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NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament upsets

List of Men's D1 NCAA tournament upsets

List of Men's D1 NCAA tournament upsets

An upset is a victory by an underdog team. In the context of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, a single-elimination tournament, this generally constitutes a team defeating an opponent with a substantially higher seed. The NCAA defines a tournament upset as a victory by a team seeded five or more lines below the opponent that it defeats.

This is a list of victories since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Teams with victories listed won games seeded No. 11 or lower in the Round of 64, seeded No. 7 or lower in the Round of 32 or the Sweet Sixteen, or seeded No. 6 or lower in the Elite Eight, Final Four, or national championship. All teams are listed by athletic brand names they used at the time of their wins, which do not always match those in use today.

Most successful low seeds

The table below lists the best outcomes for low-seeded teams since the tournament's expansion in 1985, sorted by the round in which that team was eliminated.

SeedSecond RoundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal FourChampionship GameNational Champion
No. 16–––––
No. 15Saint Peter's (2022)–––
No. 14numerous (21 teams)––––
No. 13numerous (27 teams)––––
No. 12numerous (35 teams){{Plainlist–––
No. 11numerous (35 teams){{Plainlist{{Plainlist––
No. 10{{Plainlist{{Plainlist––
No. 9{{Plainlist{{Plainlist{{Plainlist––
No. 8
No. 7–
No. 6{{Plainlist{{Plainlist{{Plainlist

Lowest-seeded pairings by round

  • The lowest-seeded combination in the national championship game is the 2014 pairing of No. 7 seed UConn and No. 8 seed Kentucky. UConn won and became the second-lowest-seeded team to win the tournament.
  • The pairing of No. 8 seed Butler and No. 11 seed VCU in the 2011 National semifinals game was the lowest seeded combination to play in a National semifinals game.
  • The pairing of No. 8 seed North Carolina and No. 15 seed Saint Peter's in the 2022 East Regional final was the lowest-seeded combination to play in a regional final.
  • The pairing of No. 10 seed Providence and No. 14 seed Chattanooga in the 1997 Southeast Regional semifinal was the lowest-seeded combination to play in a regional semifinal.
  • There have been twenty-five Round of 32 matchups between two seeds who had won as the underdogs in the Round of 64: twelve 12-13 matchups, six 11-14 matchups, five 10-15 matchups, and two 9-16 matchups. The seeds add to 25 in each case, which is the lowest possible total for the Second Round.

Additional low-seed stats

  • Villanova in 1985, a No. 8 seed, was the lowest seeded team to win the tournament.
  • Penn's 1979 Final Four appearance as a No. 9 seed—out of 10 teams in their region—made them the lowest seed to make the Final Four in the pre-64-team era.
  • Butler is the only team to make consecutive Final Fours (let alone Championship Games) while not being a No. 1 or No. 2 seed either time (No. 5 in 2010, No. 8 in 2011).
  • In 1989, the four 11-seeds swept the First Round against their 6-seed opponents. As of 2023 this is the only time that 11-seeds have achieved this feat, and no lower seed ever has. Three out of four 12-seeds have advanced five times, in 2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, and 2019. The 10-seeds also swept the 7-seeds once, in 1999.
  • Richmond is the only team to win first-round games ranked as a No. 15, No. 14, No. 13, and No. 12 seed.
  • The most Round of 64 upsets over top-3 seeds occurring in a single tournament has been two, which has occurred ten times:
    • 1986, 1995, 2015: Two No. 14 seeds over No. 3 seeds
    • 1991, 1997, 2013, 2016, 2021: One No. 15 seed over a No. 2 seed and one No. 14 seed over a No. 3 seed
      • In 1991, 2013, 2016, and 2021, at least one team of every seed between No. 1 and No. 15 advanced to the Round of 32.
    • 2012: Two No. 15 seeds over No. 2 seeds
    • 2023: One No. 16 seed over a No. 1 seed and one No. 15 seed over a No. 2 seed
  • 2014 produced the highest total seed differential in an NCAA Tournament, with 128 across all the rounds of play. That is, the sum of seed differences among the 19 games won by lower-seeded teams was 128. This surpassed the previous mark of 111 in 2014, in which 22 games were won by lower seeded teams.
  • 2013 was the only tournament to have three teams seeded No. 12 or lower in the Sweet Sixteen: No. 12 Oregon, No. 13 La Salle, and No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast.
  • The 2018 South Region was the first region since seeding began in 1979 in which no top-4 seed advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (No. 5 Kentucky, No. 7 Nevada, No. 9 Kansas State, No. 11 Loyola–Chicago).
  • Georgetown is the only team to lose in five consecutive tournament appearances against a team seeded at least five spots lower:
  • In 2021, Houston, a 2 seed, was the first team ever to reach the Final Four by defeating only double-digit seeds—in order, Cleveland State (15), Rutgers (10), Syracuse (11), and Oregon State (12).
  • 2021 featured 14 upsets, the most upsets in a single tournament. NCAA defines an upset as 5 seed lines or more between teams.

