Unfinished Business: BYU, Mizzou & Utah State Remain on "Susan Lucci" List
Weep On It/Think On It/Sleep On It/Drink On It. That could have been the motto for Alabama until the Crimson Tide left the list of "Susan Lucci" schools in NCAA Division I by finally advancing to the Promised Land in its 25th tournament appearance in 2024. Brigham Young, Missouri and Xavier are the only three schools participating in at least 30 NCAA Tournaments but never advancing to a Final Four (cumulative 94 playoff appearances).
Missouri has reached a regional final on four occasions but fell short in advancing to the Final Four. Six years ago, Xavier joined Mizzou (1994) as the only schools never reaching the national semifinals despite earning a #1 seed at some point during their NCAA playoff participation. Boston College is another bridesmaid multiple times comparable to Xavier, losing three regional finals (1967, 1982 and 1994) in 18 tourney appearances (22-19 record) since the field expanded beyond eight teams in 1950.
The following "Forlorn Four" frustrated institutions remain in quagmire because they've made more than 25 appearances without reaching the Final Four:
School Tourney Appearances (Playoff Record Through 2025) Regional Final Losses Utah State 26 (8-28 mark, .222) 1970 Brigham Young 33 (17-36, .321) 1951 and 1981 Missouri 31 (23-31, .426) 1976, 1994, 2002 and 2009 Xavier 30 (31-30, .508) 2004, 2008 and 2017