PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball receiving a bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament marks BYU’s 30th appearance in March Madness. The Cougars hold the dubious distinction of being the program with the most NCAA Tournament appearances without a Final Four appearance.

.@BYUbasketball is back in the #NCAATournament for the first time since 2015!#MarchMadness #BYU #BYUhoops #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/RC3lm4QLFo

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 14, 2021

One could say, it’s better to have been there, than to not be there at all, right?

BYU will look to play in its first Final Four in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Here is a look at BYU basketball’s 30 years of history in the Big Dance.

BYU Basketball: NCAA Tournament History

BYU basketball’s first season as a program was in 1902. Since that first year, the Cougars have won 62 percent of their games and have appeared in the Big Dance 30 times. Here are all of their appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

2021

First Round (Indianapolis): (6) BYU vs. (11) Michigan State/(11) UCLA, Saturday, March 20th, 2021

2015

West First Four (Dayton): (11) Ole Miss 94, (11) BYU 90

2014

West Second Round (Milwaukee): (7) Oregon 87, (10) BYU 68

2012

West First Round (Dayton): (14) BYU 78, (14) Iona 72

West Second Round (Louisville): (3) Marquette 88, (14) BYU 68

2011 (Sweet 16)

Southeast Second Round (Denver): (3) BYU 74, (14) Wofford 66

Southeast Third Round (Denver): (3) BYU 89, (11) Gonzaga (67)

Southeast Semifinals (New Orleans): (2) Florida 83, (3) BYU 74 (Overtime)

2010

West First Round (Oklahoma City): (7) BYU 95, (10) Florida 85 (2OT)

West Second Round (Oklahoma City): (2) Kansas State 84, (7) BYU 72

2009

West First Round (Philadelphia): (9) Texas A&M 79, (8) BYU 66

2008

West First Round (Anaheim): (9) Texas A&M 67, (8) BYU 62

2007

South First Round (Lexington): (9) Xavier 79, (8) BYU 77

2004

Phoenix Region (Denver): (5) Syracuse 80, (12) BYU 75

2003

South First Round (Spokane): (5) Connecticut 58, (12) BYU 53

2001

West First Round (San Diego): (5) Cincinnati 84, (12) BYU 59

1995

Midwest First Round (Memphis): (9) Tulane 76, (8) BYU 70

1993

Midwest First Round (Chicago): (7) BYU 80, (10) SMU 71

Midwest Second Round (Chicago): (2) Kansas 90, (7) BYU 76

1992

West First Round (Boise): (7) LSU 94, (10) BYU 83

1991

West First Round (Salt Lake City): (10) BYU 61, (7) Virginia 48

West Second Round (Salt Lake City): (2) Arizona 76, (10) BYU 61

1990

East First Round (Hartford): (5) Clemson 49, (12) BYU 47

1988

Mideast Regional (Birmingham): (4) BYU 98, (13) UNC-Charlotte 92 (OT)

(5) Louisville 97, (4) BYU 76

1987

SE First Round (Birmingham): (7) New Orleans 83, (10) BYU 79

1984

Mideast Regional (Birmingham, Alabama)

(8) BYU 84, (9) UAB 68

(1) Kentucky 93, (8) BYU 68

1981 (Elite 8 run in the NCAA Tournament)

East Regional (Providence, Rhode Island)

(6) BYU 60, (11) Princeton 51

(6) BYU 78, (3) UCLA 55

East Regional Semifinals (Atlanta)

(6) BYU 51, (2) Notre Dame 50

East Regional Final (Atlanta)

(1) Virginia 74, (6) BYU 60

1980

West Second Round (Ogden): (6) Clemson 71, (3) BYU 66

1979

West Second Round (Tucson): (4) San Francisco 86, (5) BYU 63

1972

West First Round (Pocatello, Idaho): Long Beach State 95, BYU 90

1971

West First Round (Logan): BYU 91, Utah State 82

West Reg. Semifinals (Salt Lake City): UCLA 91, BYU 73

West Reg. Consolation (Salt Lake City): Pacific 84, BYU 81

1969

West First Round (Las Cruces, New Mexico): New Mexico State 74, BYU 62

1965

West Regional Semifinals (Provo): UCLA 100, BYU 76

West Regional Consolation (Provo): Oklahoma City 112, BYU 102

1957

West Regional Semifinals (Corvallis, Oregon): California 86, BYU 59

West Regional Consolation (Corvallis): BYU 65, Idaho State 54

1951

West First Round (Kansas City): BYU 68, San Jose State 61

West Regional Semifinals (Kansas City): Kansas State 64, BYU 54

West Regional Consolation (Kansas City): Washington 80, BYU 67

1950

Western Regional Semis (Kansas City): Baylor 56, BYU 55

Western Consolation (Kansas City): BYU 83, UCLA 62

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.