But for the first time in four seasons, UCLA will not be a participant in March Madness. That means the Bruins’ record number of NCAA Division I tournament titles will remain at 11.
It also means several teams have a golden opportunity to make up some ground on UCLA at this year’s tournament, which tips off this week and ends with the championship game April 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Kentucky, which ranks No. 2 all time with eight NCAA championships, earned the No. 3 seed in the South Regional. North Carolina, which is No. 3 all time with six titles, is the top seed in the West.
Connecticut and Duke are among the teams tied for fourth place all time with five titles — the defending champion Huskies are the No. 1 seed in the East, while the Blue Devils got the fourth seed in the South.
Here’s a look at the 15 men’s basketball programs with the most championships since the tournament began in 1939: