It’s the most coveted spot on Selection Sunday: The 1 seed.
In 1979, the NCAA tournament bracket was expanded to 40 teams, and for the first time in tournament history, every single team in the bracket was seeded.
But no program has started the tournament on the top line more than North Carolina.
The Tar Heels have been a No. 1 seed 18 times in March, with the first coming in 1979 and the most recent coming in 2024. Of their six NCAA tournament championships, five came when UNC was a No. 1 seed. The sixth came in 1957, before seeds were established.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: All-time No. 1 seeds and year-by-year results
Only four programs have earned a top seed double-digit times. After North Carolina (18 times), the order goes Duke (16), Kansas (15) and Kentucky (12).
Here is the full list of all the teams that have earned a 1 seed since 1979:
| Number | Team | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | North Carolina | 1979-2024 |
| 16 | Duke | 1986-2026 |
| 15 | Kansas* | 1986-2023 |
| 12 | Kentucky | 1980-2015 |
| 8 | Arizona | 1988-2026 |
| 7 | Virginia | 1981-2019 |
| 6 | UConn | 1990-2024 |
| 5 | Georgetown | 1982-1989 |
| 5 | Gonzaga | 2013-2022 |
| 5 | Michigan State | 1990-2012 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 1985-2003 |
| 5 | Purdue | 1988-2024 |
| 4 | DePaul | 1980-1984 |
| 4 | Florida | 2007-2026 |
| 4 | Houston | 1983-2025 |
| 4 | Illinois | 1989-2021 |
| 4 | Michigan | 1985-2026 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 1991-2011 |
| 4 | UCLA | 1979-2008 |
| 4 | Villanova | 2006-2018 |
| 3 | Indiana | 1987-2013 |
| 3 | St. John’s (NY) | 1983-86 |
| 3 | Stanford | 2000-04 |
| 3 | Syracuse | 1980-2012 |
| 3 | UNLV | 1987-91 |
| 2 | Arkansas | 1991-94 |
| 2 | Auburn | 1999-2025 |
| 2 | Baylor | 2021-22 |
| 2 | *Louisville | 1983-2009 |
| 2 | LSU | 1980-81 |
| 2 | *Memphis | 2006-08 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 2009-11 |
| 1 | Alabama | 2023 |
| 1 | Cincinnati | 2002 |
| 1 | Indiana State | 1979 |
| 1 | Maryland | 2002 |
| 1 | Massachusetts | 1996 |
| 1 | Minnesota | 1997 |
| 1 | Missouri | 1994 |
| 1 | Notre Dame | 1979 |
| 1 | Oregon | 2016 |
| 1 | Oregon State | 1981 |
| 1 | Saint Joseph’s | 2004 |
| 1 | Temple | 1988 |
| 1 | Texas | 2003 |
| 1 | Wake Forest | 1995 |
| 1 | Washington | 2005 |
| 1 | Wichita State | 2014 |
| 1 | Wisconsin | 2015 |
| 1 | Xavier | 2018 |
*Appearance later vacated by Committee on Infractions.
