National championships in men's college basketball
Current season, competition or edition:![]() | |
Sport | College basketball |
---|---|
First season | 1892–93 |
Organizing body | NCAA |
Country | United States |
Most recent champion(s) | Florida |
Most titles | UCLA (11 titles) |
A national championship at the highest level of men's college basketball, currently NCAA Division I, is a designation awarded annually to the best college basketball team in the United States. The national championship is currently won by the champion of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, a single-elimination tournament played to determine the men's Division I basketball champion. The NCAA tournament was first played in 1939, 40 to 50 years after the first college basketball games in the 1890s following the game's invention by James Naismith.
Prior to the establishment and sustained success of the annual NCAA tournament, the national collegiate basketball title was considered a "mythical national championship".[1] Much like national championships in college football, national championships in college basketball were claimed by schools, named by sportswriters, awarded by various organizations, and won on the court in occasional intersectional post-season games between conference or regional champions.
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was established in 1938, one year before the NCAA tournament. During the early years of the two tournaments the NIT and NCAA competed against each other, giving rise to debate over their relative prowess.[2] During the next two decades the relative status of the two tournaments was unclear, and thus some years produced disputed national championship claims between the tournament winners.[2] In 1950, the City College of New York became the first and only team to complete the "grand slam" of college basketball by winning the NIT and NCAA tournaments in the same year. The NIT and NCAA champions played each each other four times in post-tournament competition to settle the title; in all four cases the NCAA champion was victorious.
Through shrewd competitive actions the NCAA positioned its tournament to match and then surpass the NIT. Fallout from the 1951 point-shaving scandal severely damaged the reputation of the NIT and basketball in New York City; the NCAA seized the initiative by abandoning scandal-plagued Madison Square Garden and expanding its tournament field to include more conference champions. The UCLA dynasty under head coach John Wooden, who won 10 national championships in the NCAA tournament between 1964–1975, further cemented the NCAA's dominance as did the tournament's expansion to 32 and then 64 teams. The "March Madness" phenomenon grew with prime-time network coverage of championship games and ESPN's coverage of the early rounds, leaving the NCAA contest as the clear top post-season tournament and sole determiner of the national championship.
Pre-tournament era (1892–1938)



The concept of a national championship in college basketball dates back to the earliest years of the sport in the 1890s.[3][4] James Naismith's original announcement of the new game of "Basket Ball" and the sport's original 13 rules were published in the January 1892 issue of The Triangle, a magazine published by the students of the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. An article in this same publication, then titled Physical Education, in April 1893 called for the formation of three basketball leagues made up of YMCAs, colleges, and amateur athletic clubs to each compete for a "Trophy or Championship Emblem".[3][4] The national champions of the three leagues would then compete in a "triangular contest for the Supreme Championship".[3][4] The 1898 Spalding's Guide noted that this early suggestion for leagues and national championships was premature, "for it wasn't until 1895 that the athletic clubs gave the game its due recognition, and even up to the present time comparatively few colleges are interested in the game."[4]: 29
In 1902, Minnesota claimed the national college championship citing their 15–0 unblemished record and win over eastern champion Yale.[5][6] Going further, they asserted that their win over the champion Company E team of Fond du Lac entitled them to the full amateur basketball championship of the United States.[6] In 1903 and 1904 Minnesota sought to play eastern champions Yale and Columbia in post-season games to decide the national title but in both cases were refused.[7][8]
Hiram College won the Olympic college basketball championship at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis.[9][10][11] Hiram competed in a round-robin competition with two other American schools, Wheton College and Latter-day Saints' University, winning both of their games. The victors were awarded Olympic gold medals along with a banner proclaiming the "Olympic World's College Basket Ball Championship".[9] The 1904 Spalding's Guide presciently described the tournament:
This tournament marks the beginning of what may in the years to come be an annual fixture, namely — a National College Basket Ball Championship held annually between the colleges of the U.S. played in alternate years in the East and West.
Such a championship could easily be made a great athletic and social event.
— "The First Olympic College Basket Ball Championship", Spalding's Official Basket Ball Guide (1904)[9]: 31
Four years later, in 1908, Western Conference champion Chicago played Eastern champion Pennsylvania in an ad hoc best-of-three post-season playoff.[12] Chicago won the series in two games, and with it the national intercollegiate championship.[12] The following season Chicago went 12–0 and again won the Western Conference championship but was unable to schedule games with eastern champion Columbia to decide the national title.[13][14]
The first collegiate team to win the Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournament was Utah in 1916. They were followed by NYU in 1920, Butler in 1924, and Washburn in 1925.
In 1920, Chicago again met Pennsylvania in a playoff between Western Conference and Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League champions. The series went to three games, with the championship played on March 27 at a neutral site at the Princeton Gymnasium.[15] Penn was victorious and won the national title.
Wabash College won the inaugural national intercollegiate basketball tournament in 1922. The tournament was not played again.
The Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia awarded national championship trophies to Pittsburgh in 1928 and Butler in 1929, mirroring the Bonniwell Trophy that the organization awarded three times to the Notre Dame football team.
In 1935, the American Legion sponsored a intersectional "Rose Bowl", promoted as a basketball game "for the national collegiate title," on April 13 at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[16] LSU defeated Pittsburgh 41–37 and claim the national collegiate basketball championship based on this victory.
The Helms Athletic Foundation published, in 1943[17] and 1957, retrospective lists of 'National Collegiate Champions' for the early years of the sport.[18][19] The Helms selections were made by the organization's co-founder and managing director Bill Schroeder, based upon historic research and consultation with coaches, sportswriters, and other basketball authorities.[19] The pre-tournament Helms selections were adopted by the NCAA and are included in the official Division I Men's Basketball Records book as the "Final Regular-Season Poll" leaders for the years prior to the start of the AP poll for college basketball in in 1948–49.
