Stars Burn Out: Premier Programs Missing in Action From 2024 NCAA Tourney

At least a dozen of the 44 schools appearing in excess of 50 NCAA playoff games failed to participate in the tourney each year since the field expanded to at least 64 teams in 1985, including "bloodbath" where an all-time high of 24 former Final Four schools aren't at "Big Dance" this season. Nineteen is the average number of schools in this category over the last 10 tourneys.

Half of the "star schools" stayed home in 2004, including Houston when the Cougars were in the midst of a 17-year playoff drought from 1993 through 2009. Nearly 60% of the 44 schools participating in more than 50 tourney games failed to earn a spot in this year's field. As Alabama is on the precipice of playing in 50th playoff contest, following is a chronological list of big-name universities that are playoff regulars but were tourney outcasts since 1985:

1985 (18) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Louisville, Marquette, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia

1986 (15) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas State, Marquette, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Wake Forest

1987 (16) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest

1988 (15) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Houston, Marquette, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia

1989 (16) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest

1990 (15) - Cincinnati, Florida, Gonzaga, Iowa, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia

1991 (17) - Cincinnati, Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Houston, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis State, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia

1992 (16) - Florida, Gonzaga, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Tennessee, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, Virginia, Xavier

1993 (17) - Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Houston, Maryland, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, UNLV, Villanova, West Virginia

1994 (18) - Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia, Xavier

1995 (14) - Duke, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Marquette, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UNLV, West Virginia

1996 (18) - Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana State, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UNLV, Virginia, West Virginia, Xavier

1997 (21) - Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Tennessee, UNLV, West Virginia

1998 (19) - Florida, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Texas, Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest

1999 (16) - Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, UNLV, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier

2000 (15) - Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier

2001 (16) - Connecticut, Houston, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, St. John's, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, West Virginia

2002 (18) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia

2003 (16) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, St. John's, Temple, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia

2004 (22) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Marquette, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia, West Virginia

2005 (19) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Kansas State, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Virginia, Xavier

2006 (16) - Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest

2007 (17) - Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia

2008 (17) - Cincinnati, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana State, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest

2009 (14) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, St. John's, UNLV, Virginia

2010 (17) - Arizona, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Memphis, Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, St. John's, UCLA, Utah, Virginia

2011 (12) - Arkansas, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Maryland, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest

2012 (16) - Arizona, Arkansas, Houston, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana State, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest

2013 (15) - Arkansas, Connecticut, Houston, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Maryland, Purdue, St. John's, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier

2014 (17) - Arkansas, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana State, Marquette, Maryland, Missouri, Notre Dame, Purdue, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia

2015 (15) - Connecticut, Florida, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Wake Forest

2016 (19) - Arkansas, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Tennessee, UCLA, UNLV, Wake Forest

2017 (19) - Connecticut, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, UNLV, Utah

2018 (18) - Connecticut, Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana State, Louisville, Marquette, Maryland, Memphis, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest

2019 (18) - Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, UCLA, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier

2021 (18) - Arizona, Cincinnati, Duke, Indiana, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Wake Forest, Xavier

2022 (20) - Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier

2023 (18) - Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Louisiana State, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest

2024 (26) - Arkansas, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas State, Louisiana State, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Temple, UNLV, Utah, Villanova, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Xavier