Total NCAA Appearances

[GGGG]

I think the better idea would be to allow the Women Championship game to be played before the men. What an honor for the ladies to play on the big stage along side the men.

I don't know if you are kidding here.  The women's Final Four games, while not held in the same size venue as the men, are almost always sold out.  Why would it be an "honor" for them to play an opening act for the men?  They're doing just fine on their own.

[Galway Eagle]

I don't know if you are kidding here.  The women's Final Four games, while not held in the same size venue as the men, are almost always sold out.  Why would it be an "honor" for them to play an opening act for the men?  They're doing just fine on their own.

Yeah somehow given the poster I'm not thinking he's kidding. It would be cool if they did the D3 and D2 championships before though that you could say would be an honor and such

[GGGG]

Yeah somehow given the poster I'm not thinking he's kidding. It would be cool if they did the D3 and D2 championships before though that you could say would be an honor and such

I was thinking the same thing regarding D2.  Their championship game is usually on the Saturday before the first Elite 8 game and generally has a good crowd.  Would people even bother showing up?

A couple years ago when they were in Atlanta, I believe they held the D2 and D3 games on the Sunday between the semis and the finals.  As part of the 50th anniversary celebration.

[ErickJD08]

This list is pretty interesting.  Another reason MU should stand out is that most of the schools above MU have had great coaches for long tenures.  If you look at Duke, Coach K accounts for (I think) 32 out of the 41 appearances.  For Syracuse, Jim accounts for almost all of their appearances.  For Indiana, Bobby Knight accounts for the grand majority.  My point is that these schools would be considered "powerhouse" or "blue chip" programs but a lot of their success is based on a single coach.  MU has sustained success over decent turnover.

[Galway Eagle]

I was thinking the same thing regarding D2.  Their championship game is usually on the Saturday before the first Elite 8 game and generally has a good crowd.  Would people even bother showing up?

A couple years ago when they were in Atlanta, I believe they held the D2 and D3 games on the Sunday between the semis and the finals.  As part of the 50th anniversary celebration.

I believe you're right. I seem to remember something along those lines as well

[muwarrior69]

I don't know if you are kidding here.  The women's Final Four games, while not held in the same size venue as the men, are almost always sold out.  Why would it be an "honor" for them to play an opening act for the men?  They're doing just fine on their own.

Are you telling me that the women will get the same TV ratings as the men? To play that game before the men will increase their exposure to a much wider national audience and what could be better for the women's game. That is all I am saying

[GGGG]

Are you telling me that the women will get the same TV ratings as the men? To play that game before the men will increase their exposure to a much wider national audience and what could be better for the women's game. That is all I am saying

The men's game tips off at something like 8:20 PM Central.

How many people are going to tune in to the women's game tipping off at 5:40 or something like that?  How many people do you think will be in the stands when that game begins?

The women are doing fine on their own.  They don't get the same eyeballs as the men do but they play their championship in front of large, enthusiastic crowds. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Are you telling me that the women will get the same TV ratings as the men? To play that game before the men will increase their exposure to a much wider national audience and what could be better for the women's game. That is all I am saying

I think its the more unforunate language choice of the women's being "honored" to be the opening act for the men's championship.

[muwarrior69]

I think its the more unforunate language choice of the women's being "honored" to be the opening act for the men's championship.

Well pardon my politically incorrect language. Are not the men who make it to the final four "honored' by playing on the big stage? I just think the NCAA is missing an opportunity here. The men and women can play the final four at the same venue. Women on Thursday and the men on Friday and play the championship games on Sunday.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Well pardon my politically incorrect language. Are not the men who make it to the final four "honored' by playing on the big stage? I just think the NCAA is missing an opportunity here. The men and women can play the final four at the same venue. Women on Thursday and the men on Friday and play the championship games on Sunday.

I think it was more the implication that the women should be honored to share the stage with the men but the men wouldn't be honored to share it with the women. I know that wasn't your intent. Happens to the best of us.

[MUMountin]

My (semi)annual update to the chart below to reflect the 2019 bids. 

We continue to hover just outside the Top 10, although we have plenty of company. 

The good news is that despite our swoon since the early part of the decade, we have only dropped one total spot since 2013 (to Texas, and regained an appearance on them this year.).  The bad news is that most of the Top 10 all added on during that time, so we're a bit further from cracking into the Top 10. 