In 1995 the Premo Power Poll, a mathematical system used to rank college basketball teams, was published in the Encyclopedia of College Basketball.[20] The final rankings were slightly modified and published as the Premo-Porretta Power Poll in the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia in 2009.[21] These rankings stretch back to the very earliest days of the sport, long before nation-wide polling, and rank the teams based on strength of schedule.[22]
Season | Champion(s) | Record | Coach | Tournament | Claims and selections | Retroactive selections |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1893 | Iowa | 2–0–1 | Premo[20] | |||
1894 | Hiram | 1–0 | Premo | |||
1895 | Temple | 8–3 | Premo | |||
1896 | Yale | 8–5 | Henry Anderson | Premo-Porretta[21] | ||
1897 | Yale | 11–5 | Henry Anderson | Premo-Porretta | ||
1898 | Mount Union | 8–1 | — | Premo-Porretta | ||
1899 | Yale | 8–1 | — | Claim[23] | Premo-Porretta | |
1900 | Yale | 9–6 | — | Premo-Porretta | ||
1901 | Bucknell | 12–1 | — | Premo-Porretta | ||
Dartmouth | 16–2 | Walter McCornack | Helms | |||
1902 | Minnesota | 15–0 | L. J. Cooke | Claim[5][6] | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |
1903 | Minnesota | 13–0 | L. J. Cooke | Claim[7] | Premo-Porretta | |
Yale | 15–1 | Yale Murphy | Helms | |||
1904 | Columbia | 17–1 | — | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
Hiram | — | — | Olympic gold medal | |||
1905 | Columbia | 19–1 | — | Claim[24] | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |
Williams | 20–2 | Claim[25] | ||||
1906 | Dartmouth | 16–2 | Walter McCornack | Helms | ||
Wabash | 17–1 | Ralph Jones | Premo-Porretta | |||
1907 | Chicago | 22–2 | Joseph Raycroft | Helms | ||
Williams | 15–1 | — | Claim[26] | Premo-Porretta | ||
1908 | Chicago | 21–2 | Joseph Raycroft | Post-season championship | Helms | |
Wabash | 24–0 | Ralph Jones | Premo-Porretta | |||
1909 | Chicago | 12–0 | Joseph Raycroft | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1910 | Columbia | 11–1 | Harry A. Fisher | Helms | ||
Williams | 11–0 | — | Premo-Porretta | |||
1911 | St. John's | 14–0 | Claude Allen | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1912 | Wisconsin | 15–0 | Walter Meanwell | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1913 | Navy | 9–0 | Frank Gorton | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1914 | Wisconsin | 15–0 | Walter Meanwell | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1915 | Illinois | 16–0 | Ralph Jones | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1916 | Wisconsin | 20–1 | Walter Meanwell | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
Utah | — | — | AAU tournament | — | ||
1917 | Washington State | 25–1 | Fred Bohler | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1918 | Syracuse | 16–1 | Lew Andreas | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1919 | Minnesota | 13–0 | L. J. Cooke | Helms | ||
Navy | 16–0 | Bob Folwell | Premo-Porretta | |||
1920 | NYU | — | — | AAU tournament | — | |
Penn | 22–1 | Edward McNichol | Post-season championship | Helms,[17] Premo-Porretta | ||
1921 | Missouri | 17–1 | J. Craig Ruby | Premo-Porretta | ||
Penn | 21–2 | Edward McNichol | Helms | |||
1922 | Kansas | 16–2 | Phog Allen | Helms | ||
Missouri | 16–1 | J. Craig Ruby | Premo-Porretta | |||
Wabash | 22–3 | Pete Vaughan | Post-season tournament | |||
1923 | Army | 17–0 | Harry Fisher | Premo-Porretta | ||
Kansas | 17–1 | Phog Allen | Helms | |||
1924 | Butler | — | Harlan Page | AAU tournament | ||
North Carolina | 26–0 | Norman Shepard | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |||
1925 | Princeton | 21–2 | Albert Wittmer | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
Washburn | Dutch Lonborg | AAU tournament | — | |||
1926 | Syracuse | 19–1 | Lew Andreas | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1927 | California | 17–0 | Nibs Price | Premo-Porretta | ||
Notre Dame | 19–1 | George Keogan | Helms | |||
1928 | Pittsburgh | 21–0 | Doc Carlson | Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |
1929 | Butler | 17-2 | Tony Hinkle | Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia | ||
Montana State | 35–2 | Schubert R. Dyche | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |||
1930 | Alabama | 20–0 | Hank Crisp | Premo-Porretta | ||
Pittsburgh | 23–2 | Doc Carlson | Helms | |||
1931 | Northwestern | 16–1 | Dutch Lonborg | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1932 | Purdue | 17–1 | Ward Lambert | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1933 | Kentucky | 21–3 | Adolph Rupp | Helms | ||
Texas | 13–6 | Ed Olle | Premo-Porretta | |||
1934 | Kentucky | 16–1 | Adolph Rupp | Premo-Porretta | ||
Wyoming | 26–4 | Willard Witte | Helms | |||
1935 | LSU | 14–1 | Harry Rabenhorst | American Legion "Rose Bowl"[16] | ||
NYU | 18–1 | Howard Cann | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |||
1936 | Long Island | 23–0 | Clair Bee | Premo-Porretta | ||
Notre Dame | 22–2–1 | George Keogan | Helms | |||
1937 | Stanford | 25–2 | John Bunn | Helms, Premo-Porretta | ||
1938 | Temple | 23–2 | James Usilton | National Invitation | Helms, Premo-Porretta |
- Teams and selectors listed in italics indicate retroactively applied championships.
Early NIT and NCAA tournament era (1938–1950s)

The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was established in 1938, hosted at Madison Square Garden by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association.[27][28][29] Playing in New York City's glamorous and historic venue in front of the national sports press granted the invited teams a high level of exposure.[30][27][28][29] The Temple Owls won the first NIT title and were hailed as national champions.[18]
The NIT's success inspired the National Association of Basketball Coaches, led by Kansas coach Phog Allen, to conduct their own championship tournament that was open only to NCAA-member schools. The two tournaments closed out the 1939 season. On March 23 undefeated Long Island won the NIT,[1][31] while on March 27 Oregon won the NCAA championship.[32] Both teams were recognized as national champions and asserted claims on the "mythical" national title.[1][31][32]
In 1940, Colorado and Duquesne were the first teams to play in both tournaments. Colorado won the NIT but then lost to USC in the first round of the NCAA tournament, then lost again in the Western region consolation game, thus ceding any national claim to eventual NCAA champion Indiana. Long Island and West Virginia, Invitation champions in 1941 and 1942, both treat their NIT titles as national championships.