Point-spread upsets

Biggest point-spread upsets since 1985

Biggest championship game point-spread upsets

Most upset wins

TeamWinsYears
Richmond71988(2), 1991, 1998, 2011(2), 2022
VCU62007, 2011(4), 2012
Dayton61990, 2009, 2014(3), 2015
UCLA62015(2), 2021(4)
Oregon52013(2), 2019(2), 2024
Gonzaga52001(2), 2011, 2016(2)
Xavier51987, 1991, 2017(3)
NC State52012, 2024(4)

Most upset losses

TeamLossesYear(s)
Arizona81992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023
Purdue71985, 1986, 2011, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023
Wisconsin71999, 2001, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2022, 2024
UCLA71987, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2013
Georgetown71985, 1987, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Syracuse61988, 1991, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2014
Oklahoma61986, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2006, 2014
Virginia61986, 1987, 2001, 2018, 2021, 2023
Missouri61987, 1988, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2025
Duke51985, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2024
Indiana51986, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2001
Marquette51996, 2002, 2010, 2019, 2024
Florida State51989, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2017
Alabama51989, 1990, 2005, 2021, 2022
Kansas State51989, 1993, 2013, 2018, 2019

Round of 64

This round was called the First Round until 2011, when the introduction of the First Four caused it to be renamed the Second Round. Starting with the 2016 tournament, it returned to being called the First Round. There were eight official First Round upsets in 2016, which was the most in tournament history.

Detail between each pair of seeds in this section has been updated as of completion of the 2025 Round of 64, representing 160 games played between each pair.

16 defeats 1

There have been two games in which a No. 16 seed has defeated a No. 1 seed () since 1985:

YearWinnerLoserScore
2018UMBCVirginia74–54
2023Fairleigh DickinsonPurdue63–58

15 defeats 2

There have been 11 games in which a No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2 seed () since 1985:

YearWinnerLoserScore
1991RichmondSyracuse73–69
1993Santa ClaraArizona64–61
1997Coppin StateSouth Carolina78–65
2001HamptonIowa State58–57
2012LehighDuke75–70
Norfolk StateMissouri86–84
2013Florida Gulf CoastGeorgetown78–68
2016Middle TennesseeMichigan State90–81
2021Oral RobertsOhio State75–72OT
2022Saint Peter'sKentucky85–79OT
2023PrincetonArizona59–55

14 defeats 3

There have been 23 games in which a No. 14 seed has defeated a No. 3 seed () since 1985:

YearWinnerLoserScore
1986Cleveland StateIndiana83–79
Arkansas–Little RockNotre Dame90–83
1987Austin PeayIllinois68–67
1988Murray StateNC State78–75
1989SienaStanford80–78
1990Northern IowaMissouri74–71
1991XavierNebraska89–84
1992East Tennessee StateArizona87–80
1995Old DominionVillanova89–813 OT
Weber StateMichigan State79–72
1997ChattanoogaGeorgia73–70
1998RichmondSouth Carolina62–61
1999Weber StateNorth Carolina76–74
2005BucknellKansas64–63
2006Northwestern StateIowa64–63
2010OhioGeorgetown97–83
2013HarvardNew Mexico68–62
2014MercerDuke78–71
2015Georgia StateBaylor57–56
UABIowa State60–59
2016Stephen F. AustinWest Virginia70–56
2021Abilene ChristianTexas53–52
2024OaklandKentucky80–76

