Bucknell's basketball program dates to 1896 at the private university in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The Bison compete in the Patriot League and have produced some of the conference's most memorable NCAA Tournament moments. The program has won multiple Patriot League titles.
The Bison nickname was adopted in 1923, replacing 'Orange and Blue,' chosen because the American bison represents strength and the rugged spirit of central Pennsylvania.
Upsetting third-seeded Kansas 64-63 in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament, one of the biggest upsets in March Madness history.
Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion was named after former president Gary Sojka, and the 2005 Kansas upset was the first of back-to-back first-round NCAA wins — they also beat Arkansas in 2006.
The Bucknell Bison compete in the Patriot League and hold an all-time record of 1531–1356 (.530 winning percentage) across 130 recorded seasons dating back to 1895-96.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 10-23 | 6-12 (Patriot) | John Griffin | |
| 2024-25 | 18-15 | 13-5 (Patriot) | John Griffin | |
| 2023-24 | 14-19 | 10-8 (Patriot) | John Griffin | |
| 2022-23 | 12-20 | 5-13 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2021-22 | 9-23 | 5-13 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2020-21 | 5-7 | 4-6 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2019-20 | 14-20 | 8-10 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2018-19 | 21-12 | 13-5 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2017-18 | 25-10 | 16-2 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2016-17 | 26-9 | 15-3 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2015-16 | 17-14 | 14-4 (Patriot) | Nathan Davis | |
| 2014-15 | 19-15 | 13-5 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2013-14 | 16-14 | 11-7 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2012-13 | 28-6 | 12-2 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2011-12 | 25-10 | 12-2 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2010-11 | 25-9 | 13-1 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2009-10 | 14-17 | 9-5 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2008-09 | 7-23 | 4-10 (Patriot) | Dave Paulsen | |
| 2007-08 | 12-19 | 6-8 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 2006-07 | 22-9 | 13-1 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 2005-06 | 27-5 | 14-0 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | AP #24 |
| 2003-04 | 14-15 | 9-5 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 2002-03 | 14-15 | 7-7 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 2001-02 | 13-16 | 8-6 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 2000-01 | 14-15 | 4-8 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 1999-00 | 17-11 | 8-4 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 1998-99 | 16-13 | 9-3 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 1997-98 | 13-15 | 8-4 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 1996-97 | 18-11 | 9-3 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 1995-96 | 17-11 | 8-4 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 1994-95 | 13-14 | 11-3 (Patriot) | Pat Flannery | |
| 1993-94 | 10-17 | 6-8 (Patriot) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1992-93 | 23-6 | 13-1 (Patriot) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1991-92 | 21-9 | 11-3 (Patriot) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1990-91 | 18-13 | 7-5 (Patriot) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1989-90 | 15-14 | 6-8 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1988-89 | 23-8 | 11-3 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1987-88 | 16-12 | 7-7 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1986-87 | 22-9 | 11-3 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1985-86 | 17-12 | 8-6 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1984-85 | 19-10 | 10-4 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1983-84 | 24-5 | 14-2 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1982-83 | 17-11 | 8-5 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1981-82 | 7-20 | 3-13 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1980-81 | 12-16 | 6-10 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1979-80 | 20-7 | 13-3 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1978-79 | 18-9 | 12-6 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1977-78 | 13-15 | 5-5 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1976-77 | 10-15 | 5-5 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1975-76 | 13-13 | 5-5 (ECC) | Charles Woollum | |
