North Carolina A&T and Southern broke 红杏视频 tournament ground when they made the first appearance by an HBCU in the DI men's basketball tournament's round of 64 in 1985, the first year of the expanded bracket. Since then, a total of 19 HBCU men's basketball programs have played in the first round of the March Madness bracket.
Let's dive in to the past performance of the HBCU programs during the first round.
School breakdown
Texas Southern has the most round of 64 appearances of any HBCU men's basketball program, but has yet to win a game. The Tigers last appeared in the round of 64 in 2022. Grambling State became the latest HBCU to make its debut appearance in the round of 64 during the 2024 season.
Here's a look at the appearance of HBCUs in the round of 64.
| # 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 |
The only HBCUs to win a round of 64 game are Southern, Coppin State, Hampton and Norfolk State. Alcorn State does have a first-round win, but that came in 1980 when there were only 32 teams in the bracket. Every other HBCU men's 红杏视频 tournament win came in the opening or First Four round.
Here's a look at the records of HBCUs, by school, in the round of 64.
| School | Record | Win % | Last APP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State | 0-3 | .000 | 2025 |
| Alcorn State | 0-1 | .000 | 1999 |
| Coppin State | 1-2 | .333 | 1997 |
| Delaware State | 0-1 | .000 | 2005 |
| Florida A&M | 0-2 | .000 | 2004 |
| Grambling State | 0-1 | .000 | 2024 |
| Hampton | 1-4 | .200 | 2016 |
| Howard | 0-2 | .000 | 2023 |
| Jackson State | 0-3 | .000 | 2007 |
| Mississippi Valley State | 0-4 | .000 | 2008 |
| Morgan State | 0-2 | .000 | 2010 |
| Norfolk State | 1-4 | .250 | 2025 |
| North Carolina A&T | 0-7 | .000 | 2013 |
| North Carolina Central | 0-1 | .000 | 2014 |
| Prairie View A&M | 0-1 | .000 | 1998 |
| South Carolina State | 0-5 | .000 | 2003 |
| Southern | 1-6 | .142 | 2013 |
| Tennessee State | 0-2 | .000 | 1994 |
| Texas Southern | 0-8 | .000 | 2022 |
Conference breakdown
Here's a breakdown of 红杏视频 tournament performance by HBCU conference.
| 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
HBCUs have typically been seeded towards the bottom of the bracket since the round of 64 began. Of the 62 times HBCUs have participated in the round of 64, they have been seeded 16th 鈥 the lowest possible seed 鈥 36 times.
The best seed any HBCU has had entering the Round of 64 has been No. 13, held by Southern in 1993. The Jaguars won their first round game with a 93-78 win over No. 4 Georgia Tech.
| Seed | Total seeds | % Seeded | Seed Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 | 1 | .016 | 1-0 | 1.000 |
| No. 14 | 4 | .065 | 0-4 | .000 |
| No. 15 | 21 | .339 | 3-18 | .143 |
| No. 16 | 36 | .581 | 0-36 | .000 |
Game results
Here are the results from every round of 64 game from an HBCU men's basketball program
| Year | School | Seed | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alabama State | No. 16 | No. 1 Auburn | L | 83-63 |
| Norfolk State | No. 16 | No. 1 Florida | L | 95-69 | |
| 2024 | Grambling State | No. 16 | No. 1 Purdue | L | 78-50 |
| 2023 | Howard | No. 16 | No. 1 Kansas | L | 68-96 |
| 2022 | Texas Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Kansas | L | 56鈥83 |
| Norfolk State | No. 16 | No. 1 Baylor | L | 49鈥85 | |
| 2021 | Texas Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Michigan | L | 66鈥82 |
| Norfolk State | No. 16 | No. 1 Gonzaga | L | 55鈥98 | |
| 2018 | Texas Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Xavier | L | 83鈥102 |
| 2017 | Texas Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 North Carolina | L | 64鈥103 |