During World War II, Madison Square Garden hosted benefit games between the NIT and NCAA champions with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross.[33][27] The three games from 1943–1945 were all won by the NCAA champion, in each case settling the question of the season's national championship.
In 1950, the City College of New York became the first and only team to complete the "grand slam" of college basketball by winning the NIT and NCAA tournaments in the same year, defeating Bradley in both championship games and claiming the undisputed national title.[34]
Trials for membership on the United States men's national basketball team offered another avenue of competition for tournament winners. For the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, NCAA champions Kansas beat NAIA champions Southwest Missouri State and then NIT champions La Salle to place seven Jayhawks on the Olympic team that went on to win gold. For 1956 the Olympic Trials format changed, with a 14-man all-star team instead being selected from among all college quintets.[35]
The popularity of the two tournaments did not fully preclude other teams from being lauded with national championship honors. In 1944 undefeated 15–0 Army was honored by the Helms Athletic Foundation and was the No. 1 team in the final post-tournament Converse-Dunkel Basketball Forecast. In 1954 25–0 SEC champions Kentucky were the top team in the nation, but three of the team's star players were ruled ineligible for post-season play by the NCAA due to graduation. Head coach Adolph Rupp kept the team out of the competition in protest; the Wildcats retained their No. 1 ranking in the post-tournament final AP Poll and collected the Helms Athletic Foundation selection.[36][37]
Season | Champions | Record | Coach | Tournament | Other selectors |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1938 | Temple | 23–2 | James Usilton | NIT | Helms, Premo-Porretta |
1939 | Long Island | 23–0 | Clair Bee | NIT | Helms, Premo-Porretta |
Oregon | 29–5 | Howard Hobson | NCAA | ||
1940 | Colorado | NIT | |||
Indiana | 20–3 | Branch McCracken | NCAA | Premo-Porretta | |
USC | 20–3 | Sam Barry | — | Helms | |
1941 | Long Island | 25–2 | Clair Bee | NIT | Premo-Porretta |
Wisconsin | 20–3 | Harold E. Foster | NCAA | Helms | |
1942 | West Virginia | NIT | |||
Stanford | 28–4 | Everett Dean | NCAA | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |
1943 | St. John's | 21–3 | Joe Lapchick | NIT | |
Wyoming | 31–2 | Everett Shelton | NCAA | Red Cross, Helms | |
Illinois | 17–1 | Douglas R. Mills | — | Premo-Porretta | |
1944 | St. John's | 18–5 | Joe Lapchick | NIT | |
Utah | 22–4 | Vadal Peterson | NCAA | Red Cross | |
Army | 15–0 | Ed Kelleher | — | Dunkel, Helms, Premo-Porretta | |
1945 | DePaul | NIT | |||
Oklahoma A&M | 27–4 | Henry Iba | NCAA | Red Cross, Helms | |
Iowa | 17–1 | Pops Harrison | — | Premo-Porretta | |
1946 | Kentucky | Adolph Rupp | NIT | ||
Oklahoma A&M | 31–2 | Henry Iba | NCAA | Helms, Premo-Porretta | |
1947 | Utah | NIT | |||
Holy Cross | 27–3 | Doggie Julian | NCAA | Helms | |
Kentucky | 34–3 | Adolph Rupp | — | Premo-Porretta | |
1948 | Saint Louis | NIT | |||
Kentucky | 36–3 | Adolph Rupp | NCAA | Olympic Trials, Helms, Premo-Porretta | |
1949 | San Francisco | 25–5 | Pete Newell | NIT | |
Kentucky | 32–2 | Adolph Rupp | NCAA | Helms | |
1950 | CCNY | 24–5 | Nat Holman | NIT | Helms |
NCAA | |||||
1951 | BYU | NIT | |||
Kentucky | 32–2 | Adolph Rupp | NCAA | Helms | |
Syracuse | NCBT | ||||
1952 | La Salle | 25–7 | NIT | ||
Kansas | 28–3 | Phog Allen | NCAA | Olympic Trials, Helms | |
1953 | Seton Hall | NIT | |||
Indiana | 23–3 | Branch McCracken | NCAA | Helms | |
1954 | Holy Cross | NIT | |||
La Salle | 26–4 | Ken Loeffler | NCAA | ||
Kentucky | 25–0 | Adolph Rupp | — | AP,[36] Dunkel,[38] Helms[37] | |
1955 | Duquesne | NIT | |||
San Francisco | 28–1 | Phil Woolpert | NCAA | Helms | |
1956 | Louisville | NIT | |||
San Francisco | 29–0 | Phil Woolpert | NCAA | Helms | |
1957 | Bradley | NIT | |||
North Carolina | 32–0 | Frank McGuire | NCAA | Helms | |
1958 | Xavier | 19–11 | Jim McCafferty | NIT | |
Kentucky | 23–6 | Adolph Rupp | NCAA | Helms | |
1959 | St. John's | 20–6 | Joseph Lapchick | NIT | |
California | 25–4 | Pete Newell | NCAA | Helms |
- Teams and selectors listed in italics indicate retroactively applied championships.
In 1970, Marquette and head coach Al McGuire turned down an invitation to the NCAA tournament due to perceived poor regional seeding and instead played in (and won) the NIT. The NCAA responded to this action in 1971 by banning invited teams from playing in any other post-season tournament, thus definitively ending the NIT's contention for national championship-caliber teams.
