4 teams with the most NCAA appearances without making Final Four ft. BYU Cougars
Going to March Madness is no guarantee of success. While all schools in the nation fight for a spot in the NCAA tournament, the sole inclusion in the event makes for a successful season. Nonetheless, after succeeding in that initial goal, several teams go bust and fail to translate their regular-season success into postseason achievement.
Here's the list of the schools that despite making the NCAA tournament several times, have never reached the coveted Final Four.
4 teams with the most NCAA appearances without making the Final Four
#4 Tennessee Volunteers- SEC
Surprisingly, the No. 2 of this year's edition of March Madness has never reached the Final Four. In total, the Vols have 25 NCAA tournament appearances. Tennessee has only reached the Elite Eight in 2010, although they have a respectable nine appearances in the Sweet Sixteen. They last made the aforementioned round just last year. They have a chance this year.
#3 Xavier Musketeers- Big East
The Musketeers will be playing in the NIT instead of the NCAA tournament this year. However, they do have 29 appearances in the tournament. The school only has three Elite Eight appearances, all of them coming in the 21st century and the most recent in 2017. They did appear on March Madness last year.
#2 Missouri Tigers- SEC
Another SEC school on this list. The Mizzou Tigers won't feature in this year's edition of the NCAA tournament, but in total, they have 29 appearances without reaching the Final Four. They do have five Elite Eight appearances, the most recent being in 2009.
#1 BYU Cougars- Big 12
With 31, the Utah school has the most participation in the NCAA tournament without going into the Final Four. 2024 is the latest of the failed attempts to join the Final Four, as the Cougars fell to the Duquesne Dukes in the first round. They last made Elite Eight in Far Away 1981, and the Sweet Sixteen in 2011.