Howard, Jackson State and Cheyney broke NCAA tournament ground when they appeared in the inaugural DI women's basketball tournament back in 1982. Since then, a total of 19 HBCU women's basketball programs have played in the March Madness bracket.
Let's dive in to the past performance of how the HBCU programs fared.
School breakdown
Hampton has the most NCAA tournament appearances of any HBCU women's basketball program, but has yet to win a game. The Pirates last appeared in the tournament in 2017. Bethune-Cookman became the latest HBCU to make its debut appearance in the tournament during the 2019 season.
Here's a look at the appearance of HBCUs in the DI women's basketball tournament
| # of Appearances | HBCU |
|---|---|
| 9 | Hampton |
| 6 | Prairie View A&M, Grambling State, Jackson State, Howard, Southern |
| 5 | North Carolina A&T |
| 3 | Tennessee State, Coppin State, Cheyney, Alcorn State, Alabama State |
| 2 | Florida A&M, Norfolk State |
| 1 | Texas Southern, South Carolina State, Savannah State, Delaware State, Bethune-Cookman |
The only HBCUs to win a tournament game are Cheyney, South Carolina State and Howard. Only Howard has won a game since there have been at least 64 teams in the bracket. Cheyney is the only HBCU women's basketball team to advance to a Final Four or title game.
Here's a look at every HBCU's all-time record in the tournament:
| School | record | Win % | Last APp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State | 0-3 | .000 | 2016 |
| Alcorn State | 0-3 | .000 | 2005 |
| Bethune-Cookman | 0-1 | .000 | 2019 |
| Cheyney | 8-3 | .727 | 1984 |
| Coppin State | 0-3 | .000 | 2008 |
| Delaware State | 0-1 | .000 | 2007 |
| Florida A&M | 0-2 | .000 | 1999 |
| Grambling State | 0-6 | .000 | 2018 |
| Hampton | 0-9 | .000 | 2017 |
| Howard | 1-7 | .125 | 2022 |
| Jackson State | 0-6 | .000 | 2022 |
| Norfolk State | 0-2 | .000 | 2023 |
| North Carolina A&T | 0-5 | .000 | 2021 |
| Prairie View A&M | 0-6 | .000 | 2014 |
| Savannah State | 0-1 | .000 | 2015 |
| South Carolina State | 1-1 | .500 | 1983 |
| Southern | 0-6 | .000 | 2023 |
| Tennessee State | 0-3 | .000 | 2015 |
| Texas Southern | 0-1 | .000 | 2017 |
Seeding
HBCUs have typically been seeded towards the bottom of the bracket since the Round of 64 began. Of the 62 times HBCUs have participated in the Round of 64, they have been seeded 16th — the lowest possible seed — 34 times.
The highest seed any HBCU has had entering the Round of 64 has been No. 12, a height reached three times.
Prior to the tournament's expansion, Cheyney received the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds in 1983, 1982 and 1984, respectively. A No. 7 seed — the second-lowest seed — went to Jackson State in 1982 and a No. 8 seed — the lowest seed — went to Howard in 1982 and Jackson State and South Carolina State in 1983.
| Seed | Total seeds | % Seeded | Seed Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | 1 | .015 | 1-1 | .500 |
| No. 2 | 1 | .015 | 4-1 | .800 |
| No. 3 | 1 | .015 | 2-1 | .666 |
| No. 7 | 1 | .015 | 0-1 | .000 |
| No. 8 | 3 | .045 | 1-3 | .250 |
| No. 12 | 3 | .045 | 0-3 | .000 |
| No. 13 | 2 | .030 | 0-2 | .000 |
| No. 14 | 4 | .061 | 0-4 | .000 |
| No. 15 | 18 | .273 | 0-18 | .000 |
| No. 16 | 34 | .548 | 1-33 | .029 |
Game results
Here are the results from every NCAA tournament game from an HBCU women's basketball program.