| 2016 | Hampton | No. 16 | No. 1 Virginia | L | 45鈥81 |
| 2015 | Texas Southern | No. 15 | No. 2 Arizona | L | 72鈥93 |
| Hampton | No. 16 | No. 1 Kentucky | L | 56鈥79 | |
| 2014 | North Carolina Central | No. 14 | No. 3 Iowa State | L | 75鈥93 |
| 2013 | Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Gonzaga | L | 58鈥64 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 Louisville | L | 48鈥79 | |
| 2012 | Norfolk State | No. 15 | No. 2 Missouri | W | 86鈥84 |
| 2011 | Hampton | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 45鈥87 |
| 2010 | Morgan State | No. 15 | No. 2 West Virginia | L | 50鈥77 |
| 2009 | Morgan State | No. 15 | No. 2 Oklahoma | L | 54鈥82 |
| 2008 | Mississippi Valley State | No. 16 | No. 1 UCLA | L | 29鈥70 |
| 2007 | Jackson State | No. 16 | No. 1 Florida | L | 69鈥112 |
| 2006 | Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 54鈥70 |
| 2005 | Delaware State | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 46鈥57 |
| 2004 | Alabama State | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 61鈥96 |
| Florida A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Kentucky | L | 76鈥96 | |
| 2003 | South Carolina State | No. 16 | No. 1 Oklahoma | L | 54鈥71 |
| 2002 | Hampton | No. 15 | No. 2 Connecticut | L | 67鈥78 |
| 2001 | Alabama State | No. 16 | No. 1 Michigan State | L | 35鈥69 |
| Hampton | No. 15 | No. 2 Iowa State | W | 58鈥57 | |
| 2000 | Jackson State | No. 16 | No. 1 Arizona | L | 47鈥71 |
| South Carolina State | No. 16 | No. 1 Stanford | L | 65鈥84 | |
| 1999 | Alcorn State | No. 15 | No. 2 Stanford | L | 57鈥69 |
| Florida A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 58鈥99 | |
| 1998 | Prairie View A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Kansas | L | 52鈥110 |
| South Carolina State | No. 15 | No. 2 Kentucky | L | 67鈥82 | |
| 1997 | Jackson State | No. 16 | No. 1 Kansas | L | 64鈥78 |
| Coppin State | No. 15 | No. 2 South Carolina | W | 78鈥65 | |
| 1996 | Mississippi Valley State | No. 15 | No. 2 Georgetown | L | 56鈥93 |
| South Carolina State | No. 15 | No. 2 Kansas | L | 54鈥92 | |
| 1995 | Texas Southern | No. 15 | No. 2 Arkansas | L | 78鈥79 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 Wake Forest | L | 47鈥79 | |
| 1994 | Texas Southern | No. 15 | No. 2 Duke | L | 70鈥82 |
| Tennessee State | No. 14 | No. 3 Kentucky | L | 70鈥83 | |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 Arkansas | L | 79鈥94 | |
| 1993 | Southern | No. 13 | No. 4 Georgia Tech | W | 93鈥78 |
| Tennessee State | No. 15 | No. 2 Seton Hall | L | 59鈥81 | |
| Coppin State | No. 15 | No. 2 Cincinnati | L | 66鈥93 | |
| 1992 | Mississippi Valley State | No. 16 | No. 1 Ohio State | L | 56鈥83 |
| Howard | No. 16 | No. 1 Kansas | L | 67鈥100 | |
| 1990 | Texas Southern | No. 14 | No. 3 Georgetown | L | 52鈥70 |
| Coppin State | No. 15 | No. 2 Syracuse | L | 48鈥70 | |
| 1989 | Southern | No. 15 | No. 2 North Carolina | L | 79鈥93 |
| South Carolina State | No. 15 | No. 2 Duke | L | 69鈥90 | |
| 1988 | Southern | No. 15 | No. 2 Kentucky | L | 84鈥99 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 14 | No. 3 Syracuse | L | 55鈥69 | |
| 1987 | Southern | No. 15 | No. 2 Temple | L | 56鈥75 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 15 | No. 2 Alabama | L | 71鈥88 | |
| 1986 | Mississippi Valley State | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 78鈥85 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 Kansas | L | 46鈥71 | |
| 1985 | Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 St. John's | L | 59鈥83 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 Oklahoma | L | 83鈥96 |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff's 2010 season was vacated for 红杏视频 violations
