How many final four has Gonzaga been to? Bulldogs' March Madness history explored

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been one of the most consistent teams in college basketball for over two decades. The Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA tournament every year since 1999. That season, they made a surprising run to the Elite Eight. But since then, they’ve built a reputation as one of the tournament’s most consistent teams. So, how well have they been faring?

How many final four has Gonzaga been to?

Gonzaga has been to the final four twice in the program’s history. The Bulldogs secured their first berth in the final four during the 2016-17 season when they faced the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Bulldogs won the matchup and advanced to the national championship game, however, they lost to North Carolina.

The Bulldogs were back in the final four for the second time in 2021. This time, they won an overtime victory over the UCLA Bruins before facing the Baylor Bears in the final. The team fell to another national championship game defeat, postponing their dream of becoming national champions.

The Bulldogs’ most recent NCAA tournament campaign ended in a disappointing loss to the Purdue Boilermakers. However, their dominance continued in the West Coast Conference, where they beat the St. Mary’s Gaels to win the tournament.

Since the 2008-09 season, the Bulldogs have consistently made the final AP poll every season. They also had a streak of 143 weeks from the 2016-17 season on the weekly poll until Jan. 15, 2024. With this, they tie for the 10th-longest streak on the weekly poll in Division I.

Former coach Dan Monson led the Zags to their modern era after taking over the coaching role in 1997. He led the team to the West Coast Conference tournament championship in 1999. The same year, he led the Zags to their famous Cinderella run in the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs lost their Elite Eight matchup to the eventual winners, UConn.

Mark Few took over from Monson in the summer of ‘99 and consolidated the progress made under Monson. The Bulldogs have played in every WCC tournament championship game since 1998, winning 16 of them. Few have since built a program that is undoubtedly one of the most revered nationwide.

With the kind of standard already set and the team’s consistency in the NCAA tournament, Zags fans now expect more from their team. How many more final four appearances will the Bulldogs have in the coming years?