Recent history of mid-majors making the Final Four
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 there have been a number of teams that have made a final four that were playing in what could be labeled a “mid-major” conference, but programs such as, Memphis, UNLV, Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, and contemporary Gonzaga would hardly be labeled as such.
In 2006 George Mason, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association made the Final Four as a No. 11 seed, beating Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut along the way. Four seasons later, Brad Stevens and Butler took things a step further, reaching the national title game, falling to Duke by two. Proving 2010 wasn’t a fluke, Butler returned to the title game in 2011 and they were joined in the final four by fellow mid-major, VCU. In 2013, Wichita State made a similar run as a No. 9 seed out of the Missouri Valley, reaching Atlanta, losing to Louisville in the Final Four.
Two seasons ago another member of the Missouri Valley, Loyola-Chicago became the third No. 11 seed to reach the national semifinals since George Mason (VCU was a No. 11 seed who went from the First Four to the Final Four). The Ramblers’ run captured the attention of the nation as they collected heart-stopping win after heart-stopping win, dispatching of Miami, Tennessee, and Nevada by a total of four points, before handling Kansas State by 16 in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four.