NCAA tournament champions (1939–present)

Beginning in 1964 the tournament's reputation and exposure was strengthened by the UCLA dynasty under head coach John Wooden, who won 10 national championships in 12 years in the NCAA tournament.[39][33] In 1975 the NCAA repealed the rule that limited the tournament to one team from each conference, strengthening the field.[39] In 1980 nascent sports channel ESPN began airing the early rounds of the tournament on their cable network, leading to the "March Madness" phenomenon and supercharging interest in the tournament.[39] The tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Today the NCAA tournament is the sole accepted method for determining the national champion.[40]
Team | Wins | NCAA tournament championships |
---|---|---|
UCLA | 11 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 |
Kentucky | 8 | 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 |
North Carolina | 6 | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
UConn | 6 | 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024 |
Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
Indiana | 5 | 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 |
Kansas | 4 | 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 |
Florida | 3 | 2006, 2007, 2025 |
Villanova | 3 | 1985, 2016, 2018 |
Louisville | 2 | 1980, 1986, 2013 |
Cincinnati | 2 | 1961, 1962 |
Michigan State | 2 | 1979, 2000 |
NC State | 2 | 1974, 1983 |
Oklahoma State | 2 | 1945, 1946 |
San Francisco | 2 | 1955, 1956 |
Arizona | 1 | 1997 |
Arkansas | 1 | 1994 |
Baylor | 1 | 2021 |
California | 1 | 1959 |
CCNY | 1 | 1950 |
Georgetown | 1 | 1984 |
Holy Cross | 1 | 1947 |
La Salle | 1 | 1954 |
Loyola | 1 | 1963 |
Marquette | 1 | 1977 |
Maryland | 1 | 2002 |
Michigan | 1 | 1989 |
Ohio State | 1 | 1960 |
Oregon | 1 | 1939 |
Stanford | 1 | 1942 |
Syracuse | 1 | 2003 |
UNLV | 1 | 1990 |
Utah | 1 | 1944 |
UTEP | 1 | 1966 |
Virginia | 1 | 2019 |
Wisconsin | 1 | 1941 |
Wyoming | 1 | 1943 |
National championship claims
Claims by team
Team | Claims | Claimed national championship seasons | Source |
---|---|---|---|
UCLA | 11 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 | [41] |
Kentucky | 8 | 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 | [42] |
North Carolina | 7 | 1924, 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 | [43] |
Kansas[19] | 6 | 1922, 1923, 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 | [44] |
UConn | 6 | 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024 | [45] |
Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 | [46] |
Indiana | 5 | 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 | [47] |
Louisville | 5 | 1948, 1956, 1980, 1986, 2013 | [48] |
Chicago | 3 | 1908, 1909, 1910 | [49] |
Florida | 3 | 2006, 2007, 2025 | [50] |
San Francisco | 3 | 1949, 1955, 1956 | [51] |
Syracuse | 3 | 1918, 1926, 2003 | [52] |
Utah | 3 | 1916, 1944, 1947 | [53] |
Villanova | 3 | 1985, 2016, 2018 | [54] |
Butler | 2 | 1924, 1929 | [55] |
Cincinnati | 2 | 1961, 1962 | [56] |
Holy Cross | 2 | 1947, 1954 | [57] |
La Salle | 2 | 1952, 1954 | [58] |
Long Island | 2 | 1939, 1941 | [59] |
Michigan State | 2 | 1979, 2000 | [60] |
NC State | 2 | 1974, 1983 | [61] |
Oklahoma State | 2 | 1945, 1946 | [62] |
Penn | 2 | 1920, 1921 | [63] |
Pittsburgh | 2 | 1928, 1930 | [64] |
Stanford | 2 | 1937, 1942 | [65] |
Minnesota | 2 | 1902, 1919 | [66] |
Wyoming | 2 | 1934, 1943 | [67] |
Arizona | 1 | 1997 | [68] |
Arkansas | 1 | 1994 | [69] |
Baylor | 1 | 2021 | [70] |
California | 1 | 1959 | [71] |
CCNY | 1 | 1950 | [72] |
DePaul | 1 | 1945 | [73] |
Georgetown | 1 | 1984 | [74] |
Illinois | 1 | 1915 | [75] |
LSU | 1 | 1935 | [76] |
Loyola | 1 | 1963 | [77] |
Marquette | 1 | 1977 | [78] |
Maryland | 1 | 2002 | [79] |
Michigan | 1 | 1989 | [80] |
Montana State | 1 | 1929 | [81] |
Ohio State | 1 | 1960 | [82] |
Oregon | 1 | 1939 | [83] |
Purdue | 1 | 1932 | [84] |
Temple | 1 | 1938 | [85] |
UNLV | 1 | 1990 | [86] |
UTEP | 1 | 1966 | [87] |
Virginia | 1 | 2019 | [88] |
Wabash | 1 | 1922 | [89] |
Washburn | 1 | 1925 | [90] |
Washington State | 1 | 1917 | [91] |
West Virginia | 1 | 1942 | [92] |
Wisconsin | 1 | 1941 | [93] |
References
- ^ a b c Avery, Leslie (March 23, 1939). Written at New York. "Long Island Five Defeats Loyolans In Final Contest — Eastern Cagers Lay Claim To Mythical National Collegiate Championship". Beaver Dam Daily Citizen. Beaver Dam, WI. United Press.
Long Island University boasted the last major undefeated basketball team in the land and a clean claim to the mythical national collegiate championship today.
- ^ a b Ghio, Barney (March 8, 1950). "May Have Real National Champ". The Times.
In collegiate sports—especially football and basketball—national championships are seldom clearly defined honors. [...] In basketball, usually the champion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament is regarded as the national champion. But regardless of what is used as the basis for determining the national champion, there are plenty of dissenters. [...] Disputing the claim of the NCAA for the basketball championship is the National Invitation tournament [...] If a couple of teams enter both tournaments and either one wins both, as Kentucky tried last year, then the national basketball championship should be clearly settled. But if a team in both tournaments wins one and loses the other, its championship will be clouded. Kentucky last year won the NCAA and wound up first in the AP poll, but the Wildcats lost by a sizable margin to Loyola of Chicago in the NIT, a loss that certainly tainted their NCAA title and their claim to the national championship.
- ^ a b c Reach, Robt. (April 1893). "Basket Ball as an In-door Game for Winter Amusement and Exercise". Physical Education. Vol. II, no. 2. Springfield, Massachusetts: The Triangle Publishing Co. pp. 21–22.