Top 25 Total NCAA Appearances
Vacated appearances excluded

1   (58)   Kentucky
2   (50)   North Carolina
3   (48)   Kansas
4   (47)   UCLA  (OUT)
5   (43)   Duke
6   (39)   Louisville* 
    (39)   Indiana (OUT)
8   (38)   Villanova
9   (36)   Syracuse
    (36)   Notre Dame  (OUT)
11  (34)   Texas  (OUT)
12  (33)   Marquette
    (33)   Temple
    (33)   Cincinnati
    (33)   Michigan St.
    (33)   Arizona (OUT)
17  (32)   Oklahoma
    (32)   Connecticut (OUT)
    (32)   Arkansas (OUT)
20  (31)   Kansas State
21  (30)   Purdue
    (30)   Illinois (OUT)
    (30)   Georgetown (OUT)     
24  (29)   St. John's
    (29)   Ohio State
    (29)   BYU (OUT)
    (29)   Utah (OUT)
    (29)   West Virginia (OUT)

Rest of BE:
29  (28)   Xavier
46  (21)   Creighton
48  (20)   Providence
56  (18)   DePaul
66  (16)   Butler
90  (12)   Seton Hall

* Louisville has had to vacate NCAA appearances from 2011-2015 since the last time this was updated, dropping them behind Duke and into a tie with Indiana. 

And since someone will ask, Wisconsin sits at 39 with 24 total appearances.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Crazy to me just how bad Arizona was this year. Only three Pac 10 teams in the tourney this year (Could argue it shouldn’t have even been that much) and Arizona wasn’t anywhere near the bubble.

[MUMountin]

While we await the brackets, I wanted to update this list for total NCAA appearances before the new set of appearances comes out.  I'll note that the last time I updated this was in 2019, when our appearance against Murray State put us in a tie for 12th overall.  We dropped a place to Michigan St. during Wojo's last year and currently sit in a tie for 13th. 

I've marked who is likely to miss this year's tourney below--it looks like at least 13 of the top 25 will miss this year's tourney, with two more as bubblish but probably safe per Bracket Matrix (MSU and Oklahoma). 

Our overall position likely doesn't change this year (unless MSU gets left out), but we'll break out of a tie with Arkansas, gain a game on 6 teams ahead of us, and create more space from a bunch of the teams that are just a few appearances behind us. 

Long term--Indiana, Nova, Louisville, Syracuse, and ND all seem on more shaky ground these days.  I'm sure that some of them will bounce back, but we've got a chance to catch up with some of those programs over the next decade if Shaka continues his sustained success.

Top 25 Total NCAA Appearances (before 2024 bids)
Vacated appearances excluded

1   (60)   Kentucky
2   (52)   North Carolina
3   (51)   Kansas
4   (50)   UCLA  (likely out)
5   (45)   Duke
6   (41)   Indiana  (likely out)
7   (40)   Villanova  (likely out)
8   (39)   Louisville  (likely out)
    (39)   Syracuse  (likely out)
10  (37)   Notre Dame  (likely out)
    (37)   Texas
12  (36)   Michigan St.  (probably in)
13  (35)   Marquette
    (35)   UConn     
    (35)   Arkansas  (likely out)
17  (33)   Arizona
    (33)   Temple  (playing for autobid but otherwise likely out)
    (33)   Cincinnati  (likely out)
    (33)   Oklahoma  (probably in)
    (33)   Purdue
    (33)   Illinois
23  (32)   Kansas State  (likely out)
24  (31)   Georgetown  (likely out)
    (31)   Ohio State  (likely out)
    (31)   West Virginia   (likely out)

Rest of BE and UW:
28  (29)   St. John's
    (29)   Xavier
38  (26)   Wisconsin
43  (24)   Creighton
54  (22)   Providence
61  (18)   DePaul
76  (16)   Butler
91  (14)   Seton Hall

[MU82]

Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, Indiana and UCLA "likely" out? That's bold of you, MUM! 

[MUMountin]

Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, Indiana and UCLA "likely" out? That's bold of you, MUM! 

Haha--it was to differentiate from my prior methodology which is usually to update these after the new appearances are official.   But yes, all of those are definitely out! 

I also just realized that Temple made it to the AAC championship, so they very well may make the tourney.