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The Sweet 16 began in 1951 when the NCAA Tournament expanded to 16 teams. The field expanded to 32 teams in 1975, 48 teams in 1980 and 64 teams in 1985.
The Sweet 16 starts on Thursday for the 2023 March Madness.
There are many storied records in college basketball. UCLA holds the most men’s national championships with 11. North Carolina has the most No. 1 seeds in tournament history with 17. Kansas has the longest tournament appearance streaks with 33 straight years.
Let’s take a look at which programs have the most Sweet 16 appearances.
#1, Kentucky Wildcats, 44
The blue blood has the most trips to the Sweet 16. The Wildcats' last appearance came in 2019. Their first appearance came in 1951. Kentucky has made eight Sweet 16s since 2010. The WIldcats came up one game short of making it 45 this season with their 75-69 loss to Kansas State in the second round.
#2, UCLA Bruins, 36
The most decorated program in college basketball has the second-most Sweet 16s. UCLA made it 36 by advancing to the Sweet 16 this season. The Bruins (31-5) will take on No. 3 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs (30-5) in Las Vegas on Thursday. They have now made three straight Sweet 16s under coach Mick Cronin.
#3, North Carolina Tar Heels, 35
The Tar Heels missed the tournament this season but are one of the best programs in the sport. North Carolina last made the Sweet 16 in 2022, when the Heels made a dramatic run to the national championship game. UNC has made seven Sweet 16s since 2010.
#4 (tie), Kansas Jayhawks, 32
Another blue blood comes in at No. 4 Kansas fell short of the Sweet 16 this season, losing to No. 8 seed Arkansas 72-71. The Jayhawks made the Sweet 16 last season on their way to the national title. The Jayhawks have made four Sweet 16s since 2015.
#4 (tie), Duke Blue Devils, 32
Duke missed the Sweet 16 this season after losing to No. 4 seed Tennessee 65-52 this weekend. Duke made the Sweet 16 last season on its way to the Final Four. It was legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season at Duke. Coach K led Duke to 26 Sweet 16s.