Why wouldn't it be a good plan to organize a Basket Ball League and put up a Trophy or Championship Emblem to be contested for. It might be as well to have three Divisions, or Leagues, YMCA's, Colleges, and Athletic Clubs, including in the latter the regimental Athletic Clubs; and at the end of the season have a triangular contest for the Supreme Championship.
- ^ a b c d Browne, T.J. (September 1898). "History of Basket Ball". In Gulick, Luther (ed.). Spalding's Official Basket Ball Guide (1898). Vol. 8. New York: American Sports Publishing Co. pp. 21–74.
Indeed, by March 1893, its future seemed so bright that a writer in 1893 Physical Education of that month suggested the formation of three national leagues of the Young Men's Christian Associations, colleges and athletic clubs respectively; games to be played for the national championship in each class, at the time a rather premature suggestion, for it wasn't until 1895 that the athletic clubs gave the game its due recognition, and even up to the present time comparatively few colleges are interested in the game.
- ^ a b "Say They Are 'Champs' — The 'U' Basket Ball Team — Have Won Sixteen Games and Lost None". The Minneapolis Journal. March 7, 1902.
The university [of Minnesota] basket-ball team, which has successfully concluded a very hard schedule, is out with the claim to the national championship. The team played sixteen games during the season and did not meet with a single defeat. Victories were won from Yale, champion of the east; Fon Du Lac, tied with Ravenswood for championship honors last year; Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa and Fargo college, as well as from a number of teams of less importance.
- ^ a b c "Athletics — Basketball". The Gopher. Vol. XVI. Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota. 1902. pp. 144–147.
Minnesota claims the amateur basket ball championship of the United States. [...] After this [Yale] game the title of national college champions was claimed for the team. [..] A month later the Company E team of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was disposed of. This aggregation had held the national amateur championship for two years and had lost it the season before to Ravenswood by a single point. By this victory the title not only of college champions but the championship of all amateur teams of the country accrued to Minnesota. [...] Which Makes Us CHAMPIONS OF THE UNITED STATES
- ^ a b "Yale Refuses to Play Minnesota — Basketball Champions of the East Decline to Meet the Gopher Team". The Minneapolis Times. March 12, 1903.
'Champions of the country' is the title which may now be properly applied to the basket-ball team of the state university, Yale, the eastern champions, having refused to meet the Gophers either in this city or on its home grounds.
- ^ Written at New York. "Minnesota vs. Columbia — Champions of East and West to Play Basketball Here — Gophers Challenge — Series of Three Games to Be Arranged If Blue and White Will Play". The Minneapolis Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. March 3, 1904.
Harry A. Fisher, manager of the basketball team of Columbia university, champions of the eastern colleges, yesterday received a letter from Manager Deering, of the Minnesota university team, challenging the players of the blue and white to a series of games for the championship of the country. The Minnesota challenge was worded as follows...
- ^ a b c Hepbron, George T., ed. (September 1904). "The First Olympic College Basket Ball Championship". Spalding's Official Basket Ball Guide for 1904. Vol. XVIII. New York: American Sports Publishing Co. pp. 14–35.
- ^ Written at St. Louis. "Hurrah for Hiram — Little Ohio College Wins Basket-ball Championship of the World at St. Louis". The Kalamazoo Gazette. Kalamazoo, MI. Associated Press. July 14, 1904.
The Hiram college basket-ball team won the college championship basket-ball contest open to the colleges of the world, today.
- ^ Written at St. Louis. "Hiram Gets the Banner — Basket Ball Team Wins the World's Intercollegiate Championship — Members Are Awarded Gold Medals". The Cleveland Leader. Cleveland, Ohio. July 14, 1904.
The intercollegiate basket ball championship games were played in World's Fair gymnasium to-day, the world's championship banner going to Hiram College, of Hiram, O. Wheaton College, of Wheaton, Ill., was second, and the Latter Day Saints' College, of Salt Lake City, Utah, third.
- ^ a b Written at Philadelphia. "National Honors to Maroon Team — Chicago Defeats Pennsylvania in Great Basketball Game by a Score of 16 to 15". The Chicago Tribune. Chicago. March 26, 1908.
Chicago defeated the University of Pennsylvania for the intercollegiate championship of America tonight in Weightman hall by a score of 16 to 15.
- ^ "Series Now In Doubt — Chicago May Not Meet Columbia at Basketball". Syracuse Herald-Journal. March 6, 1909.
It does not seem likely that Columbia and Chicago will meet at basketball to decide the intercollegiate championship of both the Eastern and Western leagues.
- ^ "Maroons Not To Play Quakers — National Basketball Title Will Be Undecided, as 'Pennsy' Has No Claim to Eastern Honors". Chicago Tribune. March 16, 1909.
University of Chicago basketball players will not figure in a series for the national championship with the University of Pennsylvania, according to the declaration yesterday of Dr J. E. Raycroft, coach of the Maroon five.
- ^ Written at Princeton, NJ. "Penn Five Wins National Title — Quakers Defeat Chicago, 23 to 21 on Princeton Floor, Giving Them Collegiate Championship of Country". The Springfield Republican. Springfield, MA. March 28, 1920.
The University of Pennsylvania won the college basketball championship of the United States here to-night by defeating the University of Chicago 23 to 21 in the deciding contest of a three-game series.
- ^ a b "Pitt Gets Title Bid — Victory Over Mountaineers Tomorrow Means 'Rose Bowl' Game at Atlantic City". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. March 17, 1935.
If the Panthers come through they will be invited to play in the 'Rose Bowl' game for the national collegiate title in Atlantic City's convention hall, Saturday, April 13.
- ^ a b "Helms Athletic Foundation — Collegiate Basketball Record — Part II" (Press release). Los Angeles: Helms Athletic Foundation. February 1943. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Ghio, Barney (March 22, 1951). "NCAA Winner Bona Fide Champ". The Shreveport Times. Vol. LXXVII, no. 295. p. 12.
