Texas March Madness History: Record, Final Four Appearances, Highlights

A look at the Longhorns' wins, heartbreaks, and key moments in recent NCAA Tournaments.

Feb 28, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) controls the ball during the first half as Texas A&M Aggies guard Rylan Griffen (3) defends at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

For the second-straight season, the Texas Longhorns will be matching up with N.C. State in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. After sweating out Selection Sunday, Longhorn Nation experience a wave of relief as they were selected as a No. 11 seed.

Despite a rough finish to the regular season, the Longhorns made the Field of 68 over other programs such as Auburn, Oklahoma, San Diego State, and Indiana.

Texas will be making its No. 39 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns have been to just three Final Fours in their history (2003, 1947, 1943). Their overall tournament record sits at 40-42. The Longhorns have earned a spot in March Madness seven times in the last 10 years.

Texas' NCAA Tournament History Since 2016

Feb 28, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller looks on during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Since 2014, the Longhorns have remained a consistent presence in the NCAA Tournament. While the program has frequently reached March Madness during that stretch, the results haven't been so favorable.

Aside from an Elite Eight run during the 2022-23 season, Texas has been a first or second-round exit on a regular basis. Here's a quick look at each of Texas' NCAA Tournament appearances over the past decade.

2016

It was in 2016 that Texas made its first NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Shaka Smart. The Longhorns finished with a 20-13 overall record, and an 11-7 record in Big 12 play.

Texas earned a No. 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament, matching up against a solid Northern Iowa squad. Panthers' guard Paul Jesperson made a 42-foot three-pointer to eliminate the Longhorns in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

"Jesperson halfcourt heave for the win. GOT IT! Jesperson knows it."@UNImbb's Paul Jesperson sank longest game-winning buzzer-beater in March Madness history 😱 pic.twitter.com/GzquuoNowy

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 16, 2024

2018

After missing the NCAA Tournament in 2017, the Longhorns returned the following year. Despite ending conference play with a record of 8-10, Texas earned a No. 10-seed, matching up against the No. 7-seed Nevada Wolfpack.

In a game that went to overtime, the Longhorns were beat again, this time due to a 22-point performance from Nevada's Kendall Stephens. Matt Coleman III and Kerwin Roach recorded 25 and 26 points for Texas respectively, but a strong start from the Wolfpack in overtime eventually sealed the deal.

2021

Things changed for Texas in 2021, or so they thought. After finishing the regular season with a 19-8 record, the Longhorns earned a No. 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament. They matched up against No. 14-seed Abilene Christian, and may have been looking past their opponent.

Despite shooting better from the field, the Longhorns recorded 23 turnovers to give the Wildcats the 53-52 upset win.

🚨 DOWN GOES TEXAS 🚨@ACU_MBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/EF5SbV9ocb

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2021

2022

In his first season as head of the program, Chris Beard helped lead the Longhorns to their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Texas finished the season with a 22-12 record with a Big 12 record of 10-8. The program began the season as the No. 5-ranked team in the country, but would end the year on the very edge of the AP top-25.

Texas earned a No. 6-seed, taking care of business against their first round opponent, the Virginia Tech Hokies. Unfortunately, the Longhorns then matched up against the Purdue Boilermakers, who eventually reached the Sweet 16.

🚨 MARCUS CARR FROM BEYOND HALF-COURT FOR @TEXASMBB#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/esqsa39H1a

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2022

2023

Texas finally put it all together in 2023, despite firing their Chris Beard midway through the season. Rodney Terry took the reigns, and led the Longhorns to their best postseason performance in recent history.

After earning a No. 6 seed in the tournament, the Longhorns moved past Colgate, Penn State, and Xavier with relative ease. Texas was on the brink of the program's fourth Final Four appearance, but a dominant second half from the No. 5-seed Miami Hurricanes sent the Longhorns home.

2024

The Longhorns once again advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament, only to suffer a heartbreaking 62-58 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers.

While Tennessee didn't exactly dominate the first half, Texas only scored 19 points, giving the Volunteers a significant cushion leading into halftime. The Longhorns made things close, but an 18-point performance from Dalton Knecht sealed their fate.

2025

After making the move to the SEC, Texas found themselves in the NCAA Tournament again, but in the First Four. The Longhorns ended the regular season with an overall record of 18-16, but struggled against SEC competition with a conference record of 6-12.

The Longhorns were eliminated by Xavier in the First Four, largely due to a dominant second half performance from the Musketeers.