It might be a small state, but Connecticut is ready to have a big influence on March Madness.
The Nutmeg State — or Constitution State if you prefer official nicknames — is home to the tournament favorites, UConn, and perhaps one of the Cinderellas in Yale.
A No. 13 seed, the Bulldogs are set to begin their tournament journey against No. 4 seed Auburn on Friday, March 22.
STREAM: Watch Yale vs. Auburn live with Sling
Yale already has a head start on the madness customary of March, however. They’re in the dance after knocking off Brown in the Ivy League title game in buzzer-beating fashion, 62-61. If they can carry over their hot play into the tournament, the school will find a level of success that is typically only found in academics on the historic campus.
Here’s what to know about the Bulldogs and their March Madness results in previous tries.
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Where is Yale?
Yale is located in New Haven, Conn., and has called the state home since it was established in 1701. The area is known for its ties to Yale and its popular New Haven-style pizza, which is thin-crust and coal-fired.
The city is situated along the coast, roughly 80 miles northeast of New York City and about 40 miles south of Hartford, Conn., which is the state capital.
The school was initially founded as the Collegiate School in Saybrook, Conn. It was eventually renamed Yale College in 1718 in honor of Welsh merchant Elihu Yale, who “donated the proceeds from the sale of nine bales of goods together with 417 books and a portrait of King George I.”
Yale is a member of the Ivy League along with Princeton, Cornell, Brown, Harvard, Columbia, Penn, and Dartmouth.
MORE: Lowest seeds to win March Madness
Why are Yale students and sports teams called ‘Elis?’
The nickname also stems from the namesake of the school, Elihu Yale.
After his generous donation in 1718, the school not only officially changed its name to Yale, but the students and, subsequently, the sports teams, have also often informally been referred to as “Elis”
Yale basketball in the NCAA Tournament
For a school with as storied a history as Yale, success on the hardwood has never matched the triumphs in other areas.
The NCAA Tournament has been in existence for 85 years, but the Bulldogs have managed just six appearances before notching their seventh in 2024. Showing up, however, is all they’ve done to this point — winning only one tournament game in their history.
Here’s a list of the Bulldogs’ tourney appearances, and the finishes of that tournament:
Year Finish 1949 Elite Eight (eight teams) 1957 First round 1962 First round 2016 Round of 32 2019 First round 2022 First round 2024 In progress
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