Cutting down the nets is the goal of every college basketball coach, player and program. It’s about winning on the biggest stage, shining during the brightest moments and capturing a national championship.
Some programs have managed to do that regularly, which isn’t easy considering there are 352 Division I programs that are eligible for the NCAA tournament.
These schools have produced larger-than-life greats and kept the rest of the nation’s men’s college basketball programs in a stranglehold.
From the legends of yesterday to the rising juggernauts of today, here are the men’s college basketball teams with the most national championships.
Most Men's College Basketball National Championships
UCLA Bruins: The Most National Championships in NCAA Basketball History
When it comes to college basketball, every discussion about the most important and prolific programs has to begin with UCLA. The Bruins dominated the 1960s and 1970s, winning 10 championships in 12 years. (UCLA would add another in 1995, giving the program 11 total).
The legacy of UCLA is a rich one, filled with basketball legends. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then-Lew Alcindor), Bill Walton and Gail Goodrich is about as good of trio of alumni that a program can have.
Not to mention the Bruins were led by the man many consider to be the best coach in the history of college basketball: John Wooden.
Wooden took over the UCLA basketball program in 1948, leaving Indiana State to do so. He went on to win 620 games and 10 championships. His career winning percentage (.804) is fifth all time.
Kentucky Wildcats: Blue Blood Basketball with Eight Championships
The Wildcats’ eight championships are second-most in history. Five different coaches have led Kentucky to cutting the nets: Adolph Rupp won four, with Joe B. Hall, Tubby Smith and John Calipari winning one each.
The best player in the history of Kentucky basketball is Dan Issel, who remains the program’s all-time leading scorer despite only playing three seasons.
In one of Issel’s first games, he wasn’t getting fed the ball from his teammates, prompting Rupp to call a timeout. According to a report from Sports Illustrated, the legendary coach yelled, “This guy is going to be Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer by the time he’s through here, so I thought you all might like to meet him.”
It took Rupp 18 seasons to win his first championship, but the coach led Kentucky to four titles in an 11-year stretch before retiring. While the Wildcats might not have had the same run UCLA had, they have routinely been one of the best teams in college basketball, appearing in 17 Final Fours, the third-most in history.
North Carolina Tar Heels: Six Championships and Counting
The Tar Heels’ six championships are third-most all time. Led by two of the greatest coaches in college history, Dean Smith and Roy Williams, UNC has a rich legacy that is highlighted by “His Airness,” Michael Jordan.
While Jordan’s spot in basketball history is obviously untouchable, the Tar Heels have sent plenty of talent to the NBA throughout the years, including James Worthy, Phil Ford, Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter.
Williams captured three championships with UNC between 2005 and 2017. He won 485 games over 18 seasons and coached six All-Americans, including Tyler Hansbrough, who many consider to be the best Tar Heel of all time.
Smith’s 36-year career with the Tar Heels was prolific. He won two championships and 879 games, multiple coach of the year awards and coached 18 consensus All-Americans.
However, his off-the-court legacy is even more impressive. Smith recruited UNC’s first Black scholarship athlete, Charlie Scott, in 1967. Despite facing threats from donors, Smith was committed to bringing Scott to the team. And on his official visit, Scott was welcomed warmly by the Tar Heels on the roster. Smith was an ardent and vocal supporter of the Civil Rights movement and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.
Connecticut Huskies: A Rapidly Rising Power with Six Titles
UConn’s success has all come in the last 25 years. The Huskies might not always make it to the national championship game, but if they do, they win it. UConn is the only program in history to play in more than three championship games and remain undefeated.
The Huskies’ first title came in 1999, with Jim Calhoun at the helm. This was the first of three championships under Calhoun, who won 629 games at UConn over the course of 26 years.
Led by Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor, the Huskies would waltz into the Final Four in 2004 before knocking off Duke and Georgia Tech to win it all.
Calhoun’s second-to-last year as head coach, 2011, also resulted in a championship. This came despite a plethora of coaching changes stemming from an NCAA investigation.
Kevin Ollie’s tenure as head coach isn’t remembered fondly, as he was let go after an NCAA investigation vacated all wins from the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons. However, he led the Huskies to the championship in 2014.
UConn’s latest titles are the results of going back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. The Huskies went a combined 68–11 under coach Dan Hurley. Hurley has led UConn to the tournament in each of the last four seasons.
Duke Blue Devils: Five Championships Led by Coach K
Duke basketball is among the elite in college hoops, with five national championships and a legendary figure at head coach.
Mike Krzyzewski is the most prolific coach in program history, with a record-breaking 1,202 victories (and all five championships) between 1980 and 2021. But, much like Smith at UNC, Krzyzewski’s influence off the court was massive.
He founded the Emily K Center in Durham, which is an educational access nonprofit aiming to help traditionally underrepresented children and “equip them with the skills necessary to successfully complete higher education, connect to promising careers, and become agents of change within their communities.”
Duke has been a premier destination for top-flight talent since the 1960s, from Christian Laettner to Grant Hill to Zion Williamson and most recently Cooper Flagg.
The Blue Devils have appeared in 17 Final Fours and last won the championship in 2015.
Indiana Hoosiers: Five Championships and an Iconic Undefeated Season
The state of Indiana might not have been where Dr. James Naismith invented basketball, but it’s certainly the sports’ home.
Which is why Hoosier Hysteria is a thing.
Well, that and the fact that the Indiana Hoosiers are one of the most successful programs in collegiate basketball history.
Indiana has five national championships, three of which came under the legendary 29-year tenure of head coach Bob Knight, who retired as the all-time leader in D-I victories (902, a record which had since been broken by three other coaches).
Knight was more than just a successful coach, he was larger than life. His motion offense revolutionized college basketball and his emotional outbursts will be remembered forever.
Not to mention, he led the Hoosiers to a championship and undefeated 32–0 record during the 1975–76 season. This Indiana team remains the only team in history to finish as undefeated national champions.
Knight would lead the Hoosiers to two more championships (1981 and 1987), throw a chair onto the court against Purdue (1985) and choke a player during a practice (1997). Such was the duality of Knight, who was old school, hard-nosed and cared. Perhaps, he cared too much. The video of Knight grabbing Neil Reed’s throat during a practice put him on a zero tolerance policy in March 2000.
Just five months later, Knight would get into an altercation with a student on campus. He was dismissed three days later and wouldn’t return to Assembly Hall until 2020.
As Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde reported:
“Knight showed that even in a physically diminished state he is still a competitor to his core,” Forde wrote. “He shook a fist and shouted, loud enough to be heard in the second deck without a microphone, for this Indiana team to ‘play defense!’ He grabbed former guard Keith Smart, hero of the 1987 national championship game, and ordered him into a defensive stance. He incited a brief ‘dee-fense!’ cheer.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The College Basketball Teams with the Most National Championships.
