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With the Gonzaga Bulldogs' 89-68 victory over Kansas, the West Coast Conference school moved to the Sweet 16 for the ninth time in a row.
They are third on the list of consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, moving past Duke's eight consecutive appearances between 1998 and 2006. Only UCLA and North Carolina do better than the Bulldogs in this regard.
However, the marks of the Pac-12 and ACC schools were achieved decades ago and currently, no other school is anywhere near the path of contending for the spot.
Let's take a look at the four teams with the most consecutive Sweet 16 appearances:
Top 4 teams with the most consecutive Sweet 16 appearances
#4, Duke Blue Devils (8, 1998-2006)
It isn't surprising to find one of the most successful programs in history on this list. The five-time national champions achieved this under the leadership of Mike Krzyzewski, who also won all of their championships. Surprisingly, during this streak, they only managed one national title and one runner-up finish.
Duke would also take the fifth place on the list if we expanded it, with their 1986-1992 seven-year streak.
#3, Gonzaga Bulldogs (9, 2015-2024)
Mark Few's Bulldogs have been on a mission since 2015, advancing nine straight times to the Sweet 16. You might be wondering why not 10 times. Let's not forget that the 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
In this period, the Bulldogs have made the Final Four only two times, losing on both occasions in the championship game. Might the curse be lifted this year? They have never won the national title.
#2, North Carolina Tar Heels (13, 1981-1993)
In second place we have the ACC's Tar Heels, with 13 appearances between 1981 and 1993. In that time frame the historic program won two national titles, one in 1982 and one in 1993 to close out the streak.
They were also runners-up in 1981 when they started their impressive feat. Michael Jordan was part of this streak, with North Carolina being led by head coach Dean Smith.
#1, UCLA Bruins (14, 1967-1980)
The oldest and longest streak on record, the Bruins made it to the Sweet 16 14 times between 1967 and 1980. The Bruins were on the streak for four US presidencies. It was also the most productive of all the streaks, with UCLA winning a whopping eight national titles in 14 seasons.
The streak could've gone on for a few more years had the Bruins not missed the window in 1966.
John Wooden led them for most of the streak between 1967 and 1975, and then Gene Bartow, Gary Cunningham, and Larry Brown took turns at the gig. All the national titles on the streak were won under Wooden.
