The belt versus the bracket
Every NCAA tournament since 1987Who carried the belt into each NCAA tournament, and how it ended. 8 holders took the belt into March and kept it all the way to the title; 0 times the holder wasn't in the NCAA field at all.
| Season | Entered March with it | What happened | NCAA champion | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | UConn | Lost it in the Final Four to South Carolina | UCLA | 2 |
| 2024–25 | UCLA | Lost it in the Final Four to UConn | UConn | 1 |
| 2023–24 | Notre Dame | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Oregon State | South Carolina | 2 |
| 2022–23 | South Carolina | Lost it in the Final Four to Iowa | LSU | 2 |
| 2021–22 | Kentucky | Lost it in the first round to Princeton | South Carolina | 4 |
| 2020–21 | NC State | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Indiana | Stanford | 3 |
| 2018–19 | Baylor | Kept it all the way: national champions | Baylor | 0 |
| 2017–18 | UConn | Lost it in the Final Four to Notre Dame | Notre Dame | 1 |
| 2016–17 | UConn | Lost it in the Final Four to Mississippi State | South Carolina | 2 |
| 2015–16 | UConn | Kept it all the way: national champions | UConn | 0 |
| 2014–15 | Baylor | Lost it in the Elite Eight to Notre Dame | UConn | 2 |
| 2013–14 | UConn | Kept it all the way: national champions | UConn | 0 |
| 2012–13 | Notre Dame | Lost it in the Final Four to UConn | UConn | 1 |
| 2011–12 | UConn | Lost it in the Final Four to Notre Dame | Baylor | 2 |
| 2010–11 | Stanford | Lost it in the Final Four to Texas A&M | Texas A&M | 1 |
| 2009–10 | UConn | Kept it all the way: national champions | UConn | 0 |
| 2008–09 | Ohio State | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Stanford | UConn | 2 |
| 2007–08 | Stanford | Lost it in the title game to Tennessee | Tennessee | 1 |
| 2006–07 | North Carolina | Lost it in the Final Four to Tennessee | Tennessee | 1 |
| 2005–06 | Oklahoma | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Stanford | Maryland | 4 |
| 2004–05 | Baylor | Kept it all the way: national champions | Baylor | 0 |
| 2003–04 | Boston College | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Minnesota | UConn | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Villanova | Lost it in the Elite Eight to Tennessee | UConn | 2 |
| 2001–02 | Florida International | Lost it in the second round to Penn State | UConn | 2 |
| 2000–01 | UConn | Lost it in the Final Four to Notre Dame | Notre Dame | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Tennessee | Lost it in the title game to UConn | UConn | 1 |
| 1998–99 | Texas Tech | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Rutgers | Purdue | 2 |
| 1997–98 | Tennessee | Kept it all the way: national champions | Tennessee | 0 |
| 1996–97 | Old Dominion | Lost it in the title game to Tennessee | Tennessee | 1 |
| 1995–96 | Tennessee | Kept it all the way: national champions | Tennessee | 0 |
| 1994–95 | North Carolina | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Stanford | UConn | 2 |
| 1993–94 | Missouri | Lost it in the first round to Texas Tech | North Carolina | 4 |
| 1992–93 | Virginia | Lost it in the Elite Eight to Ohio State | Texas Tech | 2 |
| 1991–92 | USC | Lost it in the Elite Eight to Stanford | Stanford | 1 |
| 1990–91 | NC State | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to UConn | Tennessee | 3 |
| 1989–90 | Louisiana Tech | Lost it in the Final Four to Auburn | Stanford | 2 |
| 1988–89 | Tennessee | Kept it all the way: national champions | Tennessee | 0 |
| 1987–88 | Ohio State | Lost it in the Sweet 16 to Maryland | Louisiana Tech | 3 |
| 1986–87 | Texas | Lost it in the Final Four to Louisiana Tech | Tennessee | 2 |