The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game on April 3, 2006, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Florida Gators won their first NCAA national championship with a 73–56 victory over the UCLA Bruins. This was the last Final Four site at the RCA Dome. The Final Four will return to the city of Indianapolis, but will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Season headlines

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 7, 2005.

Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2005–06 season.

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. Generally, all member schools were eligible to participate in their conference tournament regardless of their records, but the Big East did not invite its teams with the worst records to its 2006 tournament. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, while a school that won its conference regular season title but did not win its conference tournament was guaranteed a bid to the 2006 National Invitation Tournament unless it received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Ivy League was the only NCAA Division I conference that did not hold a conference tournament, instead sending its regular-season champion to the NCAA tournament.

Conference standings

Division I independents

Eleven schools played as Division I independents. Only, , Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, and were considered full NCAA Division I schools, as the rest were still in a transition phase from NCAA Division II.

Informal championships

Villanova finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

Statistical leaders

Source for additional stats categories

Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 14, 2006 with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 3 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. A total of 65 teams entered the tournament. Thirty of the teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments. The automatic bid of the Ivy League, which does not conduct a post-season tournament, went to its regular season champion. The remaining 34 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Big East Conference led the way with eight bids. Florida won their first NCAA title, beating UCLA 73–56 in the final. Florida forward Joakim Noah was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Final Four – RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

A-Atlanta, O-Oakland, W-Washington, D.C., M-Minneapolis.

National Invitation tournament

After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the 2006 National Invitation Tournament invited 40 teams to participate. Eight teams were given automatic bids for winning their conference regular seasons, and 32 other teams were also invited. Dave Odom's South Carolina Gamecocks won their second consecutive title, defeating the Tommy Amaker-coached Michigan Wolverines 76–64 in the championship game. Gamecock forward Renaldo Balkman was named tournament MVP.

Semifinals & final

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Major player of the year awards

Major freshman of the year awards

Major coach of the year awards

Other major awards

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.