It's no easy feat to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Although 68 teams participate each year, the path to reach the tournament is grueling and requires a level of consistency not every team is capable of achieving. Getting a bid to the tournament is a major honor, but to do so year after year throughout a long span is vastly more impressive.
Even some of the most renowned college basketball powerhouses endure a down year that causes them to miss out on tournament. Programs such as Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina have all missed out on the big dance within the past five years.