13 defeats 4

There have been 33 games in which a No. 13 seed has defeated a No. 4 seed () since 1985:

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985NavyLSU78–55
1987XavierMissouri70–69
SW Missouri StateClemson65–60
1988RichmondIndiana72–69
1989Middle TennesseeFlorida State97–83
1991Penn StateUCLA74–69
1992Southwestern LouisianaOklahoma87–83
1993SouthernGeorgia Tech93–78
1995ManhattanOklahoma77–67
1996PrincetonUCLA43–41
1998ValparaisoOle Miss70–69
1999OklahomaArizona61–60
2001Kent StateIndiana77–73
Indiana StateOklahoma70–68OT
2002UNC WilmingtonUSC93–89OT
2003TulsaDayton84–71
2005VermontSyracuse60–57OT
2006BradleyKansas77–73
2008SienaVanderbilt83–62
San DiegoConnecticut70–69OT
2009Cleveland StateWake Forest84–69
2010Murray StateVanderbilt66–65
2011Morehead StateLouisville62–61
2012OhioMichigan65–60
2013La SalleKansas State63–61
2016HawaiiCalifornia77–66
2018MarshallWichita State81–75
BuffaloArizona89–68
2019UC IrvineKansas State70–64
2021OhioVirginia62–58
North TexasPurdue78–69OT
2023FurmanVirginia68–67
2024YaleAuburn78–76

12 defeats 5

There have been 57 games in which a No. 12 seed has defeated a No. 5 seed () since 1985:

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985KentuckyWashington66–58
1986DePaulVirginia72–68
1987WyomingVirginia64–60
1989DePaulMemphis State66–63
1990DaytonIllinois88–86
Ball StateOregon State54–53
1991Eastern MichiganMississippi State76–56
1992New Mexico StateDePaul81–73
1993George WashingtonNew Mexico82–68
1994Wisconsin–Green BayCalifornia61–57
TulsaUCLA112–102
1995Miami (OH)Arizona71–62
1996DrexelMemphis State75–63
Arkansas86–80
1997College of CharlestonMaryland75–66
1998Florida StateTCU96–87
1999SW Missouri StateWisconsin43–32
DetroitUCLA56–53
2001GonzagaVirginia86–85
Utah StateOhio State77–68OT
2002CreightonFlorida83–822 OT
TulsaMarquette71–69
MissouriMiami (FL)93–80
2003ButlerMississippi State47–46
2004ManhattanFlorida75–60
PacificProvidence66–58
2005MilwaukeeAlabama83–73
2006MontanaNevada87–79
Texas A&MSyracuse66–58
2008VillanovaClemson75–69
Western KentuckyDrake101–99OT
2009WisconsinFlorida State61–59OT
ArizonaUtah84–71
Western KentuckyIllinois76–72
2010CornellTemple78–65
2011RichmondVanderbilt69–66
2012South FloridaTemple58–44
VCUWichita State62–59
2013Ole MissWisconsin57–46
CaliforniaUNLV64–61
OregonOklahoma State68–55
2014Stephen F. AustinVCU77–75OT
North Dakota StateOklahoma80–75OT
HarvardCincinnati61–57
2016Little RockPurdue85–832 OT
YaleBaylor79–75
2017Middle TennesseeMinnesota81–72
2019Murray StateMarquette83–64
OregonWisconsin72–54
LibertyMississippi State80–76
2021Oregon StateTennessee70–56
2022RichmondIowa67–63
New Mexico StateUConn70–63
2024James MadisonWisconsin72–61
Grand CanyonSaint Mary's75–66
2025McNeeseClemson69–67
Colorado StateMemphis78–70

11 defeats 6

There have been 62 games in which a No. 11 seed has defeated a No. 6 seed () since 1985:

