Did Your Team Not Get Invited to the NCAA Tournament?

If you answered yes, good luck telling your sob story to any fan of one of these 40+ plus schools who have never, ever, not even once experienced what it feels like to root on their beloved team at the mecca of collegiate basketball. They’ve never been to the ‘big dance.’

Most of the schools who have not earned a trip to the tourney are the smaller, lower tiered conference colleges and university’s which have not been at the Division I level for very long. However, there a few programs from the so-called ‘power conferences’ who have never received the coveted invitation as well.

For the smaller programs that have only been lacing it up with the big boys for a short period of time, there is a lot of hope and many years ahead to pursue the dream. However, there is absolutely no excuse for programs like Northwestern, who play in the Big 10 Conference and have every recruiting advantage one could possibly think of over the mid-major and smaller conference schools.

Northwestern has been eligible for the NCAA Tournament since its creation in 1939 and have not once received an invitation. Same story for the Cadet basketball program at Army. That is 67 years, 67 opportunities to make the tournament as a major Division I program and nothing to show for except a few NIT appearances in the late ‘60s. Keep in mind that the great Mike Krzyewski coached Army during the 1970’s before he became a legend at Duke.

The Citadel basketball program has suffered through the same 67-year drought as its military superior Army, and their misery actually goes a combat boot further. The Bulldogs have also never been invited to the NIT.

The only other college basketball program that has been locked out of the tourney for 67 years is the College of William and Mary (Va.). The Tribe, who participates in the Colonial Athletic Conference, has posted some memorable regular season games (they upset #2 North Carolina in 1977) but has failed to make an appearance in the NCAA or NIT Tournaments.