| Year | Championship game | Score |
| 1999 | Connecticut def. Duke | 77-74 |
| 1998 | Kentucky def. Utah | 78-69 |
| 1997 | Arizona def. Kentucky | 84-79 (OT) |
| 1996 | Kentucky def. Syracuse | 76-67 |
| 1995 | UCLA def. Arkansas | 89-78 |
| 1994 | Arkansas def. Duke | 76-72 |
| 1993 | North Carolina def Michigan | 77-71 |
| 1992 | Duke def. Michigan | 71-51 |
| 1991 | Duke def. Kansas | 72-65 |
| 1990 | UNLV def. Duke | 103-73 |
| 1989 | Michigan def. Seton Hall | 80-79 (OT) |
| 1988 | Kansas def. Oklahoma | 83-79 |
| 1987 | Indiana def. Syracuse | 74-73 |
| 1986 | Louisville def. Duke | 72-69 |
| 1985 | Villanova def. Georgetown | 66-64 |
| 1984 | Georgetown def. Houston | 84-75 |
| 1983 | NC State def. Houston | 54-52 |
| 1982 | North Carolina def. Georgetown | 63-62 |
| 1981 | Indiana def. North Carolina | 63-50 |
| 1980 | Louisville def. UCLA | 59-54 |
| 1979 | Michigan St. def. Indiana St. | 75-64 |
| 1978 | Kentucky def. Duke | 94-88 |
| 1977 | Marquette def. North Carolina | 67-59 |
| 1976 | Indiana def. Michigan | 86-68 |
| 1975 | UCLA def. Kentucky | 92-85 |
| 1974 | NC State def. Marquette | 76-64 |
| 1973 | UCLA def. Memphis | 87-66 |
| 1972 | UCLA def. Florida St. | 81-76 |
| 1971 | UCLA def. Villanova* | 68-62 |
| 1970 | UCLA def. Jacksonville | 80-69 |
| 1969 | UCLA def. Purdue | 92-72 |
| 1968 | UCLA def. North Carolina | 78-55 |
| 1967 | UCLA def. Dayton | 79-64 |
| 1966 | UTEP def. Ketucky | 72-65 |
| 1965 | UCLA def. Michigan | 91-80 |
| 1964 | UCLA def. Duke | 98-83 |
| 1963 | Loyola (Ill.) def. Cincinnati | 60-58 (OT) |
| 1962 | Cincinnati def. Ohio St. | 71-59 |
| 1961 | Cincinnati def. Ohio St. | 70-65 (OT) |
| 1960 | Ohio St. def. California | 75-55 |
| 1959 | California def. West Virginia | 71-70 |
| 1958 | Kentucky def. Seattle | 84-72 |
| 1957 | North Carolina def. Kansas | 54-53 (3 OT) |
| 1956 | San Francisco def. Iowa | 83-71 |
| 1955 | San Francisco def. La Salle | 76-73 |
| 1954 | La Salle def. Bradley | 92-76 |
| 1953 | Indiana def. Kansas | 69-68 |
| 1952 | Kansas def. St. John's | 80-63 |
| 1951 | Kentucky def. Kansas St. | 68-58 |
| 1950 | CCNY def. Bradley | 71-68 |
| 1949 | Kentucky def. Oklahoma St. | 46-36 |
| 1948 | Kentucky def. Baylor | 58-42 |
| 1947 | Holy Cross def. Oklahoma | 58-47 |
| 1946 | Oklahoma A&M def. North Carolina | 43-40 |
| 1945 | Oklahoma A&M def. NYU | 49-45 |
| 1944 | Utah def. Dartmouth | 42-40 (OT) |
| 1943 | Wyoming def. Georgetown | 46-34 |
| 1942 | Stanford def. Dartmouth | 53-38 |
| 1941 | Wisconsin def. Washington St. | 39-34 |
| 1940 | Indiana def. Kansas | 60-42 |
| 1939 | Oregon def. Ohio St. | 46-33 |