7 teams with longest NCAA Tournament droughts ft. Dartmouth
Who has the longest March Madness drought? As the NCAA Tournament prepares to tipoff, maybe it's time to consider not just the 68 teams in the field.
Maybe it's time to also consider the teams that aren't in the field this year or last year or many years before that. Here are the seven longest active NCAA Tournament droughts.
Seven teams with longest NCAA Tournament droughts
#7 VMI (1977)
The VMI Keydets of the Southern Conference have a long NCAA drought. The last time it played in the NCAA Tournament, Indiana was the defending champions off a perfect season.
Jimmy Carter was the U.S. President. Current VMI coach Andrew Wilson wasn't even born. Off a 4-27 season this year, VMI isn't returning anytime soon.
#6 Rice (1970)
It has been over half a century since Rice played in the NCAA Tournament. The Owls play in Conference USA, and current Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin played for Rice.
oungkin was four years old the last time the Owls played in March Madness. On the bright side, Rice was 19-16 this year, so perhaps an end to their streak is in sight.
#5 Seattle (1969)
In 1958, Seattle was one of the top teams in college basketball. Future NBA star Elgin Baylor led the Redhawks to the NCAA title. The success continued for a few years after Baylor, but 1969 was the last time it played in the NCAA Tournament.
Seattle became an NAIA team for a few years and played at the Division II level for a few more years. But they've been back in Division I hoops since 2008. In 2022, it won its league regular-season title, but the Redhawks haven't made it back to the NCAA Tournament.
#3T Bowling Green (1968)
Lyndon Johnson was the U.S. President the last time Bowling Green reached the NCAA Tournament.
The Falcons had reached the Tournament four times in the previous decade but haven't been back since. They have won the MAC regular season title five times since then but haven't earned the NCAA Tournament bid. New coach Todd Simon went 20-13 this year, so maybe BG could get lucky.
#3T Columbia (1968)
The Lions were an early college hoops powerhouse and reached the NCAA Tournament three times in its early years.
However, 1968 was their last trip, and itwas also the last time Columbia won a regular season title. Of course, as an Ivy League member, until recent years, the regular-season title was the only conference title. Columbia was 13-14 in 2023-24, so it may have to wait for a while to end their streak.
#2 Tennessee Tech (1963)
It has been a six decade plus wait for Tennessee Tech to return to the NCAA Tournament.
The Golden Eagles made a pair of NCAA Tournament apperances, but after 1963, despite four regular season Ohio Valley Conference titles, they haven't returned. Coach John Pelphrey took South Alabama and Arkansas to the Tournament but went 10-21 this year at Tech.
#1 Dartmouth (1959)
Once upon a time, Dartmouth was one of the top teams in college basketball. The Big Green's name is all over the early history of the NCAA Tournament. The team played for the national title in 1942 and 1944. Dartmouth even reached the Elite Eight in 1958, but after a loss the next season, it all dried up.
Since 1959, Dartmouth has posted only 10 winning seasons. In the Ivy League, there was no post-season tournament to allow for a flukish run to the NCAA Tournament. Off a 6-21 season in 2023-24, Dartmouth's streak will likely only keep growing for a while.