Ranking every undefeated college basketball team in regular season since 1978-79 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Miami RedHawks made history on Friday.
The RedHawks beat rival Ohio 110-108 in the Mid-American Conference regular-season finale. The RedHawks joined an exclusive group of teams that have finished the regular season with an unbeaten record in the seeding era of the NCAA Tournament. Six of those seven teams were No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
According to BetMGM, a total of 25 teams have finished the regular season with an unbeaten record since 1948. UCLA had four teams win the NCAA tournament with a perfect record, and Indiana is the last national champion to finish with a perfect record at 32-0. in 1976
We tailored this list to the seeding era – which began in 1978-79 and continued to when the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1984-85. Miami is the eighth team to finish unbeaten in the regular season.
We ranked those other seven teams. Where would Miami fit on this list?
MORE: SN's latest NCAA Tournament bracket forecast
Ranking unbeaten teams in regular season since 1978-79
8. Alcorn State (1978-79)
Regular-season record: 25-0
Final record: 28-1
How good were they? The Braves were one of two teams that finished the regular season unbeaten in 1978-79 under second-year coach David Whitney. Forward Larry Smith averaged 17.7 points and 13.7 rebounds for a team that averaged 92.3 points per game. Alcorn State put up 100 or more points eight times that season. The SWAC, however, was still making a transition as a Division I men's basketball conference, and the Braves were ineligible for the 1978-79 NCAA Tournament as a result.
Postseason: The Braves beat Mississippi State 80-78 in the first round of the NIT before taking perennial powerhouse Indiana to the limit in a 73-69 thriller in the second round. The Hoosiers would go on to win the NIT. Alcorn State made the NCAA Tournament the following season as a No. 8 seed and became the first HBCU to win a tournament game with a 70-62 victory against No. 9 South Alabama. The Braves made four tournament appearances in five years under Whitney.
7. Miami (2025-26)
Regular-season record: 31-0
Final record: TBD
How good are they? Fourth-year coach Travis Steele built on last year's team, which won 25 games. The RedHawks rank second in the nation in scoring offense at 90.9 points per game. Six players average double-figures in scoring, led by Peter Suter (14.8 ppg.) and Brant Byers (14.1 ppg.). Suter and Byers are among the four regulars on the team who shoot better than 40% from 3-point range. Miami scored 100 or more points eight times this season and won its last three games by two points each to maintain the perfect record.
Postseason: The RedHawks should be in the NCAA Tournament as a result of their perfect regular season, but their seeding has been a point of contention. The 1998-99 team led by Wally Sczerbiak that made the Sweet 16 was a No. 10 seed. Sporting News has Miami as a No. 10 seed in its latest tournament projections, but that could change based on the Mid-American Conference tournament results.
6. Wichita State (2013-14)
Regular-season record: 31-0
Final record: 35-1
How good were they? The Shockers were coming off a Final Four appearance in 2012-13 and returned a core that included Cleanthony Early (16.4 ppg.), Ron Baker (13.1 ppg.) and Fred VanVleet (11.6 ppg.) under coach Gregg Marshall. After a 72-69 win against Missouri State, the Shockers won their final 14 regular-season games by seven points or more. Wichita State did not play a team ranked in the AP Top 25 during the regular season that year.
Postseason: Wichita State tore through the Missouri Valley Conference tournament with three victories by an average of 20.3 points per game and earned a No. 1 seed in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. The Shockers beat No. 16 Cal Poly before a matchup against No. 8 Kentucky, which the Wildcats won 78-76. Kentucky advanced to the national championship game that season before losing to No. 7 UConn 60-54.
5. Saint Joseph's (2003-04)
Regular-season record: 27-0
Final record: 30-2
How good were they? Point guard Jameer Nelson – the Sporting News Player of the Year who averaged 20.6 points per game and 5.3 assists — was the leader of an easy-to-love St. Joseph's team under coach Phil Martelli. The Hawks opened the season with a 73-66 victory against No. 10 Gonzaga. Delonte West averaged 18.9 points per game, and St. Joseph's vaulted to No. 1 in the AP Poll on March 8.