Nevertheless, the NCAA champion has for several years been regarded as the national champion and the winner certainly has more right to the acclaim than the national football champion, which is decided by popular vote. At least, the NCAA champion earns the honor by competing against other top-ranking quintets of the nation. However, it was not always that the NCAA champ was universally regarded as the national titleholder. In fact, the NIT can boast of beating the NCAA to the punch if a consensus is taken. Such a conclusion involves the Helms Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, a respected group that has figured prominently in athletics.
- ^ a b c Kerkhoff, Blair (March 23, 2022). "Kansas Jayhawks on quest for another banner, a century after first 'national championship'". The Kansas City Star.
A project to determine top teams from the pre-tournament era retroactively concluded that the Jayhawks were college basketball's best team during the years of Babe Ruth, the Model T and Prohibition. [...] When it came to college basketball, Schroeder solicited opinions from coaches and sportswriters around the country. But when he finalized his list of the nation's best teams from 1920-42, there is no evidence that anyone other than Schroeder made the selections.
- ^ a b Douchant, Mike (1995). Encyclopedia of College Basketball. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. ISBN 0-8103-9483-9.
- ^ a b Editors of ESPN (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia. New York: ESPN Books; Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ Smarr, Emilee (March 13, 2025). "Did you know Alabama basketball won a national championship? That's OK: UA didn't either". The Tuscaloosa News.
- ^ "Yale Team Victorious — Splendid Record for the Season". Journal and Courier. Vol. LXVII, no. 49. New Haven, Connecticut. February 27, 1899. p. 5.
In consequence of the number of important victories earned the team lays claim to the basket ball championship of the United States.
- ^ "Columbia's Championship Five — Local Players Claim National Intercollegiate Title, Having Defeated Best of East and West". The Sun. New York. March 12, 1905.
On the basis of the past two seasons and the victories over the Westerners, the Columbia men feel fairly entitled to claim the title of national college champions.
- ^ "Williams Basketball Record — New England College Disputes Championship Title With Columbia". The Sun. New York. March 19, 1905.
The Williams team has lost but two games out of the twenty-two played, and by reason of pronounced victories over the strongest college teams in the country, Williams considers her team the intercollegiate champions of America. [...] The only disputant to the title won by Williams is Columbia, but the latter five has only played one team of any strength—Yale. [...] Williams had game arranged with Columbia, but the New Yorkers cancelled the date.
- ^ "National Champions — Williams, Head of New England Basketball League, Wins 15 Out of 16 Games". The Williams Record. Vol. XXI, no. 2. Williamstown, Massachusetts. March 21, 1907.
The Williams basketball team of 1907, whose season has just finished, can, like the team of 1904-5, lay claim to the national basketball championship. Though this claim is by no means so indisputable as that of Captain Wadsworth's five with its more representative schedule, the fact that Williams was the champion of the newly formed New England Intercollegiate league, that the one game out of the seventeen which it lost was to an opponent which it subsequently defeated, and that it overwhelmed the team which the champion of the league of the big colleges sent to meet it give Williams a claim that is certainly equal to Yale's to the honor.
- ^ a b c Carlson, Chad R. (2012). "A Tale of Two Tournaments: The Red Cross Games and the Early NCAA-NIT Relationship". Journal of Intercollegiate Sport. 5 (2): 260–280. doi:10.1123/jis.5.2.260. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
- ^ a b Klingaman, Mike; Free, Bill (March 16, 2005). "When the NIT Mattered". The Baltimore Sun. pp. E1, E4.
From 1938 until the NCAA took over, the event at the Garden ruled postseason
- ^ a b Barra, Allen (March 16, 2012). "How the NCAA Basketball Cartel Seized Its Power". The Atlantic.
The NCAA established their tournament the year after the NIT began, and until the early 1950s it was second to Ned Irish's baby in both prize money and prestige. The reason wasn't difficult to figure. The NIT could offer something that the NCAA couldn't: a trip to New York.
- ^ Luce, Henry R., ed. (December 16, 1940). "Long Island University Basketball Team Demonstrates Best Scoring Plays". LIFE. Vol. 9, no. 25. pp. 41–45.
Mecca for all college basketball teams is New York's Madison Square Garden. There each winter the leading teams in the U. S. play double-header games on 16 nights, wind up the season with the National Invitation Tournament sponsored by the Metropolitan colleges to decide the mythical title.
- ^ a b Written at New York. "Long Island University Quintet Is Mythical Hoop Champion". The Republican. Springfield, MA. International News Service. March 23, 1939.
Unbeaten Long Island university today laid claim to the mythical national collegiate basketball title by virtue of the 44 to 32 defeat it handed Loyola last night before a crowd of 18,000 at Madison Square Garden.
- ^ a b Snider, Steve (March 28, 1939). Written at Evanston, IL. "Oregon Team Claims U.S. Title After Winning Crown In Intercollegiate Finals". Astorian Budget. Astoria, OR. United Press.
Oregon's rangy sharpshooters, new champions of the National Collegiate Athletic association, entered a claim to the national intercollegiate basketball title today and it's as good a claim as any other. [...] The national championship, however, still is a muddle. Long Island university, victor in Manhattan's invitational tournament, is a popular eastern choice for the title and Southwestern Teachers of Winfield, Kan., won a similar tournament at Kansas City. Oregon was a good enough team last night to claim any title.
- ^ a b Anderson, Dave (March 28, 1996). "Recalling Final Four's Garden Roots". The New York Times. p. B13.
In the post-season, the NIT had more stature. It originated in 1938, a year before the NCAA tournament began. It was also center stage in the Garden, the nation's most famous arena. [...] Although the NIT was considered stronger, its winner lost to the N.C.A.A. winner during World War II in each of the three Red Cross charity games at the Garden involving the two champions—the only three times that the two tournament winners met to determine an undisputed national champion.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Effrat, Louis (March 29, 1950). "City College Conquers Bradley for First Sweep of National Basketball Titles". The New York Times. p. 40.
