A complete history of HBCU men's basketball in the NCAA ...

North Carolina A&T and Southern broke NCAA 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 3 Coppin State, Jackson State, Norfolk State 2 Alabama State, 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 NCAA 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 0-2 .000 2004 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 1-2 .333 2022 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 NCAA tournament performance by HBCU conference.

Conference appearances Wins Losses Win % MEAC 31 3 28 .096 SWAC 27 1 26 .037 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 60 times HBCUs have participated in the round of 64, they have been seeded 16th — the lowest possible seed — 34 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 .017 1-0 1.000 No. 14 4 .069 0-4 .000 No. 15 21 .362 3-18 .143 No. 16 34 .567 0-34 .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 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 56–83   Norfolk State No. 16 No. 1 Baylor L 49–85 2021 Texas Southern No. 16 No. 1 Michigan L 66–82   Norfolk State No. 16 No. 1 Gonzaga L 55–98 2018 Texas Southern No. 16 No. 1 Xavier L 83–102 2017 Texas Southern No. 16 No. 1 North Carolina L 64–103 2016 Hampton No. 16 No. 1 Virginia L 45–81 2015 Texas Southern No. 15 No. 2 Arizona L 72–93   Hampton No. 16 No. 1 Kentucky L 56–79 2014 North Carolina Central No. 14 No. 3 Iowa State L 75–93 2013 Southern No. 16 No. 1 Gonzaga L 58–64   North Carolina A&T No. 16 No. 1 Louisville L 48–79 2012 Norfolk State No. 15 No. 2 Missouri W 86–84 2011 Hampton No. 16 No. 1 Duke L 45–87 2010 Morgan State No. 15 No. 2 West Virginia L 50–77 2009 Morgan State No. 15 No. 2 Oklahoma L 54–82 2008 Mississippi Valley State No. 16 No. 1 UCLA L 29–70 2007 Jackson State No. 16 No. 1 Florida L 69–112 2006 Southern No. 16 No. 1 Duke L 54–70 2005 Delaware State No. 16 No. 1 Duke L 46–57 2004 Alabama State No. 16 No. 1 Duke L 61–96   Florida A&M No. 16 No. 1 Kentucky L 76–96 2003 South Carolina State No. 16 No. 1 Oklahoma L 54–71 2002 Hampton No. 15 No. 2 Connecticut L 67–78 2001 Alabama State No. 16 No. 1 Michigan State L 35–69   Hampton No. 15 No. 2 Iowa State W 58–57 2000 Jackson State No. 16 No. 1 Arizona L 47–71   South Carolina State No. 16 No. 1 Stanford L 65–84 1999 Alcorn State No. 15 No. 2 Stanford L 57–69   Florida A&M No. 16 No. 1 Duke L 58–99 1998 Prairie View A&M No. 16 No. 1 Kansas L 52–110   South Carolina State No. 15 No. 2 Kentucky L 67–82 1997 Jackson State No. 16 No. 1 Kansas L 64–78   Coppin State No. 15 No. 2 South Carolina W 78–65 1996 Mississippi Valley State No. 15 No. 2 Georgetown L 56–93   South Carolina State No. 15 No. 2 Kansas L 54–92 1995 Texas Southern No. 15 No. 2 Arkansas L 78–79   North Carolina A&T No. 16 No. 1 Wake Forest L 47–79 1994 Texas Southern No. 15 No. 2 Duke L 70–82   Tennessee State No. 14 No. 3 Kentucky L 70–83   North Carolina A&T No. 16 No. 1 Arkansas L 79–94 1993 Southern No. 13 No. 4 Georgia Tech W 93–78   Tennessee State No. 15 No. 2 Seton Hall L 59–81   Coppin State No. 15 No. 2 Cincinnati L 66–93 1992 Mississippi Valley State No. 16 No. 1 Ohio State L 56–83   Howard No. 16 No. 1 Kansas L 67–100 1990 Texas Southern No. 14 No. 3 Georgetown L 52–70   Coppin State No. 15 No. 2 Syracuse L 48–70 1989 Southern No. 15 No. 2 North Carolina L 79–93   South Carolina State No. 15 No. 2 Duke L 69–90 1988 Southern No. 15 No. 2 Kentucky L 84–99   North Carolina A&T No. 14 No. 3 Syracuse L 55–69 1987 Southern No. 15 No. 2 Temple L 56–75   North Carolina A&T No. 15 No. 2 Alabama L 71–88 1986 Mississippi Valley State No. 16 No. 1 Duke L 78–85   North Carolina A&T No. 16 No. 1 Kansas L 46–71 1985 Southern No. 16 No. 1 St. John's L 59–83   North Carolina A&T No. 16 No. 1 Oklahoma L 83–96

Arkansas-Pine Bluff's 2010 season was vacated for NCAA violations