Eight), Davidson
2006 (FIVE) — Duke (Sweet 16), UNC, NCSU, Davidson, UNC Wilmington
2005 (FIVE) — Duke (Sweet 16), UNC (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), NCSU (Sweet 16), Wake Forest, Charlotte-11
2004 (FIVE) — Duke (Final Four), UNC, NCSU, Wake Forest (Sweet 16), Charlotte
2003 (FIVE) — Duke (Sweet 16), NCSU, Wake Forest, UNC Asheville, UNC Wilmington
2002 (SIX) — Duke (Sweet 16), NCSU, Wake Forest, Davidson, Charlotte, UNC Wilmington
2001 (FIVE) — Duke (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), UNC, Wake Forest, Charlotte, UNC Greensboro
2000 (FOUR) — Duke (Sweet 16), UNC (Final Four), Appalachian St, UNC Wilmington
1999 (THREE) — Duke (Final Four/runner-up), UNC, Charlotte
1998 (FOUR) — Duke (Elite Eight), UNC (Final Four), Davidson, Charlotte
1997 (FOUR) — Duke, UNC (Final Four), Wake Forest, Charlotte
1996 (FIVE) — Duke, UNC, Wake Forest (Elite Eight), UNC Greensboro, Western Carolina-1
1995 (FOUR) — UNC (Final Four), Wake Forest (Sweet 16), Charlotte, North Carolina A&T
1994 (FOUR) — Duke (Final Four/runner-up), UNC, Wake Forest, North Carolina A&T
1993 (FOUR) — Duke, UNC (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), Wake Forest (Sweet 16), ECU-2
1992 (FIVE) — Duke (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), UNC (Sweet 16), Wake Forest, Campbell-1, Charlotte
1991 (FOUR) — Duke (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), UNC (Final Four), NCSU, Wake Forest
1990 (TWO) — Duke (Final Four/runner-up), UNC (Sweet 16)
1989 (THREE) — Duke (Final Four), UNC (Sweet 16), NCSU (Sweet 16)
1988 (FIVE) — Duke (Final Four), UNC (Elite Eight), NCSU, Charlotte, North Carolina A&T
1987 (FOUR) — Duke (Sweet 16), UNC (Elite Eight), NCSU, North Carolina A&T
1986 (FIVE) — Duke (Final Four/runner-up), UNC (Sweet 16), NCSU (Elite Eight), Davidson, North Carolina A&T
1985 (FOUR) — Duke, UNC (Elite Eight), NCSU (Elite Eight), North Carolina A&T
(NOTE: 1985 marked the first year of the 64-team NCAA bracket.)
1984 (FOUR) — Duke, UNC (Sweet 16), Wake Forest (Elite Eight), North Carolina A&T
1983 (THREE) — UNC (Elite Eight), NCSU (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), North Carolina A&T
1982 (FOUR) — UNC (Final Four/CHAMPIONS), NCSU, Wake Forest, North Carolina A&T
1981 (TWO) — UNC (Final Four/runner-up), Wake Forest
1980 (THREE) — Duke (Elite Eight), UNC, NCSU
(NOTE: 1980 marked both the expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 48 teams and the elimination of the restriction on the number of teams from any conference.)
1979 (THREE) — Duke, UNC, Appalachian St
1978 (TWO) — Duke (Final Four/runner-up), UNC
1977 (THREE) — UNC (Final Four/runner-up), Wake Forest (Elite Eight), Charlotte (Final Four)
1976 (ONE) — UNC
1975 (ONE) — UNC (Sweet 16)
(NOTE: 1975 marked both the expansion of the NCAA Tournament to 32 teams and a rule change that allowed a maximum of two teams from any conference.)
1974 (ONE) — NCSU (Final Four/CHAMPIONS)
1973 (ZERO) —
1972 (TWO) — UNC (Final Four), ECU
1971 (ZERO) —
1970 (TWO) — NCSU (Sweet 16), Davidson
1969 (TWO) — UNC (Final Four), Davidson (Elite Eight)
1968 (TWO) — UNC (Final Four/runner-up), Davidson (Elite Eight)
1967 (ONE) — UNC (Final Four)
1966 (TWO) — Duke (Final Four), Davidson (Sweet 16)
1965 (ONE) — NCSU (Sweet 16)
1964 (ONE) — Duke (Final Four/runner-up)
1963 (ONE) — Duke (Final Four)
1962 (ONE) — Wake Forest (Final Four)
1961 (ONE) — Wake Forest (Elite Eight)
1960 (ONE) — Duke (Elite Eight)
1959 (ONE) — UNC
1958 (ZERO) —
1957 (ONE) — UNC (Final Four/CHAMPIONS)
1956 (ONE) — NCSU
1955 (ONE) — Duke
1954 (ONE) — NCSU (Sweet 16)
1953 (ONE) — Wake Forest (Sweet 16)
1952 (ONE) — NCSU (Sweet 16)
1951 (ONE) — NCSU (Elite Eight)
(NOTE: 1951 marked the doubling of the size of the NCAA Tournament, from eight to 16 teams.)
1950 (ONE) — NCSU (Final Four)
1949 (ZERO) —
1948 (ZERO) —
1947 (ZERO) —
1946 (ONE) — UNC (Final Four/runner-up)
1945 (ZERO) —
1944 (ZERO) —
1943 (ZERO) —
1942 (ZERO) —
1941 (ONE) — UNC (Elite Eight)
1940 (ZERO) —
1939 (ONE) — Wake Forest (Elite Eight)
