The belt vs. the champion
39 seasons with a postseason finalThe belt doesn't care about brackets. But how often does it end the season in the same hands as the trophy? Here's the team that won each season's last postseason game next to the team holding the belt when the season's games ran out. Here the champion is the NCAA tournament winner.
39Seasons it matched
100%Match rate
0Seasons it didn't
39Current matching streak
| Season | Champion | Belt at season's end | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | UCLA | UCLA | Same team |
| 2024–25 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2023–24 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Same team |
| 2022–23 | LSU | LSU | Same team |
| 2021–22 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Same team |
| 2020–21 | Stanford | Stanford | Same team |
| 2018–19 | Baylor | Baylor | Same team |
| 2017–18 | Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Same team |
| 2016–17 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Same team |
| 2015–16 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2014–15 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2013–14 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2012–13 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2011–12 | Baylor | Baylor | Same team |
| 2010–11 | Texas A&M | Texas A&M | Same team |
| 2009–10 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2008–09 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2007–08 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |
| 2006–07 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |
| 2005–06 | Maryland | Maryland | Same team |
| 2004–05 | Baylor | Baylor | Same team |
| 2003–04 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2002–03 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2001–02 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 2000–01 | Notre Dame | Notre Dame | Same team |
| 1999–00 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 1998–99 | Purdue | Purdue | Same team |
| 1997–98 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |
| 1996–97 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |
| 1995–96 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |
| 1994–95 | UConn | UConn | Same team |
| 1993–94 | North Carolina | North Carolina | Same team |
| 1992–93 | Texas Tech | Texas Tech | Same team |
| 1991–92 | Stanford | Stanford | Same team |
| 1990–91 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |
| 1989–90 | Stanford | Stanford | Same team |
| 1988–89 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |
| 1987–88 | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech | Same team |
| 1986–87 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Same team |