SPOKANE, Wash. — The Gonzaga men’s basketball team has made 26 NCAA Tournaments since 1995. But, starting in 1999, the Zags haven’t missed a single big dance, making an appearance each year for 25 years.
These 25-straight appearances in the tournament is currently the third-longest streak in the nation, behind Michigan State (26) and Kansas (34).
Back in 1999, the Zag squad would make their first appearance in the tournament in four years. Gonzaga came into the big dance as a 10 seed. They made a deep run all the way to the Elite Eight, where they fell to the one seeded UConn.
In the next few years, the team would either lose in the Sweet Sixteen or in the second round, but the Bulldogs didn’t give up and kept coming back.
Finally, in 2017, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, led by top scorer Nigel Williams-Goss, entered the tournament as a one seed in the West. The 2017 squad then made a historic run all the way to the championship game. This is where the Zags lost 71-65 to the one-seeded North Carolina.
Just three years later, Gonzaga would again enter the tournament as a one seed, led by superstars including Drew Timme, Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs. Fans may remember this tournament run included the iconic Suggs buzzer beater in the Final Four game against UCLA. This nail-biter win would lead the Bulldogs to the championship game against Baylor, which would end in a heartbreaking loss to Baylor 86-70.
By the numbers
- 26 years overall (25 years consecutive)
- 5 number one seeds
- 7 Sweet Sixteen appearances
- 4 Elite Eight appearances
- 2 championship appearances
- No national titles
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