CCNY, Invitation Victor, Becomes First Five to Win NCAA Title Also — Running out of basketball worlds to conquer, Nat Holman's City College Beavers became—undisputedly—the nation's No. 1 college quintet by virtue of a breath-taking 71-68 victory over Bradley last night at Madison Square Garden. [...] gave CCNY the grand slam
- ^ Terrell, Roy (February 20, 1956). "News that a college all-star team would enter the Olympic basketball trials failed to slow the race for a place in THE TOURNAMENTS". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 4, no. 8. p. 45. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017.
In the interest of Olympic supremacy, a little of the luster was rubbed off the nation's two big postseason tournaments last week. No longer, announced Dutch Lonborg of Kansas, chairman of the Olympic College Basketball Committee, will the National Collegiate and National Invitation tournaments send their champions to the Olympic trials. Instead, a 14-man all-star team will be selected from colleges all over the nation to challenge one service and two AAU teams for the trip to Melbourne in November. But Melbourne is still a long way off and mid-February remains, in the world of college basketball, a time to worry about mid-March and the 37 spots in the brackets of the NCAA and the NIT. The NCAA has room for 25 teams—16 conference champions and nine 'at-large' selections; the NIT is seeking to fill a field of 12.
- ^ a b Fullerton, Jr., Hugh (March 23, 1954). Written at New York. "Kentucky Beats Out Tourney Winners in Final Cage Poll". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. Associated Press. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ a b "Helms Bypasses La Salle — Kentucky Named Top Team". The Daily O'Collegian. April 1, 1954. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ^ "Bears Rank No. 56 in Dunkel Ratings". The Springfield News-Leader. April 24, 1954.
Kentucky, which drew a top rating of 88.0 [...] In the top ten were Kentucky, first, followed by Holy Cross Duquesne, LaSalle, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Niagara, Western Kentucky and Duke. Other interesting ratings included Cape Girardeau, 198th: Warrensburg, 247th; Pittsburg (Kan.), 269th; Central College, 274th; and Maryville, 284th. Drury College placed 445th.
- ^ a b c Wharton, David (March 12, 2007). "Thanks, Bruins — UCLA's unprecedented run of championships behind Wooden, Alcindor and Walton lifted the NCAA tournament to a major level". Los Angeles Times.
Through the 1940s and '50s, the NCAA tournament wasn't so much the Big Dance as a block party, barely two dozen teams invited to play. Barely anyone noticed. Call it March Mildness. Then came UCLA.
- ^ Decourcy, Mike (March 13, 2020). "It's madness to assume a college basketball champion can be identified without the NCAA Tournament". The Sporting News.
We can pretend all we want. We can look at the top of the various computer rankings and see who stands No. 1. We can look at the top of the polls. We can run a computer simulation or play it out using our best e-sporters, or whatever they call themselves. There is no way to arrive at a genuine champion for the 2019-20 college basketball season, though. Because the greatest glory of this sport is contained in this declarative: We don't do it by a bleeping vote. [...] In this sport, championships are won on the court. [...] We'll see no such thing this year. No Madness, no champion. That's how it works.
- ^ UCLA Basketball National Champions — 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 (Banners). Pauley Pavilion: University of California, Los Angeles. 2016. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ NCAA Champion 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 (Banners). Rupp Arena: University of Kentucky. Archived from the original on August 13, 2025.
- ^ National Champions — 1922, 1923, 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 (Banners). Allen Fieldhouse: University of Kansas. 2025. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ UConn Men's Basketball — National Champions — 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024 (Banners). Harry A. Gampel Pavilion: University of Connecticut. 2024. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ National Champions — 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 (Banners). Cameron Indoor Stadium: Duke University. 2015. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ Indiana University NCAA Basketball Champions — 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 (Banners). Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall: Indiana University. 2022. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ Louisville Basketball 2024-2025 Media Guide (PDF). University of Louisville Athletics. 2024. pp. 154–156.
Louisville's National Champions: 2013 NCAA Champions (championship later vacated), 1986 NCAA Champions, 1980 NCAA Champions, 1956 NIT Champions, 1948 NAIB Champions
- ^ "University of Chicago Team NCAA Champions & Finalists". University of Chicago Athletics. June 12, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
The University of Chicago men's basketball team was also awarded three consecutive National Championships in 1907, 1908, and 1909 from the Helms Athletic Foundation. [...] NCAA Champions: Men's Basketball (3 times) — 1907, 1908, 1909
- ^ Men's Basketball — National Champions — 2006, 2007 (Banners). O'Connell Center: University of Florida. 2007.
- ^ "USF Basketball History". University of San Francisco Athletics. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
National Championships: 1949 NIT Champions, 1955 NCAA Champions, 1956 NCAA Champions
- ^ "Syracuse National Champions". Syracuse University. December 21, 2006. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
TEAM (31): 1917-18 Men's Basketball (Helms Foundation); 1925-26 Men's Basketball (Helms Foundation); 2003 Men's Basketball
- ^ 2012-13 Utah Basketball Media Guide (PDF). University of Utah Athletic Communications Office. 2012. p. 87. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 12, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
National Champions: 1916 AAU Champions, 1944 NCAA Champions, 1947 NIT Champions [...] making the University of Utah the only school in history to win the NCAA, NIT, and AAU National Championships.
- ^ NCAA Men's Basketball National Champions — 1985, 2016 (Banners). Finneran Pavilion: Villanova University.
- ^ National Champions — Butler — Men's Basketball — 1924, 1929 (Banners). Hinkle Fieldhouse: Butler University. 2019. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ NCAA National Champions — 1961, 1962 (Banners). Fifth Third Arena: University of Cincinnati. 2007.
- ^ "National Championship Teams". Holy Cross Athletics. July 1, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
National Championship Teams: 1947 NCAA Champions, 1954 NIT Champions
- ^ "La Salle's Men's Basketball By The Numbers". La Salle Magazine. Philadelphia, PA: La Salle University. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
La Salle has two national champion teams—the 1952 NIT champions, which was considered the national championship at the time, and the 1954 NCAA Tournament champions. [...] 1 NCAA Championship; 1 NIT Championship [...] 1951-1952 NIT Champions: Then considered the premier college basketball tournament, the championship made La Salle, and top scorer Tom Gola, household names.