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Boston CollegeTexas Tech55–53
UTEPTulsa79–75
AuburnPurdue59–58
1986LSUPurdue94–87OT
1988Rhode IslandMissouri87–80
1989MinnesotaKansas State86–75
EvansvilleOregon State94–90OT
South AlabamaAlabama86–84
TexasGeorgia Tech76–70
1990Loyola MarymountNew Mexico State111–92
1991CreightonNew Mexico State64–56
ConnecticutLSU79–62
1993TulaneKansas State55–53
1994PennNebraska90–80
1995TexasOregon90–73
1996Boston CollegeIndiana64–51
1998WashingtonXavier69–68
Western MichiganClemson75–72
2000PepperdineIndiana77–57
2001Georgia StateWisconsin50–49
TempleTexas79–65
2002WyomingGonzaga73–68
Southern IllinoisTexas Tech76–68
2003Central MichiganCreighton79–73
2005UABLSU82–68
2006MilwaukeeOklahoma82–74
George MasonMichigan State75–65
2007WinthropNotre Dame76–64
VCUDuke79–77
2008Kansas StateUSC80–67
2009DaytonWest Virginia68–62
2010WashingtonMarquette80–78
Old DominionNotre Dame51–50
2011MarquetteXavier66–55
VCUGeorgetown74–56
GonzagaSt. John's86–71
2012ColoradoUNLV68–64
North Carolina StateSan Diego State79–65
2013MinnesotaUCLA83–63
2014TennesseeUMass86–67
DaytonOhio State60–59
2015DaytonProvidence66–53
UCLASMU60–59
2016Northern IowaTexas75–72
GonzagaSeton Hall68–52
Wichita StateArizona65–55
2017Rhode IslandCreighton84–72
USCSMU66–65
XavierMaryland76–65
2018Loyola ChicagoMiami (FL)64–62
SyracuseTCU57–52
2019Ohio StateIowa State62–59
2021UCLABYU73–62
SyracuseSan Diego State78–62
2022MichiganColorado State75–63
Notre DameAlabama78–64
Iowa StateLSU59–54
2023PittsburghIowa State59–41
2024DuquesneBYU71–67
NC StateTexas Tech80–67
OregonSouth Carolina87–73
2025DrakeMissouri67–57

Round of 32

The Round of 32 is also called the Second Round and, occasionally, the regional quarterfinals. This is the first round in which No. 7 seeds, No. 8 seeds, No. 9 seeds, and No. 10 seeds are able to face teams ranked five seed lines higher than them and is therefore the first round in which these teams may record upset victories.

16 seeds

A No. 16 seed has never won a game in the Round of 32. The closest margin of defeat happened in 2018, when UMBC lost to No. 9 seed Kansas State by seven points.

15 seeds

Four of the eleven No. 15 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2013Florida Gulf Coast(7) San Diego Statetitle=2013 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, recordsurl=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-05-11/2013-ncaa-tournament-bracket-scores-stats-recordsaccess-date=April 7, 2023website=NCAA.compublisher=National Collegiate Athletic Associationlanguage=en}}
2021Oral Roberts(7) Floridadate=March 19, 2021title=We're tracking upsets in the 2021 NCAA tournamenturl=https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/basketball-men/d1/2021-march-madness-upset-trackeraccessdate=March 27, 2022website=NCAA.com}}
2022Saint Peter's(7) Murray State70–60
2023Princeton(7) Missouri78–63

14 seeds

Two of the twenty-three No. 14 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1986Cleveland State(6) Saint Joseph's75–69
1997Chattanooga(6) Illinois75–63

13 seeds

Six of the thirty-three No. 13 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1988Richmond(5) Georgia Tech59–55
1999Oklahoma(5) UNC Charlotte85–72
2006Bradley(5) Pittsburgh72–66
YearWinnerLoserScore
1998Valparaiso‡(12) Florida State83–77OT
2012Ohio‡(12) South Florida62–56
2013La Salle‡(12) Ole Miss76–74

