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NCAA Tournament Championship History |
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament determines winner of the national championship of the major college basketball teams in Division 1. The event takes place over a three-week period in March and April with schools facing off into a single elimination bracket.
The tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 with four 16-team regional brackets. The field grew by one team in 2001 with an opening round game determining who would advance to the first round. In 2011, three more squads were added as two games took place in the restructured first round of the tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday. The winners of those contests advanced to the second round (formerly the first round).
After those “First Four” outcomes, the field of 68 becomes 64, and the attention picks up on Thursday and Friday with 32 games being played. The Final Four is determined with the four teams winning each regional meeting for the right to go to the National Championship.
The lowest seed to win the championship since the tournament expanded to 64 teams is Villanova in 1985 as an eighth seed, upsetting conference rival Georgetown.
In 2019, Virginia claimed its first-ever national championship on the hardwood in an overtime win against Texas Tech, a team making its first appearance in the title game. The OT battle in the championship final was the first since 2008 when Kansas topped Memphis. It was also the third time an ACC team was crowned champ (Duke twice, Virginia once) in four times the city of Minneapolis has hosted the Final Four.
In 2018, Villanova rolled to a 79-62 victory over Michigan as a big favorite (-6.5), the largest spread in the title game since 2010. The Wildcats claimed their third title since 1985, and second in the past three seasons. They also ended up winning each of their NCAA Tournament games by double-digit points.
In 2017, North Carolina stopped Gonzaga 71-65 as a short favorite (-1.5). The victory for the Tar Heels was defined as "redemption" after the school lost in the 2016 championship to Villanova on a buzzer-beater.
Along with UConn, there have been six other schools to win multiple championships since 1985 - Duke (5), North Carolina (4), Kentucky (3), Louisville (2), Florida (2) Villanova (3) and Kansas (2). Since 1985, the No. 1 seed has captured the championship 20 times.
The highest point-spread in the championship game occurred in the 1996 final when Kentucky (-14) defeated Syracuse 76-67 but failed to cover.
In the last 34 years, underdogs have gone 17-17 against the spread, which includes Duke's 68-63 victory over Wisconsin in the 2015 national championship as a one-point underdog.
There wasn’t a line on the 1990 championship because Nevada didn’t allow wagering on schools within the state at that time.
Total bettors have watched the ‘under’ go 19-15 since 1985 and is 7-3 the past 10 years. The highest total ever in a championship game was 163 ½ while the lowest number was 112.
| 2018-19 |
Minneapolis |
(1) Virginia vs. (3) Texas Tech |
85-77 (OT) |
1.5, 119.5 |
Favorite, Over |
| 2017-18 |
San Antonio |
(1) Villanova vs. (3) Michigan |
