The NCAA tournament has been around in its modern format since 1985. There have been more than 2,000 games since then, so it stands to reason that there would have been a few rematches in those years.
So which teams have played each other in the tournament the most?
Turns out it’s a tie between five matchups that have had six meetings each:
UNC vs. Villanova — 6 times
The two powerhouses first played in the very first modern NCAA tournament — in 1985 — where 8-seeded Villanova beat 2-seeded UNC in the Elite Eight, before the Wildcats shocked Georgetown for the Wildcats' first-ever title.
But it is the latest edition of this matchup that takes the cake; a game that is arguably the most exciting in March Madness history: the 2016 national championship game.
Even though the Wildcats got the edge in both of those games, UNC holds a 4-2 advantage on the series, including a 2009 Final Four win en route to a title game win over Michigan State. Surprising fact: four of the six winners of UNC-Villanova tournament matchups have gone on to win the national championship.
UNC vs. Arkansas — 6 times
The Tar Heels and Razorbacks first faced off in the Sweet 16 in 1990, which was a stopping point in Arkansas’ fourth trip to a Final Four. The 4-seeded Razorbacks handled 8-seeded UNC 96-73 before losing to another Tobacco Road team, Duke, in the semifinal.
Despite the loss in the first meeting, UNC holds a 4-2 lead in this series as well, with the latest edition coming in 2017’s second round, where soon-to-be-champion UNC had to rally late with a 12-0 run to fend off the No. 8 seed.
Kentucky vs. Utah — 6 times
This may be the most surprising repeat matchup of the group.
Since 1985, Utah has only gone to 16 NCAA tournaments, and they’ve faced Kentucky in almost 40 percent of those tournament appearances. Each time, the Wildcats have come up victorious.
The Utes have been to just one Final Four — in 1998 — and you’ll never guess who was there to meet them in the title bout. Tubby Smith and Kentucky won 78-69 for the Wildcats’ seventh title.
Kansas vs. Duke — 6 times
The two powers are one of the recent additions to the six-timers club, and they have split the six games equally.
The Jayhawks beat the Blue Devils to earn their 15th trip to the Final Four in 2018. But the teams first met in the 1986 Final Four, where Duke won 71-67 (the Blue Devils would lose to Louisville in championship game).
In total, they've faced off in a Sweet 16, an Elite Eight, two Final Fours, and one national championship game. In fact, they've only met once before the second weekend, in 2000, when No. 1 seed Duke beat No. 8 seed Kansas before losing to Florida in the Sweet 16.
Duke vs. Michigan State — 6 times
The Duke-Michigan State series had its sixth iteration in the NCAA tournament in 2019, when the Spartans downed the Blue Devils 68-67 in the Elite Eight to go to the Final Four. In the span of 26 years, the two programs have met six times in the NCAA tournament, which means they've met in the tournament every 4.3 years, on average, in roughly the last quarter-century.
Duke leads the series 4-2 in the NCAA tournament.
Here are the most common NCAA tournament matchups:
| MATCHUPS | TEAMS | LEADER | FIRST MEETING | LAST MEETING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | UNC vs. Villanova | UNC (4-2) | 1985 Elite Eight (Villanova wins) | 2016 championship (Villanova wins) |
| 6 | UNC vs. Arkansas | UNC (4-2) | 1990 Sweet 16 (Arkansas wins) | 2017 second round (UNC wins) |
| 6 | Kentucky vs. Utah | UK (6-0) | 1993 second round (Kentucky wins) | 2005 Sweet 16 (Kentucky wins) |
| 6 | Duke vs. Kansas | Tie (3-3) | 1986 Final Four (Duke wins) | 2018 Elite Eight (Kansas wins) |
| 6 | Duke vs. Michigan St. | Duke (4-2) | 1994 second round (Duke wins) | 2019 Elite Eight (Michigan State wins) |
| 5 | Kansas vs. UNC | Kansas (4-1) | 1991 Final Four (Kansas wins) | 2013 second round (Kansas wins) |
| 4 | UNC vs. Michigan | UNC (3-1) | 1987 second round (UNC wins) | 1993 championship (UNC wins) |
| 4 | UCLA vs. Iowa St. | UCLA (3-1) | 1989 second round (UCLA wins) | 2000 Sweet 16 (ISU wins) |
| 4 | UConn vs. Duke | Tie (2-2) | 1990 Elite Eight (Duke wins) | 2004 Final Four (UConn wins) |
| 4 | Kansas vs. Purdue | Kansas (3-1) | 1994 Sweet 16 (Purdue wins) | 2017 Sweet 16 (Kansas wins) |
| 4 | UNC vs. Michigan St. | UNC (4-0) | 1998 Sweet 16 (UNC wins) | 2009 championship (UNC wins) |
| 4 | Wisconsin vs. Arizona | Wisconsin (3-1) | 2000 second round (Wisconsin wins) | 2015 Elite Eight (Wisconsin wins) |
| 4 | Florida vs. UCLA | Florida (4-0) | 2006 championship (Florida wins) | 2014 Sweet 16 (Florida wins) |