| 1974-75 | 14-12 | 4-4 (ECC) | Jim Valvano | |
| 1973-74 | 8-16 | 2-8 (Mid-Atl) | Jim Valvano | |
| 1972-73 | 11-14 | 6-4 (Mid-Atl) | Jim Valvano | |
| 1971-72 | 5-18 | 3-7 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1970-71 | 9-14 | 4-6 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1969-70 | 6-17 | 3-7 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1968-69 | 13-11 | 7-2 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1967-68 | 12-11 | 4-6 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1966-67 | 11-11 | 6-3 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1965-66 | 15-10 | 7-2 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1964-65 | 11-13 | 4-5 (Mid-Atl) | Don Smith | |
| 1963-64 | 8-13 | 3-7 (Mid-Atl) | Gene Evans | |
| 1962-63 | 7-16 | 2-8 (Mid-Atl) | Gene Evans | |
| 1961-62 | 7-15 | 2-9 (Mid-Atl) | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1960-61 | 12-11 | 5-6 (Mid-Atl) | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1959-60 | 10-11 | 6-5 (Mid-Atl) | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1958-59 | 16-7 | 6-5 (Mid-Atl) | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1957-58 | 16-8 | Ind | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1956-57 | 16-8 | Ind | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1955-56 | 10-14 | Ind | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1954-55 | 3-18 | Ind | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1953-54 | 4-16 | Ind | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1952-53 | 3-16 | Ind | Ben Kribbs | |
| 1951-52 | 8-16 | Ind | Jack Guy | |
| 1950-51 | 9-13 | Ind | Jack Guy | |
| 1949-50 | 5-16 | Ind | Jack Guy | |
| 1948-49 | 2-18 | 0-8 (MASCN) | Jack Guy | |
| 1947-48 | 5-17 | 2-6 (MASCN) | Jack Guy | |
| 1946-47 | 11-8 | 6-3 (MASCN) | Woody Ludwig | |
| 1945-46 | 6-11 | 2-6 (MASCN) | Woody Ludwig | |
| 1944-45 | 10-7 | Ind | Woody Ludwig | |
| 1943-44 | 9-3 | Ind | Woody Ludwig | |
| 1942-43 | 5-8 | Ind | John Sitarski | |
| 1941-42 | 9-9 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1940-41 | 10-7 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1939-40 | 13-7 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1938-39 | 8-8 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1937-38 | 7-6 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1936-37 | 9-7 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1935-36 | 13-4 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1934-35 | 0-14 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1933-34 | 2-16 | 0-7 (EIC) | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1932-33 | 6-8 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1931-32 | 7-9 | Ind | John Plant | |
| 1930-31 | 6-11 | Ind | John Plant | |
| 1929-30 | 6-12 | Ind | John Plant | |
| 1928-29 | 10-8 | Ind | John Plant | |
| 1927-28 | 16-5 | Ind | John Plant | |
| 1926-27 | 14-4 | Ind | John Plant | |
| 1925-26 | 8-4 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1924-25 | 1-4 | Ind | Moose McCormick | |
| 1923-24 | 1-5 | Ind | Moose McCormick | |
| 1922-23 | 9-11 | Ind | Clarence Glass | |
| 1921-22 | 8-10 | Ind | Clarence Glass | |
| 1920-21 | 12-4 | Ind | Clarence Glass | |
| 1919-20 | 14-6 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1918-19 | 13-3 | Ind | Henry Benfer | |
| 1917-18 | 11-3 | Ind | Malcolm Musser | |
| 1916-17 | 11-5 | Ind | George Cockill | |
| 1915-16 | 10-3 | Ind | George Cockill | |
| 1914-15 | 5-11 | Ind | George Cockill | |
| 1913-14 | 4-8 | Ind | D. Schaffner | |
| 1912-13 | 4-13 | Ind | H.E. Zehner | |
| 1911-12 | 10-6 | Ind | C. Fulmer | |
| 1910-11 | 5-6 | Ind | Doc Hoskins | |
| 1909-10 | 7-5 | Ind | Doc Hoskins | |
| 1908-09 | 9-3 | Ind | Doc Hoskins | |
| 1907-08 | 12-0 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1906-07 | 10-1 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1905-06 | 10-2 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1904-05 | 8-1 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1903-04 | 7-5 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1902-03 | 10-0 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1901-02 | 13-2 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1900-01 | 12-1 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1899-00 | 6-3 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1898-99 | 3-5 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1897-98 | 4-4 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1896-97 | 4-1 | Ind | Student Coaches | |
| 1895-96 | 1-3 | Ind | Student Coaches |
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All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home
| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|