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

12 seeds

Twenty-two of the fifty-seven No. 12 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Kentucky(4) UNLV64–61
1986DePaul(4) Oklahoma74–69
1987Wyoming(4) UCLA78–68
1990Ball State(4) Louisville62–60
1994Tulsa(4) Oklahoma State82–80
1996Arkansas(4) Marquette65–56
1999Southwest Missouri State(4) Tennessee81–51
2002Missouri(4) Ohio State83–64
2003Butler(4) Louisville79–71
2005Milwaukee(4) Boston College83–75
2010Cornell(4) Wisconsin87–69
2013Oregon(4) Saint Louis74–57
2021Oregon State(4) Oklahoma State80–70
YearWinnerLoserScore
1991Eastern Michigan(13) Penn State71–68OT
1992New Mexico State(13) Southwestern Louisiana81–73
1993George Washington(13) Southern90–80
2001Gonzaga(13) Indiana State85–68
2008Western Kentucky(13) San Diego72–63
Villanova(13) Siena84–72
2009Arizona(13) Cleveland State71–57
2011Richmond(13) Morehead State65–48
2019Oregon(13) UC Irvine73–54

11 seeds

Twenty-seven of the sixty-two No. 11 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Auburn(3) Kansas66–64
Boston College(3) Duke74–73
1986LSU(3) Memphis State83–81
1988Rhode Island(3) Syracuse97–94
1990Loyola Marymount(3) Michigan149–115
2001Temple(3) Florida75–54
2002Southern Illinois(3) Georgia77–75
2006George Mason(3) North Carolina65–60
2010Washington(3) New Mexico82–64
2011Marquette(3) Syracuse66–62
VCU(3) Purdue94–76
2012NC State(3) Georgetown66–63
2014Dayton(3) Syracuse55–53
2016Gonzaga(3) Utah82–59
2017Xavier(3) Florida State91–66
2018Loyola Chicago(3) Tennessee63–62
Syracuse(3) Michigan State55–53
2021Syracuse(3) West Virginia75–72
2022Iowa State(3) Wisconsin54–49
Michigan(3) Tennessee76–68
YearWinnerLoserScore
1989Minnesota(14) Siena80–67
1991Connecticut(14) Xavier66–50
1998Washington(14) Richmond81–66
2014Tennessee(14) Mercer83–63
2015UCLA(14) UAB92–75
2021UCLA(14) Abilene Christian67–47
2024NC State(14) Oakland79–73OT

10 seeds

Twenty-five of the sixty-two No. 10 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1987LSU(2) Temple72–62
1990Texas(2) Purdue73–72
1994Maryland(2) UMass95–87
1997Providence(2) Duke98–87
1998West Virginia(2) Cincinnati75–74
1999Purdue(2) Miami (FL)73–63
Miami (OH)(2) Utah66–58
Gonzaga(2) Stanford82–74
2000Seton Hall(2) Temple67–65OT
Gonzaga(2) St. John's82–76
2002Kent State(2) Alabama71–58
2003Auburn(2) Wake Forest68–62
2004Nevada(2) Gonzaga91–72
2005NC State(2) Connecticut65–62
2008Davidson(2) Georgetown74–70
2010St. Mary's(2) Villanova75–68
2011Florida State(2) Notre Dame71–58
2014Stanford(2) Kansas60–57
2022Miami (FL)(2) Auburn79–61
2025Arkansas(2) St. John's75–66
YearWinnerLoserScore
1991Temple(15) Richmond77–64
1997Texas(15) Coppin State82–81
2001Georgetown(15) Hampton76–57
2012Xavier(15) Lehigh70–58
2016Syracuse(15) Middle Tennessee75–50

9 seeds

Eight of the eighty-three No. 9 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1992UTEP(1) Kansas66–60
1994Boston College(1) North Carolina75–72
2004UAB(1) Kentucky76–75
2010Northern Iowa(1) Kansas69–67
2013Wichita State(1) Gonzaga76–70
2018Florida State(1) Xavier75–70
YearWinnerLoserScore
2018Kansas State(16) UMBC50–43
2023Florida Atlantic(16) Fairleigh Dickinson78–70