79-62 |
6.5, 144.5 |
Favorite, Under |
| 2016-17 |
Glendale |
(1) Gonzaga vs. (1) North Carolina |
71-65 |
1.5, 154.5 |
Favorite, Under |
| 2015-16 |
Houston |
(1) North Carolina vs. (2) Villanova |
77-74 |
2, 149 |
Underdog, Over |
| 2014-15 |
Indianapolis |
(1) Wisconsin vs. (1) Duke |
68-63 |
1, 140 |
Underdog, Under |
| 2013-14 |
North Texas |
(8) Kentucky vs. (7) Connecticut |
60-54 |
2.5, 135 |
Underdog, Under |
| 2012-13 |
Atlanta |
(4) Michigan vs. (1) Louisville |
82-76 |
4, 138 |
Favorite, Over |
| 2011-12 |
New Orleans |
(2) Kansas vs. (1) Kentucky |
67-59 |
6.5, 138 |
Favorite, Under |
| 2010-11 |
Houston |
(8) Butler vs. (3) Connecticut |
53-41 |
3, 132 |
Favorite, Under |
| 2009-10 |
Indianapolis |
(5) Butler vs. (1) Duke |
61-59 |
7, 128.5 |
Underdog, Under |
| 2008-09 |
Detroit |
(2) Mich. State vs. (1) North Carolina |
89-72 |
7.5, 153 |
Favorite, Over |
| 2007-08 |
San Antonio |
(1) Memphis vs. (1) Kansas |
75-68 (OT) |
2, 146 |
Underdog, Under |
| 2006-07 |
Atlanta |
(1) Ohio State vs. (1) Florida |
84-75 |
4, 140 |
Favorite, Over |
| 2005-06 |
Indianapolis |
(3) Florida vs. (2) UCLA |
73-57 |
1, 128 |
Favorite, Over |
| 2004-05 |
St. Louis |
(1) Illinois vs. (1) North Carolina |
75-70 |
2, 153.5 |
Favorite, Under |
| 2003-04 |
San Antonio |
(3) Georgia Tech vs. (2) Connecticut |
82-73 |
5, 146 |
Favorite, Over |
| 2002-03 |
New Orleans |
(3) Syracuse vs. (2) Kansas |
81-78 |
5.5, 156 |
Underdog, Over |
| 2001-02 |
Atlanta |
(5) Indiana vs. (1) Maryland |
64-52 |
7.5, 151.5 |
Favorite, Under |
| 2000-01 |
Minneapolis |
(2) Arizona vs. (1) Duke |
82-72 |
4, 163.5 |
Underdog, Under |
| 1999-00 |
Indianapolis |
(5) Florida vs. (1) Michigan State |
89-76 |
4, 145 |
Favorite, Over |
| 1998-99 |
St. Petersburg |
(1) UConn vs. (1) Duke |
77-74 |
9.5, 149.5 |
Underdog, Over |
| 1997-98 |
San Antonio |
(3) Utah vs. (2) Kentucky |
78-69 |
3.5, 137.5 |
Favorite, Over |
| 1996-97 |
Indianapolis |
(4) Arizona vs. (1) Kentucky |
84-79 (OT) |
7, 158.5 |
Underdog, Over |
| 1995-96 |
East Rutherford |
(4) Syracuse vs. (1) Kentucky |
76-67 |
14, 156.5 |
Underdog, Under |
| 1994-95 |
Seattle |
(2) Arkansas vs. (1) UCLA |
89-78 |
3, 161 |
Favorite, Over |
| 1993-94 |
Charlotte |
(2) Duke vs. (1) Arkansas |
76-72 |
6, 155 |
Underdog, Under |
| 1992-93 |
New Orleans |
(1) Michigan vs. (1) North Carolina |
77-71 |
2.5, 151 |
Favorite, Under |
| 1991-92 |
Minneapolis |
(6) Michigan vs. (1) Duke |
71-51 |
5.5, 158.5 |
Favorite, Under |
| 1990-91 |
Indianapolis |
(3) Kansas vs. (2) Duke |
72-65 |
3, 154.5 |
Favorite, Under |
| 1989-90 |
Denver |
(3) Duke vs. (1) UNLV |
103-73 |
*OFF |
*OFF |
| 1988-89 |
Seattle |
(3) Seton Hall vs. (3) Michigan |
80-79 (OT) |
2, 163 |
Underdog, Under |
| 1987-88 |
Kansas City |
(6) Kansas vs. (1) Oklahoma |
83-79 |
8, 157.5 |
Underdog, Over |
| 1986-87 |
New Orleans |
(2) Syracuse vs. (1) Indiana |
74-73 |
4.5, 155.5 |
Underdog, Under |
| 1985-86 |
Dallas |
(2) Louisville vs. (1) Duke |
72-69 |
1, 152.5 |
Underdog, Under |
| 1984-85 |
Lexington |
(8) Villanova vs. (1) Georgetown |
66-64 |
9, 112 |
Underdog, Over |
| * There was no line on this game due to no wagering on Nevada schools in 1990 |
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