- ^ "LIU Sharks Athletics History". Long Island University Athletics. February 26, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
LIU Brooklyn National Championships: Men's Basketball 1939, 1941
- ^ NCAA Champions — 1979, 2000 (Banners). Breslin Center: Michigan State University. 2020.
- ^ National Champions — 1974, 1983 (Banners). Lenovo Center: North Carolina State University. 2024. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024.
- ^ NCAA Champions — Cowboy Basketball — 1945, 1946 (Banners). Gallagher-Iba Arena: Oklahoma State University. Archived from the original on August 13, 2025.
- ^ Penn 2024 Men's Basketball Fact Book (PDF). University of Pennsylvania. 2024. p. 80. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
Penn Basketball - 1919-20 and 1920-21 Helms National Champions [...] Penn was retroactively named the national college champion in men's basketball by the Helms Athletic Foundation in both 1919-20 and 1920-21. The 1919-20 Quakers went 22-1 and were considered the Eastern champion after going undefeated in the Eastern Intercollegiate League (EIL). They then bested the Western champion, the University of Chicago, in a best-of-three series to earn the Helms and Premo-Porretta national championships. A year later, the 1920-21 Penn team went 21-2 and again won the EIL title with a 9-1 mark, the lone loss a 20-19 decision at Cornell. Unlike the previous year, Penn's 1920-21 title was not bestowed until years later.
- ^ National Champions — 1928, 1930 (Banners). Petersen Events Center: University of Pittsburgh. 2024. Archived from the original on June 21, 2025.
- ^ Stanford Men's Basketball — National Championships — 1937, 1942 (Sign). Maples Pavilion: Stanford University. 2022. Archived from the original on May 30, 2025.
- ^ Helms Foundation — National Champions — Men's Basketball — 1902, 1919 (Banners). Williams Arena: University of Minnesota. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023.
- ^ Men's Basketball — Helms Foundation National Champions 1934 — NCAA National Championship 1943 (Banners). Arena-Auditorium: University of Wyoming. 2022. Archived from the original on May 30, 2025.
- ^ NCAA Final Four — 1997 National Champions (Banner). McKale Center: University of Arizona. 2023. Archived from the original on August 11, 2025.
- ^ National Champions — NCAA — 1994 (Banner). Bud Walton Arena: University of Arkansas. 2023. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025.
- ^ Baylor Men's Basketball — NCAA Final Four 2021 — National Champions (Banner). Ferrell Center: Baylor University. 2022. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024.
- ^ NCAA Men's Basketball Champions 1959 (Banner). Haas Pavilion: University of California. 2008.
- ^ The City College of New York — NCAA Men's Basketball Champions 1949–1950 — NIT Men's Basketball Champions 1949–1950 (Banner). Nat Holman Gymnasium: City College of New York. 2025. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ 2024-25 DePaul Basketball Media Guide (PDF). DePaul Athletics Department. 2024. p. 139. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
...the 1945 edition of the Blue Demons won the school's first national championship by winning the 1945 National Invitation Tournament.
- ^ NCAA — Georgetown — National Champions — 1984 (Banner). McDonough Memorial Gymnasium: Georgetown University. 2008. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025.
- ^ National Champions — 1915 (Banner). State Farm Center: University of Illinois. 2022. Archived from the original on January 20, 2025.
- ^ Men's Basketball — National Champions — 1935 (Banner). Pete Maravich Assembly Center: Louisiana State University. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021.
- ^ NCAA Men's Basketball — National Champions — 1963 (Banner). Joseph J. Gentile Arena: Loyola University Chicago. 2022. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025.
- ^ Marquette NCAA National Champs 1977 (Banner). Al McGuire Center: Marquette University. 2018. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025.
Smaller banner: NIT Champs 1970
- ^ Maryland Basketball Men's NCAA Tournament National Champions 2002 (Banner). Cole Field House: University of Maryland. 2002. Archived from the original on August 13, 2025.
- ^ NCAA National Champions 1989 (Banner). Crisler Center: University of Michigan. 2010.
- ^ Montana State — Men's Basketball — National Champions — 1929 (Banner). Brick Breeden Fieldhouse: Montana State University. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024.
- ^ NCAA Champions 1960 (Banner). St. John Arena: Ohio State University. 2008. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025.
- ^ Oregon — NCAA — 1939 National Champions — Men's Basketball (Banner). McArthur Court: University of Oregon. 2008.
- ^ National Champions — Men's Basketball — 1932 (Banner). Mackey Arena: Purdue University. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Temple Hall of Fame: 1938 Men's Basketball Team". Temple University. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
The 1938 NIT Championship Men's Basketball Team became the first team to be enshrined in the Temple University Athletics Hall of Fame. That Owl team claimed the first-ever National Championship in college basketball history, posting a 20-2 regular-season record to earn a spot in the Inaugural National Invitation Tournament.
- ^ UNLV National Champions 1990 (Banner). Thomas & Mack Center: University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 2023. Archived from the original on August 12, 2025.
- ^ Texas Western College NCAA Champions 1966 (Banner). Don Haskins Center: Texas Western College. 2011.
- ^ NCAA Final Four — National Champions — 2019 (Banner). John Paul Jones Arena: University of Virginia. 2025. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025.
- ^ 1922 First National Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament Champions; 1982 NCAA Division III Basketball National Champions (Signs). Chadwick Court: Wabash College. 2025.
- ^ Washburn 2024-25 Ichabod Basketball Media Guide (PDF). Washburn University. 2024. p. 127. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
1924–25 AAU National Champions [...] In 1925 Dutch Lonborg coached Washburn College to an AAU title; it was the last time a college team won that championship.
- ^ Men's Basketball — National Champions — 1917 (Banner). Beasley Coliseum: Washington State University. 2019. Archived from the original on May 27, 2025.
- ^ NIT — National Champions — 1942 (Banner). WVU Coliseum: West Virginia University. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025.
- ^ "Wisconsin National Championships". University of Wisconsin. November 21, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
NCAA National Titles: Men's Basketball (1): 1941