8 seeds

Sixteen of the seventy-seven No. 8 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Villanova(1) Michigan59–55
1986Auburn(1) St. John's81–65
1990North Carolina(1) Oklahoma79–77
1996Georgia(1) Purdue76–69
1998Rhode Island(1) Kansas80–75
2000North Carolina(1) Stanford60–53
Wisconsin(1) Arizona66–59
2002UCLA(1) Cincinnati105–1012OT
2004Alabama(1) Stanford70–67
2011Butler(1) Pittsburgh71–70
2014Kentucky(1) Wichita State78–76
2015NC State(1) Villanova71–68
2017Wisconsin(1) Villanova65–62
2021Loyola Chicago(1) Illinois71–58
2022North Carolina(1) Baylor93–86OT
2023Arkansas(1) Kansas72–71

7 seeds

Twenty-nine of the ninety-eight No. 7 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 64 also won in the Round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Alabama(2) VCU63–59
1986Navy(2) Syracuse97–85
Iowa State(2) Michigan72–69
1988Vanderbilt(2) Pittsburgh80–74
1990UCLA(2) Kansas71–70
Alabama(2) Arizona77–55
1992Georgia Tech(2) USC79–78
1993Western Kentucky(2) Seton Hall72–68
2000Tulsa(2) Cincinnati69–61
2001Penn State(2) North Carolina82–74
2003Michigan State(2) Florida68–46
2004Xavier(2) Mississippi State89–74
2005West Virginia(2) Wake Forest111–1052OT
2006Georgetown(2) Ohio State70–52
Wichita State(2) Tennessee80–73
2007UNLV(2) Wisconsin74–68
2008West Virginia(2) Duke73–67
2014UConn(2) Villanova77–65
2015Wichita State(2) Kansas78–65
Michigan State(2) Virginia60–54
2016Wisconsin(2) Xavier66–63
2017South Carolina(2) Duke88–81
Michigan(2) Louisville73–69
2018Nevada(2) Cincinnati75–73
Texas A&M(2) North Carolina86–65
2021Oregon(2) Iowa95–80
2023Michigan State(2) Marquette69–60
YearWinnerLoserScore
1993Temple(15) Santa Clara68–57
2012Florida(15) Norfolk State84–50

Sweet Sixteen

The Sweet Sixteen are the eight pairs of teams that meet in the regional semifinals.

15 seeds

One of the four No. 15 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. The seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2022Saint Peter's(3) Purdue67–64

14 seeds

A No. 14 seed has never won a game in the Sweet Sixteen. The closest margin of defeat happened in 1986, when Cleveland State lost to No. 7 seed Navy by one point.

13 seeds

A No. 13 seed has never won a game in the Sweet Sixteen. The closest margin of defeat happened in 1998, when Valparaiso lost to No. 8 seed Rhode Island by six points.

12 seeds

Two of the twenty-two No. 12 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2002Missouri‡(8) UCLA82–73
2021Oregon State‡(8) Loyola Chicago65–58

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

11 seeds

Ten of the twenty-seven No. 11 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1986LSU(2) Georgia Tech70–64
2017Xavier(2) Arizona73–71
2021UCLA(2) Alabama88–78OT
2024NC State(2) Marquette67–58
YearWinnerLoserScore
1990Loyola Marymount‡(7) Alabama62–60
2001Temple‡(7) Penn State84–72
2006George Mason‡(7) Wichita State63–55
2011VCU‡(10) Florida State72–71OT
2014Dayton‡(10) Stanford82–72
2018Loyola Chicago‡(7) Nevada69–68

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

10 seeds

Nine of the twenty-five No. 10 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1987LSU(3) DePaul63–58
1991Temple(3) Oklahoma State72–63
2002Kent State(3) Pittsburgh78–73
2008Davidson(3) Wisconsin73–56
YearWinnerLoserScore
1990Texas‡(6) Xavier102–89
1997Providence†(14) Chattanooga71–65
1999Gonzaga‡(6) Florida73–72
2016Syracuse†(11) Gonzaga63–60
2022Miami (FL)†(11) Iowa State70–56

† Not an upset, as the No. 10 seed defeated a lower seed.