Postseason: Xavier upset St. Joseph's 87-67 in the Atlantic 10 tournament, but the Hawks still earned a No. 1 seed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. The Hawks made a run to the Elite Eight behind Nelson, who averaged 24.5 points in four tournament games. St. Joseph's lost 64-62 to No. 2 Oklahoma State on a 3-pointer by John Lucas with 6.9 seconds remaining.
4. Indiana State (1978-79)
Regular-season record: 26-0
Final record: 33-1
How good were they? Indiana State featured Larry Bird, the Sporting News Player of the Year, who led the Sycamores to a perfect regular season in the Missouri Valley Conference. Bird averaged 28.6 points and 14.9 rebounds – and Tom Montgomery popularized the song "Indiana Has a New State Bird." Indiana State scored 100 or more points seven times under coach Bill Hodges.
Postseason: The Sycamores won the Missouri Valley Conference and earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. Indiana State beat No. 5 Arkansas 73-71 in the Elite Eight and No. 6 DePaul 76-74 in the Final Four, which set up a national championship game with No. 2 Michigan State and Magic Johnson. The Spartans won 75-64 in a game that drew 35.1 million viewers and a 24.1 Nielsen rating. Bird averaged 27.2 points and 13.4 rebounds in the 1979 NCAA Tournament.
3. Gonzaga (2020-21)
Regular-season record: 24-0
Final record: 31-1
How good were they? The Bulldogs emerged as the best team the year after the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled because of COVID-19. Gonzaga beat No. 6 Kansas, No. 11 West Virginia and No. 3 Iowa within the first four games of the season. Drew Timme (19.0 ppg.), Corey Kispert (18.6 ppg.), Jalen Suggs (14.4 ppg.) and Joel Ayayi (12.0 ppg.) all averaged double figures, and long-time coach Mark Few had his first team that finished the regular season without a loss.
Postseason: The Bulldogs won two West Coast Conference tournament games then barreled through their first four 2021 NCAA Tournament games by an average margin of victory of 24 points per game. No. 1 Gonzaga beat No. 11 UCLA in the Final Four on Jalen Suggs' miraculous buzzer-beater for a 93-90 victory. No. 1 Baylor beat the Bulldogs 86-70 in the national championship game, which prevented the perfect season.
2. Kentucky (2014-15)
Regular-season record: 31-0
Final record: 38-1
How good were they? Kentucky had nine future NBA players under John Calipari on a roster with a massive front line that included All-Americans Karl-Anthony Towns (10.3 ppg.) and Willie Cauley-Stein (8.9 ppg.). Aaron Harrison (11.0 ppg.) led the team in scoring, and Devin Booker (10.0 ppg.) came off the bench. The Wildcats beat five ranked teams by an average of 16.6 points per game during the regular season.
Postseason: Kentucky beat No. 21 Arkansas 78-63 in the SEC championship game and dominated the 2015 NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed until a 68-66 nail-biter against No. 8 Notre Dame in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats, however, were knocked off in the Final Four by No. 1 Wisconsin. The Badgers beat Kentucky 71-64 behind 20 points and 10 rebounds from Frank Kaminsky, the Sporting News Player of the Year.
1. UNLV (1990-91)
Regular-season record: 27-0
Final record: 34-1
How good were they? UNLV – the defending national champion – arrived after the 1980s Georgetown teams and before the Fab Five at Michigan with an unforgettable style that took over the sport. The Runnin' Rebels had three future NBA first-round picks in SN Player of the Year Larry Johnson (22.7 ppg.), Stacey Augmon (16.5 ppg.) and Greg Anthony (11.6 ppg.). Anderson Hunt (17.2 ppg.) also was a high-scoring guard. UNLV scored more than 100 points in 14 games. The Rebels beat five ranked teams, including a 112-105 victory at No. 2 Arkansas on Feb. 10, 1991.
Postseason: UNLV won the Big West tournament. The Rebels – a No. 1 seed – beat No. 8 Georgetown – a team that featured Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning – in a 62-54 battle in the second round. UNLV advanced to the Final Four and was a heavy favorite against No. 6 Duke – a team the Rebels beat 103-73 in the national championship the previous season. The Blue Devils, however, shocked UNLV in a 79-77 upset that left the Rebels on the list of best teams not to win the national championship.