NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 19: A basketball sits on the court during a break in the action between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers during preseason action at the Barclays Center on October 19, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The 76ers defeated the Nets 106-76. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Every March, the cream of the College Basketball crop converges, crossing the country to see which program, propelled by future stars, is to be named champions.
In a month-long whirlwind, 68 teams are whittled down to a Sweet Sixteen, an Elite Eight, a Final Four, and, eventually, the kings of the bracket, the national champion.
From long-term Bruin brilliance in the City of Angels to a run of Wildcat wins and tremendous Tar Heel turnouts, here is every national champion since the dawn of the NCAA era.
2023 UConn (31-8)
2022 Kansas (34-6)
2021 Baylor (28-2)
2020 Canceled due to COVID-19
2019 Virginia (35-3)
2018 Villanova (36-4)
2017 North Carolina (33-7)
2016 Villanova (35-5)
2015 Duke (35-4)
2014 Connecticut (32-8)
2013 Louisville (35-5)*
2012 Kentucky (38-2)
2011 Connecticut (32-9)
2010 Duke (35-5)
2009 North Carolina (34-4)
2008 Kansas (37-3)
2007 Florida (35-5)
2006 Florida (33-6)
2005 North Carolina (33-4)
2004 Connecticut (33-6)
2003 Syracuse (30-5)
2002 Maryland (32-4)
2001 Duke (35-4)
2000 Michigan State (32-7)
1999 Connecticut (34-2)
1998 Kentucky (35-4)
1997 Arizona (25-9)
1996 Kentucky (34-2)
1995 UCLA (31-2)
1994 Arkansas (31-3)
1993 North Carolina (34-4)
1992 Duke (34-2)
1991 Duke (32-7)
1990 UNLV (35-5)
1989 Michigan (30-7)
1988 Kansas (27-11)
1987 Indiana (30-4)
1986 Louisville (32-7)
1985 Villanova (25-10)
1984 Georgetown (34-3)
1983 North Carolina State (26-10)
1982 North Carolina (32-2)
1981 Indiana (26-9)
1980 Louisville (33-3)
1979 Michigan State (26-6)
1978 Kentucky (30-2)
1977 Marquette (25-7)
1976 Indiana (32-0)
1975 UCLA (28-3)
1974 North Carolina State (30-1)
1973 UCLA (30-0)
1972 UCLA (30-0)
1971 UCLA (29-1)
1970 UCLA (28-2)
1969 UCLA (29-1)
1968 UCLA (29-1)
1967 UCLA (30-0)
1966 UTEP (28-1)
1965 UCLA (28-2)
1964 UCLA (30-0)
1963 Loyola Chicago (29-2)
1962 Cincinnati (29-2)
1961 Cincinnati (27-3)
1960 Ohio State (25-3)
1959 California (25-4)
1958 Kentucky (23-6)
1957 North Carolina (32-0)
1956 San Francisco (29-0)
1955 San Francisco (28-1)
1954 La Salle (26-4)
1953 Indiana (23-3)
1952 Kansas (28-3)
1951 Kentucky (32-2)
1950 CCNY (24-5)
1949 Kentucky (32-2)
1948 Kentucky (36-3)
1947 Holy Cross (27-3)
1946 Oklahoma State (31-2)
1945 Oklahoma State (27-4)
1944 Utah (21-4)
1943 Wyoming (31-2)
1942 Stanford (28-4)
1941 Wisconsin (20-3)
1940 Indiana (20-3)
1939 Oregon (29-5)
*Vacated due to infractions