North Carolina A&T and Southern made history in 1985 by being the first HBCUs to compete in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament’s round of 64. This was a significant milestone in the expanded bracket’s inaugural year. Since then, a total of 19 men’s basketball programs from HBCUs have reached the first round of March Madness.
Overview of HBCU Performance
Among HBCU programs, Texas Southern leads with the highest number of appearances in the round of 64, though they have not yet secured a victory. Their most recent appearance was in 2022. Meanwhile, Grambling State entered the round of 64 for the first time during the 2024 season.
Appearance Breakdown by School
| # of Appearances | HBCU |
|---|---|
| 8 | Texas Southern |
| 7 | North Carolina A&T, Southern |
| 5 | Hampton, South Carolina State |
| 4 | Mississippi Valley State, Norfolk State |
| 3 | Alabama State, Coppin State, Jackson State |
| 2 | Florida A&M, Howard, Morgan State, Tennessee State |
| 1 | Alcorn State, Delaware State, Grambling State, North Carolina Central, Prairie View A&M |
Only a few HBCUs have celebrated victories in the round of 64, including Southern, Coppin State, Hampton, and Norfolk State. Alcorn State achieved a win in 1980, but this occurred when the bracket featured only 32 teams; all other victories from HBCUs came in either the opening or First Four rounds.
Conference Performance Analysis
Examining NCAA tournament records by HBCU conference reveals the following:
| Conference | Appearances | Wins | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEAC | 32 | 3 | 29 | .094 |
| SWAC | 28 | 1 | 27 | .036 |
| Tennessee State (OVC) | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Total | 58 | 4 | 54 | .069 |
Seeding Trends
Historically, HBCUs have typically been assigned low seeds in the tournament. Out of 62 participations, 36 times they were seeded as 16th, the lowest possible. The highest seed for an HBCU was No. 13, held by Southern in 1993, who secured a first-round victory against Georgia Tech.
Round of 64 Results
Below is a summary of results for each round of 64 game played by HBCUs:
| Year | School | Seed | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Texas Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Auburn | L | 56-83 |
| 1985 | Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 St. John’s | L | 59-83 |
Note: Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s 2010 season was vacated due to NCAA violations.
