<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1997, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 </Td> </Tr> <P> Villanova University's men's basketball team represents Villanova University and competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I College basketball . Their first season was the 1920--21 season . Named the "Wildcats", Villanova is also a member of the Philadelphia Big Five, a rivalry of Philadelphia college basketball teams . </P> <P> The Wildcats have won the National Championship three times: 1985, 2016, and 2018 . Their 1985 NCAA championship as an 8 seed still stands as the lowest seed ever to win the title . The game is referred to as "The Perfect Game" as they shot a record 78.6% as a team for the game . Their 2016 NCAA Championship, is referred to as "The Perfect Ending" and is the only NCAA Men's Championship game to be won on a buzzer beater, as Kris Jenkins drained a shot as time expired . They made the Final Four in 1939, 1971, 1985, 2009, 2016 and 2018; their six Final Four appearances are 13th most all - time . As of 2018, they have an NCAA Tournament record of 64--36 (. 640). Villanova has defeated six No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament (Michigan and Georgetown in 1985, Pittsburgh in 2009, and Kansas and North Carolina in 2016, and Kansas in 2018), which is sixth most all - time . The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 37 times, the eighth highest total in NCAA history . They have won the Big East regular season championship eight times, most recently winning four straight from 2014 to 2017 . They won the Big East Tournament in 1995, 2015, 2017, and 2018 . Villanova entered the 2016--2017 season with an all - time winning percentage of (. 648), placing the Wildcats tied for 13th among all NCAA Division I basketball programs . Through 2018, Villanova has 1,753 wins, which is 23rd among Division I men's basketball teams . Villanova has won the Philadelphia Big Five 26 times which is the second most of any team, including five straight from 2014 to 2018 . The Wildcats have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament 17 times, winning in 1994 . </P> <Ul> <Li> NCAA National Championships--3 </Li> <Li> NCAA Final Four--6 </Li> <Li> NCAA Elite Eight--14 </Li> <Li> NCAA Sweet Sixteen--18 </Li> <Li> NCAA Tournament Appearances--38 </Li> <Li> National Coach of the Year--2 </Li> <Li> Conference Regular Season Championships--11 </Li> <Li> All Americans--20 </Li> <Li> Weeks Ranked as AP #1 Team--19 </Li> <Li> 30 Win Seasons--5 </Li> <Li> Philadelphia Big 5 Championships--25 </Li> <Li> Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year--20 </Li> <Li> Winning Seasons--78 </Li> </Ul>

How many times has villanova won the national basketball championship