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.

Though it is hard for fans to be humble during this time of year when your team is not playing in the field of 65, Cincinnati and Louisville fans alike should sit back and appreciate the history and tradition their programs boast. Though for many basketball programs the 2005-06 season was not a success, just imagine...it actually could be a lot worse.

March Sadness: Division I programs to never appear in the NCAA Tournament

Congratulations to the University at Albany (America East Conference) and Belmont University (Atlantic Sun Conference) who both clinched their first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament this season by wining their respective conference tournaments.

School, Conference, Years Division I

American University, Patriot League, 2001
American finished the season with a 12-17 record and lost to eventual conference champ Bucknell in the Patriot League Tournament.

Arkansas – Pine Bluffs, SWAC, 1997
An 11-15 season earned UAPB a #8 seed in the SWAC Tournament were they lost to Jackson State.

Army, Patriot League, 1939
The Cadets could only muster a 5-22 record and lost to Patriot League champ Bucknell 59-47 in conference tourney. Not even former coaches Bobby Knight or Mike Krzyewski would even touch the coaching position at Army if it were offered to them today if both were fired.

Bethune – Cookman, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, 1980
The Wildcats finished their best season in 30 years with a 15-14 record, but lost to eventual champ Hampton in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament 57-55.

Binghamton, American East, 1999
With a 12-4 record, Binghamton was the runner-up in the AEC this season. They appeared in the 2004 NIT.

Birmingham Southern, Big South, 2000
The Panthers had a great season, posting a 19-9 regular season record. However, they were upset in the Big South tourney by #6 seed Charleston Southern 97-76.

Cal Poly State, Big West, 1996
The Broncos finished the season with a 9-18 record and lost in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament.

California-Irvine, Big West, 1977
UC Irvine, picked fifth and sixth in the preseason polls, finished second in the Big West Conference and ended the 2005-06 campaign 16-13 overall for the fifth winning season in the last six years.

California-Riverside, Big West, 2001
The Anteaters finished the season with a 5-22 record.

Cal State-Sacramento, Big Sky, 1991
The Hornets lost to Northern Arizona in the semi-finals of the Big Sky Tournament, 98-83, to finish the season 15-14.

Centenary College (La.), Mid-Continental, 2003
Growing pains continued for Centenary as they limped through the season finishing 4-23.

Chicago State, Mid-Continental, 1994
CSU lost in Mid-Con Tourney to eventual champ Oral Roberts 85-72.

The Citadel, Southern Conference, 1939
The Bulldogs suffered yet another losing season, 10-21, and lost to eventual champ Davidson in the So-Con tourney.

Denver, Sun Belt, 1939 (1998)
The Pioneers first stint at the D-I level concluded in 1977 when the program retreated to the NAIA. Denver returned to the D-I ranks in 1998.

Elon, Southern Conference, 1998
Finished the season 15-14 and lost in the So-Con semis to eventual champ Davidson 65-58.

Gardner-Webb, Atlantic Sun, 1995
Posted a 17-12 playing in the A-Sun and fell to Lipscomb in their conference championship game.

Grambling State, SWAC, 1958
Finished the season with a 14-13 overall record and second in the SWAC with a 11-7 conference mark.

High Point, Big South, 1999
One of the most recent additions to the Big South, High Point finished the season with 16-13 while falling to eventual champ Winthrop in the Big South tourney.

Indiana Purdue- Fort Wayne, Independent, 2001
Quite possibly the dumbest name for a college, Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne or IUPUFW finished their sixth Division I season with a 10-18 record.

Lipscomb, Atlantic Sun, 2000
Won the A-Sun regular season champ, but was upset in the conference tourney by Belmont 74-69 in OT. Ironically, the win clinched Belmont’s first ever bid to the NCAA’s.

University of Maine, America East, 1979
The Black Bears lost 71-62 to Binghamton in the conference tourney to finish the season with a 14-15 mark.

Maryland-Eastern Shore, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conf., 1980
Norfolk State put down UMES on a last second shot in the MEC Tourney and finished the season with a 7-22 record.

Morgan State, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, 1980
Could’ve dialed it in this season and probably finished better than 4-26.

New Hampshire, America East, 1979
One of the founding members of the AEC, New Hampshire has yet to make the NCAA’s. UNH posted a 12-17 record this season.

Norfolk State, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, 1997
The Spartans lost to Hampton 73-56 in the semis of the MEAC tourney to finish the season with a 13-18 record.

Northwestern, Big 10 Conferene, 1939
How embarrassing it must be for the Wildcat athletic department to have to answer this question, “When was the last time the Wildcats appeared in ‘the dance.’ For a program from the likes of the Big 10 to never reach the NCAA Tournament is quite possibly the worst factoid I have ever come across. They should just terminate the program to save money for the football team, which has actually produced some memorable seasons.

Portland State, Big Sky, 1996
The Vikings finished with a 12-16 mark and lost to Eastern Washington 81-75 in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky tourney.

Quinnipiac University, Northeast Conference, 2001
One of the more recent teams to make the leap to Division I, Quinnipiac posted a 12-16 record this year.

Sacred Heart, Northeast Conference, 1999
The Sacred Heart basketball program actually has a strong tradition. The Pioneers won the 1985 Division II National Championship. There was nothing sacred this season as they won just 11 games (25 losses).

St. Francis College, Northeast Conference, 1981
The Terriers posted a dismal 10-17 record this season.

Stephen F. Austin, Southland Conference, 1975
The Lumberjacks came as close as they could to their first ever NCAA bid, losing to Sam Houston State in the Southland Conference Tournament Championship, 78-72.

Stetson University, Atlantic Sun, 1971
The Hatters were defeated by eventual A-Sun champ Belmont in conference tourney 72-59. Stetson posted a 14-18 this season.

Stony Brook, America East, 1999
Another losing season for Stony Brook, 4 wins, and 24 loses.

U of Tennessee-Martin, Ohio Valley, 1992
Eventual Ohio Valley tourney champ Murray State defeated the Skyhawks, 65-62, to end their season with a 13-15 record.

Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, Independent, 1998
The Islanders have been an independent since 1998, and thus has not had much of an opportunity to receive a NCAA Tournament bid. However, next season they will join the Southland Conference. TAMU-CC posted 20 wins and 8 losses.

U of Texas – Arlington, Southland Conference, 1963
The Mavericks finished with a 14-16 record this season, their second consecutive losing season since winning the Southland regular season title in 2004.

U of Texas – Pan – Am, Independent, 1970
UTPA was horrible on the road this season going 1-15. Their overall record was not much better, 7 wins and 24 losses.

Utah Valley State, Independent, 2003
UVSC is the most recent school to make to move to Division I basketball. The Wolverines posted a wining record this season: 16-13.

Western Illinois, Mid-Continental, 1982
Received the #8 seed in the Mid-Con tourney with a 7-21 record and lost to eventual champ Oral Roberts 60-53 to finish the season at 7-21.

College of William & Mary, Colonial Athletic, 1939
Nothing has ever come from this basketball program: no conference champions, no NIT appearances and no NCAA appearances. Thus, the Tribe finished the season with 8 wins and 20 losses.

Youngstown State (Ohio), Horizon League, 1981
The Penguins did not come close to their first NCAA bid, finishing the season 7-21.

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