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Daniel Wilco | April 7, 2025

The college basketball teams with the most national championships

UCLA's astonishing dynasty under John Wooden

There are more than 350 schools in Division I men's basketball. Yet only 15 teams have won multiple national championships. UCLA comes in first with 11. But which schools are close behind? That would be Kentucky (8), North Carolina (6) and UConn (6).

Here's a look at schools with more than one title:

College basketball teams with the most national championships

  • UCLA 鈥 11
  • Kentucky 鈥 8
  • UConn 鈥 6
  • North Carolina 鈥 6
  • Duke 鈥 5
  • Indiana 鈥 5
  • Kansas 鈥 4
  • Florida 鈥 3
  • Villanova 鈥 3
  • Cincinnati 鈥 2
  • Louisville 鈥 2
  • Michigan State 鈥 2
  • NC State 鈥 2
  • Oklahoma State 鈥 2
  • San Francisco 鈥 2

*Louisville鈥檚 participation in the 2013 tournament was later vacated by the Committee on Infractions.

T8: Florida 鈥 3

Years: 2006, 2007, 2025

Florida got its title tally started with back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007 鈥 the sport's first repeat champs since Duke in 1991 and 1992. The Gators then added their third crown in 2025, rallying from down 12 in the second half to top Houston.

T8: Villanova 鈥 3

Years: 1985, 2016, 2018

Villanova knows how to win a championship in style. The Wildcats鈥 first title still holds the record for the lowest-seeded team to win the 红杏视频 tournament, as No. 8 seed Villanova upset mighty No. 1 seed Georgetown in 1985. In 2016, Kris Jenkins etched his name into March lore with a half-court buzzer-beater to down North Carolina. And in 2018, junior guard Donte DiVincenzo won the MOP after scoring 31 points off the bench as the Wildcats won their second in three years.

7: Kansas 鈥 4

Years: 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022

Kansas beat North Carolina in a thriller in 2022, giving coach Bill Self his second national championship. The Jayhawks' most recent title before that was an OT win against Memphis in 2008.

T5: Indiana 鈥 5

Years: 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987

Indiana鈥檚 first two championships came via a former player in Branch McCracken. McCracken graduated from Indiana in 1930 and took over the coaching job in 1938-39. In his second year, he led the Hoosiers to a 20-3 season capped off by a 60-42 win over Kansas in just the second national championship game ever. Seven years after McCracken鈥檚 tenure ended, Bob Knight would take over in Bloomington. Knight鈥檚 first championship with Indiana in 1976 came on the end of a 32-0 season 鈥 the last perfect season by a national champion. 

T5: Duke 鈥 5

Years: 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015

All five of Duke鈥檚 championships come after 1981. Why is that an important date? It鈥檚 the first season Mike Krzyzewski took over in Durham. Before Coach K, Duke had been to two title games, losing to UCLA in 1964 and Kentucky in 1978. Since, they鈥檝e been to nine 鈥 winning five.

T3: Connecticut 鈥 6

Years: 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024

Connecticut has the most national championships this century at five, but there鈥檚 a much more prestigious record the Huskies hold. UConn has been to six championship games and has won every time. No other team with at least three appearances is undefeated in title games.

T3: North Carolina 鈥 6

Years: 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017

In 1957, a year after Bill Russell and San Francisco went 29-0 to win the national championship, fifth-year coach Frank McGuire led North Carolina to the second-ever undefeated national championship season in 红杏视频 tournament history. The Tar Heels wouldn鈥檛 make it back to the championship game until 1968, in Dean Smith鈥檚 seventh year in Chapel Hill. It was the second of three straight Final Four trips without a title, but Smith鈥檚 first (and UNC鈥檚 second) would come in 1982, thanks to a roster of James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan. Smith would win one more title in 1993. All three of UNC鈥檚 other championships came from his prot茅g茅, Roy Williams.

2: Kentucky 鈥 8

Years: 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012

In the middle of the 20th century, Kentucky was a powerhouse. Adolph Rupp started at Kentucky in 1930-31, but it wasn鈥檛 until his 18th season, in 1948, that the Wildcats would win the program鈥檚 first 红杏视频 tournament title. They鈥檇 repeat in 1949, and pick up two more before Rupp retired. Since, four different coaches have won a title with Kentucky: Joe B. Hall in 1978, Rick Pitino in 1996, Tubby Smith in 1998 and John Calipari in 2012.

1: UCLA 鈥 11

Years: 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995

In all of college sports, it doesn't get much better than UCLA's reign through the 鈥60s and 鈥70s. From 1964 to 1975, UCLA had an overall record of 335-22, a win percentage of .938. Over 12 years. Through it all, the Bruins picked up 10 national championships, including seven in a row.

SCHOOL NUMBER OF CHAMPIONSHIPS LAST CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNER-UP FINISHES
UCLA 11 1995 2
Kentucky 8 2012 4
Connecticut 6 2024 0
North Carolina 6 2017 6
Duke 5 2015 6
Indiana 5 1987 1
Kansas 4 2022 6
Florida 3 2025 1
Villanova 3 2018 1
Cincinnati 2 1962 1
Louisville 2 1986 0
Michigan State 2 2000 1
North Carolina State 2 1983 0
Oklahoma State 2 1946 0
San Francisco 2 1956 0
Arizona 1 1997 1
Arkansas 1 1994 1
Baylor 1 2021 1
California 1 1959 1
CCNY 1 1950 0
Georgetown 1 1984 3
Holy Cross 1 1947 0
La Salle 1 1954 0
Loyola (Ill.) 1 1963 0
Marquette 1 1977 1
Maryland 1 2002 0
Ohio State 1 1960 4
Oregon 1 1939 0
Stanford 1 1942 0
Syracuse 1 2003 2
UNLV 1 1990 0
Utah 1 1944 1
UTEP 1 1966 0
Virginia 1 2019 0
Wisconsin 1 1941 1
Wyoming 1 1943 0

*Louisville鈥檚 participation in the 2013 tournament was later vacated by the Committee on Infractions.

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Division I
Men's Basketball Championship
April 4 & 6, 2026
Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, IN