As Good As It Got: Teams Entering NCAA Tourney With Longest Win Streaks
March 23rd, 2026 - 18:31
Gonzaga entered NCAA Tournament final five years ago boasting a school-record winning streak (35) before beaten by Baylor. The Zags should know the fact numerous other teams had the daunting task of capturing the NCAA championship or watch even longer school-record winning streaks come to a halt. Mid-majors James Madison (13 in 2024), UC San Diego (15 in 2025) and High Point (14 in 2026) entered national playoffs the last three campaigns with winning streaks significantly shorter than the following alphabetical list of schools boasting still existing all-time DI winning streaks of at least 25 consecutive victories broken during the NCAA playoffs:
| School | Streak | Date Ended | Opponent | Score | NCAA Tourney Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | 26 | 4-5-10 | Duke | 61-59 | Championship Game |
| College of Charleston | 25 | 3-12-99 | Tulsa | 62-53 | East Regional First |
| Columbia | 32 | 3-20-51 | Illinois | 79-71 | East Regional First |
| Davidson | 25 | 3-30-08 | Kansas | 59-57 | Midwest Regional Final |
| Duke | 32 | 3-29-99 | Connecticut | 77-74 | Championship Game |
| Florida | 30 | 4-5-14 | Connecticut | 63-53 | National Semifinals |
| Gonzaga | 35 | 4-5-21 | Baylor | 86-70 | Championship Game |
| Houston | 32 | 3-22-68 | UCLA | 101-69 | National Semifinals |
| Indiana | 34 | 3-22-75 | Kentucky | 92-90 | Mideast Regional Final |
| Indiana State | 33 | 3-26-79 | Michigan State | 75-64 | Championship Game |
| Kentucky | 38 | 4-4-15 | Wisconsin | 71-64 | National Semifinals |
| Loyola Marymount | 25 | 3-19-88 | North Carolina | 123-97 | West Regional Second |
| Marquette | 39 | 3-18-71 | Ohio State | 60-59 | Mideast Regional Semifinals |
| Memphis | 27 | 3-26-09 | Missouri | 102-91 | West Regional Semifinals |
| Ohio State | 32 | 3-25-61 | Cincinnati | 70-65 | Championship Game |
| Rutgers | 31 | 3-27-76 | Michigan | 86-70 | National Semifinals |
| Stephen F. Austin | 29 | 3-23-14 | UCLA | 77-60 | South Regional Second |
| Temple | 25 | 3-21-58 | Kentucky | 61-60 | National Semifinals |
| UNLV | 45 | 3-30-91 | Duke | 79-77 | National Semifinals |
| Wichita State | 35 | 3-23-14 | Kentucky | 78-76 | Midwest Regional Second |