In the 37 years of the NCAA Tournament, just 50 schools have made an Elite Eight appearance.
Nebraska and Stanford each have made the most appearances with 27 followed by Texas (23). Hawaii is next at 19, while seven-time national champion Penn State has been in the top eight 18 times. Six other teams have made 10 or more appearances in the regional final.
- Nebraska (27)
- Stanford (27)
- Texas (23)
- Hawaii (19)
- Penn State (18)
- USC (17)
- Florida (16)
- Pacific (11)
- BYU (10)
- Long Beach State (10)
- Washington (10)
The NCAA Tournament field has increased the number of competitors over the years, beginning with 20 teams in 1981 and incrementally growing until switching to the current 64-team format in 1998.
In the modern 64 team era, just 37 teams have advanced to the Elite Eight. In the 20 year span, including 2017, six programs have made it to at least half of the regional finals.
- Nebraska (16)
- Texas (13)
- Penn State (13)
- Stanford (13)
- USC (12)
- Florida (10)
When cutting the snapshot window to the last 10 years, including 2017, the group dwindles even more, to just 27 programs with at least one appearance. Texas has been the most consistent, making each of the last 10 Elite Eights, while five others have appeared in at least half.
- Texas (10)
- Nebraska (8)
- Penn State (7)
- Stanford (7)
- USC (6)
- Washington (5)
That elite group has accounted for all but one of the last nine national titles: Pen State (5), Texas (1), Nebraska (1), Stanford (1). The lone exception was UCLA’s championship in 2011.
The 2017 Elite Eight field features two relative newcomers: Michigan State, which is making its first appearance since 1996 and Kentucky, which earned its first berth since 1987.
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