Stars Burn Out: Premier Programs Missing in Action From 2025 NCAA Tourney
Only 10 years ago, #1 seeds Auburn, Florida and Houston didn't even participate in the NCAA Tournament. More than a dozen of the 46 schools appearing in excess of 50 NCAA playoff games failed to participate in the tourney each year since the field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985, including "bloodbath" where an all-time high of 24 former Final Four schools weren't at "Big Dance" last season. An average of 20 schools (minimum of 18) are in this category over the last nine tourneys.
Nearly half of the "star schools" stayed home in 2004, including Houston when the Cougars were in the midst of a 17-year playoff drought from 1993 through 2009 prior to become a #1 seed each of the last three seasons. More than 40% of the 46 schools participating in more than 50 tourney games failed to earn a spot in this year's field. After Brigham Young competed in its 50th playoff game this year, following is a chronological list of big-name universities that are playoff regulars but were tourney outcasts since 1985:
1985 (19) - Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1986 (16) - Arkansas, Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas State, Marquette, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Wake Forest
1987 (16) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest
1988 (16) - Alabama, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Houston, Marquette, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1989 (17) - Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest
1990 (15) - Cincinnati, Florida, Gonzaga, Iowa, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1991 (17) - Cincinnati, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Houston, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia
1992 (16) - Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Tennessee, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, Virginia, Xavier
1993 (18) - Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Houston, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
1994 (19) - Brigham Young, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia, Xavier
1995 (14) - Duke, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Marquette, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UNLV, West Virginia
1996 (20) - Alabama, Brigham Young, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana State, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UNLV, Virginia, West Virginia, Xavier
1997 (23) - Alabama, Arkansas, Brigham Young, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Tennessee, UNLV, West Virginia
1998 (21) - Alabama, Brigham Young, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Texas, Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest
1999 (18) - Alabama, Brigham Young, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, UNLV, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2000 (17) - Alabama, Brigham Young, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2001 (17) - Alabama, Connecticut, Houston, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, St. John's, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia
2002 (19) - Arkansas, Brigham Young, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia
2003 (16) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, St. John's, Temple, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia
2004 (22) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Marquette, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia
2005 (20) - Arkansas, Brigham Young, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Virginia, Xavier
2006 (17) - Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest
2007 (18) - Alabama, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2008 (18) - Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana State, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest
2009 (15) - Alabama, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, St. John's, UNLV, Virginia
2010 (18) - Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, St. John's, UCLA, Utah, Virginia
2011 (13) - Alabama, Arkansas, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Maryland, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest
2012 (16) - Arizona, Arkansas, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana State, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest
2013 (17) - Alabama, Arkansas, Brigham Young, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Maryland, Purdue, St. John's, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2014 (18) - Alabama, Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana State, Marquette, Maryland, Missouri, Notre Dame, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2015 (16) - Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Wake Forest
2016 (21) - Alabama, Arkansas, Brigham Young, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, Wake Forest
2017 (21) - Alabama, Brigham Young, Connecticut, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Utah
2018 (19) - Brigham Young, Connecticut, Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest
2019 (20) - Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Brigham Young, Connecticut, Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, UCLA, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2021 (18) - Arizona, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, Xavier
2022 (21) - Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2023 (19) - Brigham Young, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Louisiana State, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest
2024 (26) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2025 (19) - Cincinnati, Georgetown, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia