Notre Dame Men’s Basketball NCAA Tournament History
Unfortunately Notre Dame won’t be making Mike Brey’s final year as head coach one that ends with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. However, he did bring the Irish to the dance over 1/3 of their times in program history since taking over the job in the summer of 2000.
Despite being known as a football school or women’s basketball school, the Irish have now been to the NCAA Tournament 37 times – the ninth most of any program in all of college basketball history. They’ve also played in more NCAA Tournament’s without winning the whole thing than any other program.
How has Notre Dame fared during their 37 trips to the big dance? Just once they’ve made a Final Four but have had a few close calls to winning a regional as well.
Here is how Notre Dame has fared in all 37 of those trips to the Big Dance:
More NCAA Tournament History from the College Wires Network:
Alabama / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Ohio St. / Penn St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC
1953
(AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
First Round: 77-57 win vs. Eastern Kentucky
Sweet Sixteen: 69-57 win vs. Penn
Elite Eight: 79-66 loss vs. Indiana
1954
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
First Round: 80-70 win vs. Loyola (LA)
Sweet Sixteen: 65-64 win vs. Indiana
Elite Eight: 71-63 loss vs. Penn State
1957
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
First Round: 89-77 win vs. Miami (OH)
Sweet Sixteen: 85-83 loss vs. Michigan State
Regional 3rd Place Game: 86-85 win vs. Pittsburgh
1958
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
First Round: 94-61 win vs. Tennessee Tech
Sweet Sixteen: 94-87 win vs. Indiana
Elite Eight: 89-56 loss vs. Kentucky
1960
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
First Round: 74-66 loss vs. Ohio
1963
77-72 loss vs. Bowling Green
1965
First Round: 99-98 loss vs. Houston
1969
First Round: 63-60 loss vs. Miami (OH)
1970
First Round: 112-82 win vs. Ohio
Sweet Sixteen: 109-99 loss vs. Kentucky
Regional 3rd Place Game: 121-106 loss vs. Iowa
1971
First Round: 102-94 win vs. TCU
Sweet Sixteen: 79-72 OT loss vs. Drake
Regional 3rd Place Game: 119-106 loss vs. Houston
1974
First Round: 108-66 win vs. Austin Peay
Sweet Sixteen: 77-68 loss vs. Michigan
Regional 3rd Place Game: 118-88 win vs. Vanderbilt
1975
First Round: 77-71 win vs. Kansas
Sweet Sixteen: 83-71 loss vs. Maryland
Regional 3rd Place Game: 95-87 loss vs. Cincinnati
1976
First Round: 79-78 win vs. Cincinnati
Sweet Sixteen: 80-76 loss vs. Michigan
1977
First Round: 90-83 win vs. Hofstra
Sweet Sixteen: 79-77 loss vs. North Carolina
1978
Mar 27, 1978; St. Louis, MO, USA; FILE PHOTO; Notre Dame Irish guard Kelly Tripucka (44) in action against Duke Blue Devils center Mike Gminski (43) and forward Gene Banks (20) during the semifinals of 1978 NCAA Men’s Final Four at the Checkerdome. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
First Round: 100-77 win vs. Houston
Sweet Sixteen: 69-56 win vs. Utah
Elite Eight: 84-64 win vs. DePaul
Final Four: 90-86 loss vs. Duke
National 3rd Place Game: 71-69 loss vs. Arkansas
1979
#1 seed (first year of NCAA seeding the tournament)
Second Round: 73-67 win vs. Tennessee
Sweet Sixteen: 79-71 win vs. Toledo
Elite Eight: 80-68 loss vs. Michigan State
1980
#4 Seed
87-84 OT loss vs. #5 Missouri
1981
#2 Seed
Second Round: 54-45 win vs. #10 James Madison
Sweet Sixteen: 51-50 loss vs. #6 BYU
1985
#7 Seed
First Round: 79-70 win vs. #10 Oregon State
Second Round: 60-58 loss vs. #2 North Carolina
1986
#3 Seed
First Round: 90-83 loss vs. #14 Arkansas-Little Rock
1987
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
#5 Seed
First Round: 84-71 win vs. #12 Middle Tennessee
Second Round: 58-57 win vs. #4 TCU
Sweet Sixteen: 74-68 loss vs. #1 North Carolina
1988
#10 Seed
First Round: 83-75 loss vs. #7 SMU
1989
#9 Seed
First Round: 81-65 win vs. #8 Vanderbilt
Second Round: 81-74 loss vs. #1 Georgetown
1990
#10 seed
First Round: 75-67 loss to #7 Virginia
2001
#6 Seed
First Round: 83-71 win vs. #11 Xavier
Second Round: 59-56 loss vs. #3 Ole Miss
2002
#8 Seed
First Round: 82-63 win vs. #9 Charlotte
Second Round: 84-77 loss vs. #1 Duke
2003
Photo by Joe Robbins-USA TODAY Sports
#5 Seed
First Round: 70-69 win vs. #12 Milwaukee
Second Round: 68-60 win vs. #4 Illinois
Sweet Sixteen: 88-71 win vs. #1 Arizona
2007
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
#6 Seed
First Round: 74-64 loss vs. #11 Winthrop
2008
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
#5 Seed
First Round: 68-50 win vs. #12 George Mason
Second Round: 61-41 loss vs. #4 Washington State
2010
Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
#6 Seed
First Round: 51-50 loss vs. #11 Old Dominion
2011
Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
#2 Seed
Second Round: 69-56 win vs. #15 Akron
Third Round: 71-57 loss vs. #10 Florida State
2012
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
#7 Seed
Second Round: 67-63 loss vs. #10 Xavier
2013
Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
#7 Seed
Second Round: 76-58 loss vs. #10 Iowa State
2015
Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
#3 Seed
Second Round: 69-65 win vs. #14 Northeastern
Third Round: 67-64 OT win vs. #6 Butler
Sweet Sixteen: 81-70 win vs. #7 Wichita State
Elite Eight: 68-66 loss vs. #1 Kentucky
2016
y Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
#6 Seed
First Round: 70-63 win vs. #11 Michigan
Second Round: 76-75 win vs. #14 Stephen F. Austin
Sweet Sixteen: 61-56 win vs. #7 Wisconsin
Elite Eight: 88-74 loss vs. #1 North Carolina
2017
Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
#5 Seed
First Round: 60-58 win vs. #12 Princeton
Second Round: 83-71 loss vs. #4 West Virginia
2022:
Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
11 seed – in First Four
First Four: 89-87 2OT win vs. No. 11 Rutgers
First Round: 78-64 win vs. No. 6 Alabama