| Year | School | Seed | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Southern | No. 16 | No. 16 Sacred Heart | L | 47-57 |
| Norfolk State | No. 16 | No. 1 South Carolina | L | 40-72 | |
| 2022 | Howard | No. 16 | No. 16 Incarnate Word | W | 55–51 |
| Howard | No. 16 | No. 1 South Carolina | L | 21–79 | |
| Jackson State | No. 14 | No. 3 LSU | L | 77–83 | |
| 2021 | Jackson State | No. 15 | No. 2 Baylor | L | 52–101 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 NC State | L | 58–71 | |
| 2019 | Bethune-Cookman | No. 16 | No. 1 Notre Dame | L | 50-92 |
| Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Mississippi State | L | 46-103 | |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T | No. 15 | No. 2 South Carolina | L | 52–63 |
| Grambling State | No. 15 | No. 2 Baylor | L | 46-96 | |
| 2017 | Hampton | No. 15 | No. 2 Duke | L | 31−94 |
| Texas Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Baylor | L | 30-119 | |
| 2016 | Alabama State | No. 15 | No. 2 Texas | L | 42-86 |
| North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 Notre Dame | L | 61–95 | |
| 2015 | Alabama State | No. 15 | No. 2 Florida State | L | 49-91 |
| Savannah State | No. 16 | No. 1 South Carolina | L | 48-81 | |
| Tennessee State | No. 15 | No. 2 Kentucky | L | 52-97 | |
| 2014 | Hampton | No. 12 | No. 5 Michigan State | L | 61−91 |
| Prairie View A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Connecticut | L | 44–87 | |
| 2013 | Hampton | No. 15 | No. 2 Duke | L | 51−67 |
| Prairie View A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Baylor | L | 40–82 | |
| 2012 | Hampton | No. 16 | No. 1 Stanford | L | 51−73 |
| Prairie View A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Connecticut | L | 47–83 | |
| 2011 | Hampton | No. 13 | No. 4 Kentucky | L | 62−66 (OT) |
| Prairie View A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Baylor | L | 30–66 | |
| 2010 | Hampton | No. 15 | No. 2 Duke | L | 37−72 |
| Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Connecticut | L | 39-95 | |
| 2009 | North Carolina A&T | No. 14 | No. 3 Florida State | L | 71–83 |
| Prairie View A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Oklahoma | L | 47–76 | |
| 2008 | Coppin State | No. 16 | No. 1 Maryland | L | 66–80 |
| Jackson State | No. 15 | No. 2 LSU | L | 32–66 | |
| 2007 | Delaware State | No. 15 | No. 2 Vanderbilt | L | 47-62 |
| Prairie View A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 North Carolina | L | 38–95 | |
| 2006 | Coppin State | No. 15 | No. 2 Connecticut | L | 54–77 |
| Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 27-96 | |
| 2005 | Alcorn State | No. 16 | No. 1 Michigan State | L | 41–73 |
| Coppin State | No. 16 | No. 1 North Carolina | L | 62–97 | |
| 2004 | Hampton | No. 16 | No. 1 Penn State | L | 42−79 |
| Southern | No. 16 | No. 1 Texas | L | 57-92 | |
| 2003 | Alabama State | No. 16 | No. 1 Tennessee | L | 43-95 |
| Hampton | No. 15 | No. 2 Texas | L | 46−90 | |
| 2002 | Norfolk State | No. 16 | No. 1 Duke | L | 48-95 |
| Southern | No. 14 | No. 3 Colorado | L | 61-88 | |
| 2001 | Alcorn State | No. 16 | No. 1 Notre Dame | L | 49–98 |
| Howard | No. 15 | No. 2 Iowa State | L | 61–100 | |
| 2000 | Alcorn State | No. 16 | No. 1 Louisiana Tech | L | 53–95 |
| Hampton | No. 16 | No. 1 Connecticut | L | 45−116 | |
| 1999 | Florida A&M | No. 15 | No. 2 Clemson | L | 45-76 |
| Grambling State | No. 12 | No. 5 Alabama | L | 68-80 | |
| 1998 | Howard | No. 15 | No. 2 North Carolina | L | 71–91 |
| Grambling State | No. 16 | No. 1 Texas Tech | L | 75-87 | |
| 1997 | Howard | No. 16 | No. 1 Stanford | L | 59–111 |
| Grambling State | No. 14 | No. 3 Tennessee | L | 54-91 | |
| 1996 | Howard | No. 16 | No. 1 Connecticut | L | 63–94 |
| Grambling State | No. 16 | No. 1 Stanford | L | 43-82 | |
| 1995 | Florida A&M | No. 16 | No. 1 Tennessee | L | 59-96 |
| Jackson State | No. 15 | No. 2 Penn State | L | 62–75 | |
| Tennessee State | No. 12 | No. 5 Oregon State | L | 75-88 (OT) | |
| 1994 | North Carolina A&T | No. 16 | No. 1 Tennessee | L | 37–111 |
| Grambling State | No. 15 | No. 2 Vanderbilt | L | 85-95 | |
| Tennessee State | No. 13 | No. 4 Southern Miss | L | 72-86 | |
| 1984 | Cheyney | No. 3 | No. 6 Maryland | W | 92-64 |
| Cheyney | No. 3 | No. 2 North Carolina | W | 73-72 | |
| Cheyney | No. 3 | No. 1 Old Dominion | W | 80-71 | |
| Cheyney | No. 3 | No. 3 Tennessee | L | 71-80 | |
| 1983 | Cheyney | No. 1 | No. 8 Monmouth | W | 107-35 |
| Cheyney | No. 1 | No. 5 Penn State | L | 72-73 | |
| Jackson State | No. 8 | No. 8 Middle Tennessee State | L | 61–64 | |
| South Carolina State | No. 8 | No. 8 La Salle | W | 85-67 | |
| 1983 | South Carolina State | No. 8 | No. 1 Tennessee | L | 51-86 |
| 1982 | Cheyney | No. 2 | No. 7 Auburn | W | 75-64 |
| Cheyney | No. 2 | No. 3 NC State | W | 74-61 | |
| Cheyney | No. 2 | No. 4 Kansas Sate | W | 93-71 | |
| Cheyney | No. 2 | No. 2 Maryland | W | 76-66 | |
| Cheyney | No. 2 | No. 1 Louisiana Tech | L | 76-62 | |
| Howard | No. 8 | No. 1 Long Beach State | L | 57–95 | |
| Jackson State | No. 7 | No. 2 Tennessee | L | 56–72 |