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

9 seeds

Five of the eight No. 9 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2018Florida State(4) Gonzaga75–60
2023Florida Atlantic(4) Tennessee62–55
YearWinnerLoserScore
1994Boston College‡(5) Indiana77–68
2013Wichita State†(13) La Salle72–58
2018Kansas State‡(5) Kentucky61–58

† Not an upset, as the No. 9 seed defeated a lower seed.

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

8 seeds

Nine of the sixteen No. 8 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Villanova‡(5) Maryland46–43
1986Auburn‡(4) UNLV70–63
1998Rhode Island†(13) Valparaiso74–68
2000North Carolina‡(4) Tennessee74–69
Wisconsin‡(4) LSU61–48
2004Alabama‡(5) Syracuse80–71
2011Butler‡(4) Wisconsin61–54
2014Kentucky‡(4) Louisville74–69
2022North Carolina‡(4) UCLA73–66

† Not an upset, as the No. 8 seed defeated a lower seed.

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

7 seeds

Ten of the twenty-nine No. 7 seeds () who advanced from the Round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1986Navy†(14) Cleveland State71–70
1993Temple‡(3) Vanderbilt67–59
2000Tulsa‡(6) Miami (FL)80–71
2003Michigan State‡(6) Maryland60–58
2004Xavier‡(3) Texas79–71
2005West Virginia‡(6) Texas Tech65–60
2012Florida‡(3) Marquette68–58
2014UConn‡(3) Iowa State81–76
2015Michigan State‡(3) Oklahoma62–58
2017South Carolina‡(3) Baylor70–50

† Not an upset, as the No. 7 seed defeated a lower seed.

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

Elite Eight

The Elite Eight are the four pairs of teams that meet in the regional finals. This is the first round in which No. 6 seeds are able to face teams ranked five seed lines higher than them and is therefore the first round in which No. 6 seeds may record upset victories.

15 seeds

A No. 15 seed has never won a game in the Elite Eight. The closest margin of defeat happened in 2022, when Saint Peter's lost to No. 8 seed North Carolina by 20 points.

12 seeds

A No. 12 seed has never won a game in the Elite Eight. The closest margins of defeat happened in 2002, when Missouri lost to No. 2 seed Oklahoma, and 2021, when Oregon State lost to No. 2 seed Houston, both by six points.

11 seeds

Six of the ten No. 11 seeds () who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1986LSU(1) Kentucky59–57
2006George Mason(1) Connecticut86–84OT
2011VCU(1) Kansas71–61
2021UCLA(1) Michigan51–49
2024NC State(4) Duke76–64
YearWinnerLoserScore
2018Loyola Chicago‡(9) Kansas State78–62

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

10 seeds

One of the nine No. 10 seeds () who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. The seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2016Syracuse(1) Virginia68–62

9 seeds

Two of the five No. 9 seeds () who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2013Wichita State(2) Ohio State70–66
2023Florida Atlantic(3) Kansas State79–76

8 seeds

Six of the nine No. 8 seeds () who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Villanova(2) North Carolina56–44
2011Butler(2) Florida74–71OT
2014Kentucky(2) Michigan75–72
YearWinnerLoserScore
2000Wisconsin‡(6) Purdue64–60
North Carolina‡(7) Tulsa59–55
2022North Carolina†(15) Saint Peter's69–49

† Not an upset, as the No. 8 seed defeated a lower seed.

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

7 seeds

Three of the ten No. 7 seeds () who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2014UConn‡(4) Michigan State60–54
2015Michigan State‡(4) Louisville76–70
2017South Carolina‡(4) Florida77–70

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

6 seeds

Three of the seventeen No. 6 seeds () who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1987Providence(1) Georgetown88–73
1992Michigan(1) Ohio State75–71OT
YearWinnerLoserScore
1988Kansas‡(4) Kansas State71–58

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

Final Four

The Final Four are the winners of the four regional finals.

9 seeds or lower

No team seeded No. 9 or lower has never won a game in the Final Four. The closest margin of defeat happened in 2023, when No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic lost to No. 5 seed San Diego State by one point.

8 seeds

Four of the six No. 8 seeds () who advanced from the Elite Eight also won in the Final Four. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Villanova(2) Memphis State52–45
2014Kentucky(2) Wisconsin74–73
2022North Carolina(2) Duke81–77
YearWinnerLoserScore
2011Butler†(11) VCU70–62

† Not an upset, as the No. 8 seed defeated a lower seed.

7 seeds

One of the three No. 7 seeds () who advanced from the Elite Eight also won in the Final Four. The seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2014UConn(1) Florida63–53

6 seeds

Two of the three No. 6 seeds () who advanced from the Elite Eight also won in the Final Four. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1988Kansas‡(2) Duke66–59
1992Michigan‡(4) Cincinnati76–72

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than five seed lines.

National championship

8 seeds

One of the four No. 8 seeds () who advanced from the Final Four also won the national championship. The seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1985Villanova(1) Georgetown66–64

7 seeds

The only No. 7 seed who advanced from the Final Four also won the national championship. The seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2014UConn†(8) Kentucky60–54

† Not an upset, as the No. 7 seed defeated a lower seed.

6 seeds

One of the two No. 6 seeds () who advanced from the Final Four also won the national championship. The seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

YearWinnerLoserScore
1988Kansas(1) Oklahoma83–79

Footnotes

References

References

  1. Thamel, Pete. (March 22, 2021). "Why this may already be the craziest NCAA men's tournament ever".
  2. "NCAA Final Four Tournament Seeds".
  3. (13 August 2021). "UCLAs win over Michigan".
  4. Trotter, Jake. (March 17, 2023). "16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson, a 23.5-point underdog, shocks No. 1 Purdue".
  5. (March 16, 2018). "Biggest NCAA tournament upsets of the 64-team era".
  6. (March 16, 2018). "Summary: UMBC vs. Virginia".
  7. (March 19, 2016). "NCAA tourney upsets match first-round record".
  8. Wilco, Daniel. (March 17, 2018). "Last perfect bracket busts after UMBC pulls off biggest upset in NCAA tournament history". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]].
  9. Camargo, Alberto. (March 17, 2023). "No. 16 FDU shocks No. 1 Purdue in first round of March Madness". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc..
  10. Goodall, Fred. (March 16, 2023). "No. 13 seed Furman hands UVA its latest early March exit". Associated Press News.
  11. Lipscomb, Keith. (March 17, 2019). "March Madness bracket facts for 2019 NCAA tournament".
  12. (2025-03-20). "No. 12 seed McNeese holds off late Clemson charge to earn first March Madness victory".
  13. (2025-03-21). "Kyan Evans and favored No. 12 seed Colorado State beat short-handed Memphis 78-70 in March Madness".
  14. Bromberg, Nick. (March 17, 2022). "NCAA tournament: No. 11 Michigan rides big second half to win over No. 6 Colorado State".
  15. "2013 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]].
  16. (March 19, 2021). "We're tracking upsets in the 2021 NCAA tournament".
  17. (March 20, 2022). "Saint Peter's Makes History as First MAAC Men's Basketball Program to Reach March Madness Sweet Sixteen".
  18. Bonagura, Kyle. (March 18, 2023). "Princeton takes out Missouri, latest 15-seed to make Sweet 16".
  19. McDaniel, Mike. (25 March 2022). "No. 15 Saint Peter's Continues Cinderella Run, Upsets No. 3 Purdue to Advance to Elite Eight".
  20. (March 25, 2023). "FAU holds off Nowell and K-State to reach 1st Final Four".
  21. DeCourcy, Mike. (March 29, 2020). "Villanova vs. Georgetown, 1985: Seven things you didn't know about Wildcats' 'Perfect Game' upset". Sporting News.
  22. (April 7, 2014). "Shabazz Napier, UConn too much for Kentucky, seize national title". ESPN.
  23. "Oklahoma vs. Kansas Box Score, April 4, 1988".
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