Stars Burn Out: Premier Programs Missing in Action From 2024 NCAA Tourney
At least a dozen of the 44 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 aren't at "Big Dance" this season. Nineteen is the average number of schools in this category over the last 10 tourneys.
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. Nearly 60% of the 44 schools participating in more than 50 tourney games failed to earn a spot in this year's field. As Alabama is on the precipice of playing in 50th playoff contest, following is a chronological list of big-name universities that are playoff regulars but were tourney outcasts since 1985:
1985 (18) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1986 (15) - Arkansas, 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 (15) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Houston, Marquette, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia
1989 (16) - 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 (17) - Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Houston, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia
1994 (18) - 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 (18) - 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 (21) - Arkansas, 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 (19) - 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 (16) - Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, UNLV, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2000 (15) - Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2001 (16) - Connecticut, Houston, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, St. John's, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia
2002 (18) - Arkansas, 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 (19) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Virginia, Xavier
2006 (16) - Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest
2007 (17) - 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 (17) - 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 (14) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, St. John's, UNLV, Virginia
2010 (17) - Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, St. John's, UCLA, Utah, Virginia
2011 (12) - 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 (15) - Arkansas, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Maryland, Purdue, St. John's, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier
2014 (17) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana State, Marquette, Maryland, Missouri, Notre Dame, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia
2015 (15) - Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Wake Forest
2016 (19) - Arkansas, 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 (19) - 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 (18) - 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 (18) - Arizona, Arkansas, 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 (20) - 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 (18) - 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