The last time college basketball had a first-time national champion was in 2021. That year’s title game between No. 1 seeds Baylor and Gonzaga guaranteed that the sport would see a program win its first national title. Baylor went on to upset Gonzaga to win the program’s first championship, but since then, Kansas, UConn (twice) and Florida have raised the trophy as familiar champions.
Houston came close to winning the program’s first national title against Florida but squandered a 12-point second-half lead in a heartbreaking 65-63 loss. The Cougars may not have won their first national title this spring, but Houston will enter the 2025-26 season as the co-favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis. Houston, Purdue and Duke (11-1) are all tied for the best odds according to FanDuel Sportsbook to win the national title.
Speaking of Purdue, the Final Four will be staged less than 70 miles away from its West Lafayette campus. The Boilermakers will have a substantial amount of buzz heading into next season because of the return of All-American guard Braden Smith and star big man Trey Kaufman-Renn.
So, who could be the next program in college basketball to win their first national title in 2026? Here are five teams who fit the bill.
1. Purdue
Odds: +1200 | Final Four appearances: 3
The last time a team from the Big Ten won a national title was in 2000 when Michigan State was the last team standing. Purdue came up one game short of breaking that streak last year before losing to UConn in the 2024 title game.
Purdue didn’t make any “splashes” this offseason with its roster. The Boilermakers added former South Dakota State big man…
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