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NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament upsets

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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 lower seeded team defeating a higher-seeded (i.e., higher-ranked) team; a widely recognized upset is one performed by a team ranked substantially lower than its opponent.

This is the list of victories by teams seeded 11 or lower in the first round and second rounds of the tournament, as well as those by teams seeded 8 or 9 against 1 and 7 or 10 against 2 seeds in the second round, since it expanded to 64 teams in 1985; as these low-seeded teams were automatically paired against higher-seeded teams at the start of the tournament, their opening victories are almost always considered upsets (to date only three teams seeded 11 or lower in the first round won as betting favorites, and only one such team won in the first round as a pick 'em). Most victories by these teams in later rounds were usually against better seeded opponents as well. The list also includes victories by teams seeded 8 or lower in the Sweet 16 (the four regional semifinals), teams seeded 7 or lower in the Elite Eight (the four regional finals), and teams seeded 6 or lower in the Final Four. 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.

The NCAA defines a tournament "upset" as a victory by a team seeded 5 or more lines below its defeated opponent.[1]

On March 16, 2018, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers became the first 16-seed to upset a 1-seed when they defeated the Virginia Cavaliers 74–54 in the first round;[2] this was followed by the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 63–58 on March 17, 2023.[3]

Most successful low seeds

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Best outcomes for low seeds since expansion to 64 teams in 1985:

Seed 2nd Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship Game National Champion
No. 16

UMBC (2018)
Fairleigh Dickinson (2023)

 – – – – –
No. 15

Richmond (1991)
Santa Clara (1993)
Coppin State (1997)
Hampton (2001)
Norfolk State (2012)
Lehigh (2012)
Middle Tennessee (2016)

Florida Gulf Coast (2013)
Oral Roberts (2021)
Princeton (2023)

 Saint Peter's (2022) – – –
No. 14 numerous (20 teams)
– – – –
No. 13 numerous (25 teams)
– – – –
No. 12 numerous (31 teams)

numerous (20 teams)

– – –
No. 11 numerous (31 teams)

numerous (17 teams)

– –
No. 10 —

numerous (15 teams)

– –
No. 9 —
– –
No. 8 —
No. 7 —

numerous (15 teams)

–
No. 6 — — —

Best performances by No. 16 seeds

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In 2018, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the men's tournament, shocking Virginia 74–54. Before this breakthrough, five other 16 seeds lost by 4 or fewer points:

In 2023, Fairleigh Dickinson became the second No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the tournament, beating Purdue 63–58.

Lowest-seeded pairings by round

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  • 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

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  • 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.[4]
  • 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.[5]

Point spread upsets

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Despite numerous instances of early-round tournament upsets, only two No. 1 seeds have lost in the first round to a No. 16 seed. However, while seeding is one way of measuring the impact of an upset, prior to the implementation of seeding, point spread was the better determinant of an upset, and a loss by a highly favored team remains for many the definition of "upset". As the NCAA forbids any association with gambling, and point spreads vary depending on the bookie taking the bets, these are unofficial:

Biggest point-spread upsets since expansion to 64 teams in 1985:
Biggest point-spread upsets in NCAA championship game history:

Round of 64

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This round was called the first round until 2011, when the introduction of the First Four caused the round 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.[9]

Detail between each pair of seeds in this section has been updated as of completion of the 2024 Round of 64, representing 156 games played between each pair.

16 defeats 1

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There have been 2 games where a 16-seed has defeated a 1-seed (1.28%), in the round of 64, since 1985:

Year Winner Loser Score
2018 UMBC Virginia 74–54[10]
2023 Fairleigh Dickinson Purdue 63–58[11]

15 defeats 2

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There have been 11 games where a 15-seed has defeated a 2-seed (7.05%), in the round of 64, since 1985:[12]

Year Winner Loser Score
1991 Richmond Syracuse 73–69
1993 Santa Clara Arizona 64–61
1997 Coppin State South Carolina 78–65
2001 Hampton Iowa State 58–57
2012 Lehigh Duke 75–70
Norfolk State Missouri 86–84
2013 Florida Gulf Coast Georgetown 78–68
2016 Middle Tennessee Michigan State 90–81
2021 Oral Roberts Ohio State 75–72OT
2022 Saint Peter's Kentucky 85–79OT
2023 Princeton Arizona 59–55

14 defeats 3

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There have been 23 games where a 14-seed has defeated a 3-seed (14.74%), in the round of 64, since 1985:

Year Winner Loser Score
1986 Cleveland State Indiana 83–79
Arkansas–Little Rock[a] Notre Dame 90–83
1987 Austin Peay Illinois 68–67
1988 Murray State NC State 78–75
1989 Siena Stanford 80–78
1990 Northern Iowa Missouri 74–71
1991 Xavier Nebraska 89–84
1992 East Tennessee State Arizona 87–80
1995 Old Dominion Villanova 89–813 OT
Weber State Michigan State 79–72
1997 Chattanooga Georgia 73–70
1998 Richmond South Carolina 62–61
1999 Weber State North Carolina 76–74
2005 Bucknell Kansas 64–63
2006 Northwestern State Iowa 64–63
2010 Ohio Georgetown 97–83
2013 Harvard New Mexico 68–62
2014 Mercer Duke 78–71
2015 Georgia State Baylor 57–56
UAB Iowa State 60–59
2016 Stephen F. Austin West Virginia 70–56
2021 Abilene Christian Texas 53–52
2024 Oakland Kentucky 80–76

13 defeats 4

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There have been 33 games where a 13-seed has defeated a 4-seed (21.15%), in the round of 64, since 1985:

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Navy LSU 78–55
1987 Xavier Missouri 70–69
SW Missouri State Clemson 65–60
1988 Richmond Indiana 72–69
1989 Middle Tennessee Florida State 97–83
1991 Penn State UCLA 74–69
1992 Southwestern Louisiana[b] Oklahoma 87–83
1993 Southern Georgia Tech 93–78
1995 Manhattan Oklahoma 77–67
1996 Princeton UCLA 43–41
1998 Valparaiso Ole Miss 70–69
1999 Oklahoma Arizona 61–60
2001 Kent State Indiana 77–73
Indiana State Oklahoma 70–68OT
2002 UNC Wilmington USC 93–89OT
2003 Tulsa Dayton 84–71
2005 Vermont Syracuse 60–57OT
2006 Bradley Kansas 77–73
2008 Siena Vanderbilt 83–62
San Diego Connecticut[c] 70–69OT
2009 Cleveland State Wake Forest 84–69
2010 Murray State Vanderbilt 66–65
2011 Morehead State Louisville 62–61
2012 Ohio Michigan 65–60
2013 La Salle Kansas State 63–61
2016 Hawaii California 77–66
2018 Marshall Wichita State 81–75
Buffalo Arizona 89–68
2019 UC Irvine Kansas State 70–64
2021 Ohio Virginia 62–58
North Texas Purdue 78–69OT
2023 Furman Virginia 68–67[13]
2024 Yale Auburn 78–76

12 defeats 5

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There have been 55 games where a 12-seed has defeated a 5-seed (35.26%), in the round of 64, since 1985:

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Kentucky Washington 66–58
1986 DePaul Virginia 72–68
1987 Wyoming Virginia 64–60
1989 DePaul Memphis State[d] 66–63
1990 Dayton Illinois 88–86
Ball State Oregon State 54–53
1991 Eastern Michigan Mississippi State 76–56
1992 New Mexico State DePaul 81–73
1993 George Washington New Mexico 82–68
1994 Wisconsin–Green Bay[e] California 61–57
Tulsa UCLA 112–102
1995 Miami (OH) Arizona 71–62
1996 Drexel Memphis State[d] 75–63
Arkansas Penn State 86–80
1997 College of Charleston Maryland 75–66
1998 Florida State TCU 96–87
1999 SW Missouri State Wisconsin 43–32
Detroit[f] UCLA 56–53
2001 Gonzaga[g] Virginia 86–85
Utah State Ohio State 77–68OT
2002 Creighton Florida 83–822 OT
Tulsa Marquette 71–69
Missouri Miami (FL) 93–80
2003 Butler Mississippi State 47–46
2004 Manhattan Florida 75–60
Pacific Providence 66–58
2005 Milwaukee Alabama 83–73
2006 Montana Nevada 87–79
Texas A&M[h] Syracuse 66–58
2008 Villanova Clemson 75–69
Western Kentucky Drake 101–99OT
2009 Wisconsin Florida State 61–59OT
Arizona Utah 84–71
Western Kentucky Illinois 76–72
2010 Cornell Temple 78–65
2011 Richmond Vanderbilt 69–66
2012 South Florida Temple 58–44
VCU Wichita State 62–59
2013 Ole Miss Wisconsin 57–46
California UNLV 64–61
Oregon Oklahoma State 68–55
2014 Stephen F. Austin VCU 77–75OT
North Dakota State Oklahoma 80–75OT
Harvard Cincinnati 61–57
2016 Little Rock Purdue 85–832 OT
Yale Baylor 79–75
2017 Middle Tennessee[g] Minnesota 81–72
2019 Murray State Marquette 83–64
Oregon Wisconsin 72–54
Liberty Mississippi State 80–76
2021 Oregon State Tennessee 70–56
2022 Richmond Iowa 67–63
New Mexico State UConn 70–63
2024 James Madison Wisconsin 72–61
Grand Canyon Saint Mary's 75–66

11 defeats 6

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There have been 61 games where an 11-seed has defeated a 6-seed (39.1%), in the round of 64, since 1985:

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Boston College Texas Tech 55–53
UTEP Tulsa 79–75
Auburn Purdue 59–58
1986 LSU Purdue 94–87OT
1988 Rhode Island Missouri 87–80
1989 Minnesota Kansas State 86–75
Evansville Oregon State 94–90OT
South Alabama Alabama 86–84
Texas Georgia Tech 76–70
1990 Loyola Marymount New Mexico State 111–92
1991 Creighton New Mexico State 64–56
Connecticut[c] LSU 79–62
1993 Tulane Kansas State 55–53
1994 Penn Nebraska 90–80
1995 Texas Oregon 90–73
1996 Boston College Indiana 64–51
1998 Washington Xavier 69–68
Western Michigan Clemson 75–72
2000 Pepperdine Indiana 77–57
2001 Georgia State Wisconsin 50–49
Temple Texas 79–65
2002 Wyoming Gonzaga 73–68
Southern Illinois Texas Tech 76–68
2003 Central Michigan Creighton 79–73
2005 UAB LSU 82–68
2006 Milwaukee Oklahoma 82–74
George Mason Michigan State 75–65
2007 Winthrop Notre Dame 76–64
VCU Duke 79–77
2008 Kansas State USC 80–67
2009 Dayton West Virginia 68–62
2010 Washington Marquette 80–78
Old Dominion Notre Dame 51–50
2011 Marquette Xavier 66–55
VCU Georgetown 74–56
Gonzaga St. John's 86–71
2012 Colorado UNLV 68–64
North Carolina State San Diego State 79–65
2013 Minnesota UCLA 83–63
2014 Tennessee UMass 86–67
Dayton Ohio State 60–59
2015 Dayton Providence 66–53
UCLA SMU 60–59
2016 Northern Iowa Texas 75–72
Gonzaga Seton Hall 68–52
Wichita State Arizona 65–55
2017 Rhode Island Creighton 84–72
USC SMU 66–65
Xavier Maryland 76–65
2018 Loyola Chicago Miami (FL) 64–62
Syracuse TCU 57–52
2019 Ohio State Iowa State 62–59
2021 UCLA BYU 73–62
Syracuse San Diego State 78–62
2022 Michigan[i] Colorado State 75–63
Notre Dame Alabama 78–64
Iowa State LSU 59–54
2023 Pittsburgh Iowa State 59–41
2024 Duquesne BYU 71–67
NC State Texas Tech 80–67
Oregon South Carolina 87–73

Round of 32

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This round is called the second round. Occasionally, it is referred to as the regional quarterfinals.

This shows all Round of 32 upset victories by teams seeded 11 or lower, continuing their upset victories from the round of 64. This section introduces additional "meeting criteria of team seeded 5 or more lines below its defeated opponent", being all Round of 32 upset victories by teams seeded 8 or 9 against 1 seeds and by teams seeded 7 or 10 against 2 seeds.

16th seed victories

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No 16 seed has won a second-round game. The only 16 seeds to ever reach the second round are the UMBC Retrievers in 2018, who lost to 9 seed Kansas State 50–43, and the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights in 2023, who lost to 9 seed Florida Atlantic 78–70.

15th seed victories

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Four of the eleven 15 seeds (36.36%) who advanced from the round of 64 also achieved an upset victory in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses. Due to these results, 15 seeds have a winning record (4-2) against 7 seeds, but have never beaten a 10 seed (0-5).

Year Winner Loser Score
2013 Florida Gulf Coast (7) San Diego State 81–71[16]
2021 Oral Roberts (7) Florida 81–78[17]
2022 Saint Peter's (7) Murray State 70–60[18]
2023 Princeton (7) Missouri 78–63[19]

14th seed victories

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Two of the twenty-three 14 seeds (9.09%) who advanced from the round of 64 also achieved an upset victory in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Seven of the 14 seeds who advanced from the round of 64 lost to 11 seeds in the round of 32. Two of the sixteen 14 seeds who faced 6 seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (12.5%).

Year Winner Loser Score
1986 Cleveland State (6) Saint Joseph's 75–69
1997 Chattanooga (6) Illinois 75–63

13th seed victories

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Six of the thirty-three 13 seeds (18.18%) who advanced from the round of 64 also achieved a victory in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Twelve of the 13 seeds who advanced from the round of 64 faced a 12 seed that had also advanced from the round of 64 due to an upset. Against 12 seeds, 13 seeds are 3-9 (25%). Three of the twenty-one 13 seeds who have faced 5 seeds have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (14.29%).

Year Winner Loser Score
1988 Richmond (5) Georgia Tech 59–55
1998 Valparaiso‡ (12) Florida State 83–77OT
1999 Oklahoma (5) UNC Charlotte[j] 85–72
2006 Bradley (5) Pittsburgh 72–66
2012 Ohio‡ (12) South Florida 62–56
2013 La Salle‡ (12) Ole Miss 76–74

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by only 1 seed line.

12th seed victories

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Twenty-two of the fifty-five 12 seeds (40%) who advanced from the round of 64 also won in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Nine of these victories were against lower seeded teams that had also advanced from the round of 64 due to upsets; thus, these nine victories do not count as upsets, and have been grouped here in a table separate from the thirteen upset wins by 12 seeds in the second round. Thirteen of the forty-three 12 seeds who have faced 4 seeds have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (30.23%).

Defeated a lower seed
Year Winner Loser Score
1991 Eastern Michigan (13) Penn State 71–68OT
1992 New Mexico State (13) Southwestern Louisiana[b] 81–73
1993 George Washington (13) Southern 90–80
2001 Gonzaga (13) Indiana State 85–68
2008 Western Kentucky (13) San Diego 72–63
Villanova (13) Siena 84–72
2009 Arizona (13) Cleveland State 71–57
2011 Richmond (13) Morehead State 65–48
2019 Oregon (13) UC Irvine 73–54
Second Round upsets
Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Kentucky (4) UNLV 64–61
1986 DePaul (4) Oklahoma 74–69
1987 Wyoming (4) UCLA 78–68
1990 Ball State (4) Louisville 62–60
1994 Tulsa (4) Oklahoma State 82–80
1996 Arkansas (4) Marquette 65–56
1999 Southwest Missouri State[k] (4) Tennessee 81–51
2002 Missouri (4) Ohio State 83–64
2003 Butler (4) Louisville 79–71
2005 Milwaukee (4) Boston College 83–75
2010 Cornell (4) Wisconsin 87–69
2013 Oregon (4) Saint Louis 74–57
2021 Oregon State (4) Oklahoma State 80–70

11th seed victories

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Twenty-seven of the sixty-one 11 seeds (44.26%) who advanced from the round of 64 also won in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Seven of these victories were against lower seeded teams that had also advanced from the round of 64 due to upsets; thus, these seven victories do not count as upsets, and have been grouped here in a table separate from the twenty upset wins by 11 seeds in the second round. Twenty of the fifty-four 11 seeds who have faced 3 seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (37.04%).

Defeated a lower seed
Year Winner Loser Score
1989 Minnesota (14) Siena 80–67
1991 Connecticut[c] (14) Xavier 66–50
1998 Washington (14) Richmond 81–66
2014 Tennessee (14) Mercer 83–63
2015 UCLA (14) UAB 92–75
2021 UCLA (14) Abilene Christian 67–47
2024 NC State (14) Oakland 79–73OT
Second Round upsets
Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Auburn (3) Kansas 66–64
Boston College (3) Duke 74–73
1986 LSU (3) Memphis State[d] 83–81
1988 Rhode Island (3) Syracuse 97–94
1990 Loyola Marymount (3) Michigan 149–115
2001 Temple (3) Florida 75–54
2002 Southern Illinois (3) Georgia 77–75
2006 George Mason (3) North Carolina 65–60
2010 Washington (3) New Mexico 82–64
2011 Marquette (3) Syracuse 66–62
VCU (3) Purdue 94–76
2012 NC State (3) Georgetown 66–63
2014 Dayton (3) Syracuse 55–53
2016 Gonzaga (3) Utah 82–59
2017 Xavier (3) Florida State 91–66
2018 Loyola Chicago (3) Tennessee 63–62
Syracuse (3) Michigan State 55–53
2021 Syracuse (3) West Virginia 75–72
2022 Iowa State (3) Wisconsin 54–49
Michigan (3) Tennessee 76–68

10th seed victories

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Twenty-four of the sixty 10 seeds who advanced from the round of 64 (40%) also won in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Five of these victories were against lower seeded teams that had also advanced from the round of 64 due to upsets; thus, these six victories do not count as upsets, and have been grouped here in a table separate from the nineteen upset wins by 10 seeds in the second round. Nineteen of the fifty-five 10 seeds who faced 2 seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (34.55%).

Defeated a lower seed
Year Winner Loser Score
1991 Temple (15) Richmond 77–64
1997 Texas (15) Coppin State 82–81
2001 Georgetown (15) Hampton 76–57
2012 Xavier (15) Lehigh 70–58
2016 Syracuse (15) Middle Tennessee 75–50
Second Round upsets
Year Winner Loser Score
1987 LSU (2) Temple 72–62
1990 Texas (2) Purdue 73–72
1994 Maryland (2) UMass 95–87
1997 Providence (2) Duke 98–87
1998 West Virginia (2) Cincinnati 75–74
1999 Purdue (2) Miami (FL) 73–63
Miami (OH) (2) Utah 66–58
Gonzaga (2) Stanford 82–74
2000 Seton Hall (2) Temple 67–65OT
Gonzaga (2) St. John's 82–76
2002 Kent State (2) Alabama 71–58
2003 Auburn (2) Wake Forest 68–62
2004 Nevada (2) Gonzaga 91–72
2005 NC State (2) Connecticut[c] 65–62
2008 Davidson (2) Georgetown 74–70
2010 St. Mary's (2) Villanova 75–68
2011 Florida State (2) Notre Dame 71–58
2014 Stanford (2) Kansas 60–57
2022 Miami (FL) (2) Auburn 79–61

9th seed victories

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Eight of the eighty-one 9 seeds (9.88%) who advanced from the round of 64 also won in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Two of these victories were against a lower seeded team that had also advanced from the round of 64 due to upset; thus, these second-round victories do not count as upsets, and has been shown here in a table separate from the six upset wins by 9 seeds in the second round. Six of the seventy-nine 9 seeds who have faced a 1 seed advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (7.59%).

Defeated a lower seed
Year Winner Loser Score
2018 Kansas State (16) UMBC 50–43
2023 Florida Atlantic (16) Fairleigh Dickinson 78–70
Second Round upsets
Year Winner Loser Score
1992 UTEP (1) Kansas 66–60
1994 Boston College (1) North Carolina 75–72
2004 UAB (1) Kentucky 76–75
2010 Northern Iowa (1) Kansas 69–67
2013 Wichita State (1) Gonzaga 76–70
2018 Florida State (1) Xavier 75–70

8th seed victories

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Sixteen of the seventy-five 8 seeds (21.33%) who advanced from the round of 64 also achieved an upset victory in the round of 32. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Villanova (1) Michigan 59–55
1986 Auburn (1) St. John's 81–65
1990 North Carolina (1) Oklahoma 79–77
1996 Georgia (1) Purdue 76–69
1998 Rhode Island (1) Kansas 80–75
2000 North Carolina (1) Stanford 60–53
Wisconsin (1) Arizona 66–59
2002 UCLA (1) Cincinnati 105–1012OT
2004 Alabama (1) Stanford 70–67
2011 Butler (1) Pittsburgh 71–70
2014 Kentucky (1) Wichita State 78–76
2015 NC State (1) Villanova 71–68
2017 Wisconsin (1) Villanova 65–62
2021 Loyola Chicago (1) Illinois 71–58
2022 North Carolina (1) Baylor 93–86OT
2023 Arkansas (1) Kansas 72–71

7th seed victories

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Twenty-nine of the ninety-six 7 seeds who advanced from the round of 64 (30.21%) also won in the round of 32.

Two of these 7 seeds (Temple in 1993 and Florida in 2012) advanced to the Sweet Sixteen after playing against 15 seeds that also advanced from the round of 64 due to upsets, while four 7 seeds have lost to 15 seeds, meaning that 7 seeds have a losing record against 15 seeds (2-4). Twenty-seven of the ninety 7 seeds who faced 2 seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (30%). This means that 7 seeds have a lower winning percentage in the round of 32 than 10 seeds do.

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Alabama (2) VCU 63–59
1986 Navy (2) Syracuse 97–85
Iowa State (2) Michigan 72–69
1988 Vanderbilt (2) Pittsburgh 80–74
1990 UCLA (2) Kansas 71–70
Alabama (2) Arizona 77–55
1992 Georgia Tech (2) USC 79–78
1993 Western Kentucky (2) Seton Hall 72–68
2000 Tulsa (2) Cincinnati 69–61
2001 Penn State (2) North Carolina 82–74
2003 Michigan State (2) Florida 68–46
2004 Xavier (2) Mississippi State 89–74
2005 West Virginia (2) Wake Forest 111–1052OT
2006 Georgetown (2) Ohio State 70–52
Wichita State (2) Tennessee 80–73
2007 UNLV (2) Wisconsin 74–68
2008 West Virginia (2) Duke 73–67
2014 UConn (2) Villanova 77–65
2015 Wichita State (2) Kansas 78–65
Michigan State (2) Virgnia 60–54
2016 Wisconsin (2) Xavier 66–63
2017 South Carolina (2) Duke 88–81
Michigan (2) Louisville 73–69
2018 Nevada (2) Cincinnati 75–73
Texas A&M (2) North Carolina 86–65
2021 Oregon (2) Iowa 95–80
2023 Michigan State (2) Marquette 69–60

Sweet Sixteen

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

15 seeds

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One of the four 15 seeds (25%) who advanced from the round of 32 also achieved an upset victory in the Sweet Sixteen, that being Saint Peter’s in 2022. Seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

Year Winner Loser Score
2022 Saint Peter's (3) Purdue 67–64[20]

14 seeds

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Although two 14 seeds made it to the Sweet Sixteen, neither of them won their games in this round. In 1986, Cleveland State lost to 7 seed Navy by only a single point.

13 seeds

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Although six 13 seeds made it to the Sweet Sixteen, none of them won their games in this round. The closest margin of defeat happened in 1998, when Valparaiso lost to 8 seed Rhode Island by 6 points.

12 seeds

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Two of the twenty-two 12 seeds (9.09%) who advanced from the round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Interestingly, with these two victories, a 12 seed has never lost against an 8 seed.[21]

Year Winner Loser Score
2002 Missouri‡ (8) UCLA 82–73
2021 Oregon State‡ (8) Loyola Chicago 65–58

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

11 seeds

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Ten of the twenty-seven 11 seeds (37.04%) who advanced from the round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses, showing that four of these were upset victories (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
1986 LSU (2) Georgia Tech 70–64
1990 Loyola Marymount‡ (7) Alabama 62–60
2001 Temple‡ (7) Penn State 84–72
2006 George Mason‡ (7) Wichita State 63–55
2011 VCU‡ (10) Florida State 72–71OT
2014 Dayton‡ (10) Stanford 82–72
2017 Xavier (2) Arizona 73–71
2018 Loyola Chicago‡ (7) Nevada 69–68
2021 UCLA (2) Alabama 88–78OT
2024 NC State (2) Marquette 67–58

‡ Not officially an upset because the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

10 seeds

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Nine of the twenty-four 10 seeds (37.5%) who advanced from the round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses, showing that four of these were upset victories (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
1987 LSU (3) DePaul 63–58
1990 Texas‡ (6) Xavier 102–89
1991 Temple (3) Oklahoma State 72–63
1997 Providence† (14) Chattanooga 71–65
1999 Gonzaga‡ (6) Florida 73–72
2002 Kent State (3) Pittsburgh 78–73
2008 Davidson (3) Wisconsin 73–56
2016 Syracuse† (11) Gonzaga 63–60
2022 Miami (FL)† (11) Iowa State 70–56

† Not an upset victory, as the 10 seed defeated a lower seed.
‡ Not officially an upset, as the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

9 seeds

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Five of the eight 9 seeds (62.5%) who advanced from the round of 32 also won in the Sweet Sixteen. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses, showing that one of these was an upset victory (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
1994 Boston College‡ (5) Indiana 77–68
2013 Wichita State† (13) La Salle 72–58
2018 Florida State (4) Gonzaga 75–60
Kansas State‡ (5) Kentucky 61–58
2023 Florida Atlantic (4) Tennessee 62–55

† Not an upset victory, as the 9 seed defeated a lower seed.
‡ Not officially an upset, as the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

Elite Eight

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The Elite Eight are the four pairs of teams that meet in the Regional Finals.

15 seeds

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The only 15 seed who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen, Saint Peter's in 2022, was defeated in the Elite Eight by eight-seed North Carolina, 69-49.

12 seeds

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Although two 12 seeds have advanced from the Sweet Sixteen, both were defeated in the Elite Eight: Missouri to second-seeded Oklahoma, 81-75 in 2002, and Oregon State to second-seeded Houston, 67-61 in 2021.

11 seeds

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Six of the ten 11 seeds who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses, showing that five of these were upset victories (separated by more than 4 seed lines). None of those teams would go on to win in the Final Four.

Year Winner Loser Score
1986 LSU (1) Kentucky 59–57
2006 George Mason (1) Connecticut[c] 86–84OT
2011 VCU (1) Kansas 71–61
2018 Loyola Chicago‡ (9) Kansas State 78–62
2021 UCLA (1) Michigan 51–49
2024 NC State (4) Duke 76–64

‡ Not officially an upset, as the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

10 seeds

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One of the nine 10 seeds who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses, showing that this was an upset victory (separated by more than 4 seed lines). The team did not win in the Final Four.

Year Winner Loser Score
2016 Syracuse (1) Virginia 68–62

9 seeds

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Two of the five 9 seeds who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses, showing that these were upset victories (separated by more than 4 seed lines). Neither team won in the Final Four.

Year Winner Loser Score
2013 Wichita State (2) Ohio State 70–66[16]
2023 Florida Atlantic (3) Kansas State 79–76[22]

8 seeds

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Six of the nine 8 seeds who advanced from the Sweet Sixteen also won in the Elite Eight. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses, showing that three of these were upset victories (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Villanova (2) North Carolina 56–44
2000 Wisconsin‡ (6) Purdue 64–60
North Carolina‡ (7) Tulsa 59–55
2011 Butler (2) Florida 74–71OT
2014 Kentucky (2) Michigan 75–72
2022 North Carolina† (15) Saint Peter's 69–49

† Not an upset victory, as the 8 seed defeated a lower seed.
‡ Not officially an upset. as the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

7 seeds

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Three 7 seeds have advanced to the Final Four. Seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses.

Year Winner Loser Score
2014 UConn‡ (4) Michigan State 60–54
2015 Michigan State‡ (4) Louisville 76–70
2017 South Carolina‡ (4) Florida 77–70

‡ Not officially an upset, as the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

6 seeds

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Three 6 seeds have advanced to the Final Four. Seed of the team they defeated are in parentheses, showing that two of these were upset victories (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
1987 Providence (1) Georgetown 88–73
1988 Kansas‡ (4) Kansas State 71–58
1992 Michigan (1) Ohio State 75–71OT

‡ Not officially an upset, as the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

Final Four

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The Final Four are the winners of the four Regional Finals.

9 seeds or lower

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No team seeded 9 or lower has ever won a game in the Final Four. Notable close losses include a four-point loss by (9) Wichita State in 2013 to top-seed and eventual champions Louisville, while two other teams lost on buzzer-beating shots: (11) UCLA to (1) Gonzaga, 93-90 in overtime in 2021; and (9) Florida Atlantic to (5) San Diego State, 71-72 in 2023.

8 seeds

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Four of the six 8 seeds who advanced from the Elite Eight also won in the Final Four. The seeds of the teams they defeated are in parentheses, showing that three were upset victories (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Villanova (2) Memphis State 52–45
2011 Butler† (11) VCU 70–62
2014 Kentucky (2) Wisconsin 74–73
2022 North Carolina (2) Duke 81–77

† Not an upset victory, as the 8 seed defeated a lower seed.

7 seeds

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One of the three 7 seeds who advanced from the Elite Eight also won in the Final Four. Seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses, showing that this was an upset victory (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
2014 UConn (1) Florida 63–53

6 seeds

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Two 6 seeds have advanced to the national championship game. Seeds of the Final Four team they defeated are in parentheses.

Year Winner Loser Score
1988 Kansas‡ (2) Duke 66–59
1992 Michigan‡ (4) Cincinnati 76–72

‡ Not officially an upset, as the teams were separated by fewer than 5 seed lines.

National championship

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8 seeds

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Only one of the four 8 seeds who advanced from the Final Four won the national championship, the lowest seed ever to do so. Seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses, showing that this was an upset victory (separated by more than 4 seed lines).

Year Winner Loser Score
1985 Villanova (1) Georgetown 66–64

7 seeds

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The only 7 seed to advance from the Final Four went on to win the national championship. Seed of the team they defeated is in parentheses.

Year Winner Loser Score
2014 UConn† (8) Kentucky 60–54

† Not an upset victory, as the 7 seed defeated a lower seed.

6 seeds

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One of the two 6 seeds who advanced from the Final Four won the national championship.

Year Winner Loser Score
1988 Kansas (1) Oklahoma 83–79

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Known athletically as Little Rock since 2015–16.
  2. ^ a b Now known athletically as Louisiana.
  3. ^ a b c d e Known athletically as UConn since 2013–14.
  4. ^ a b c Known as Memphis since 1994–95.
  5. ^ Now known athletically as Green Bay.
  6. ^ Although this institution has been known as Detroit Mercy since a 1990 merger, it did not add "Mercy" to its athletic brand name until 2017.
  7. ^ a b Entered the game as the betting favorite in Las Vegas sports books.[14]
  8. ^ Entered the game as pick'em (even money) in Las Vegas sports books.[14]
  9. ^ Entered the game as the betting favorite in Las Vegas sports books.[15]
  10. ^ Known athletically as Charlotte since 2000–01.
  11. ^ Known as Missouri State since 2005–06.

References

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  1. ^ Thamel, Pete (March 22, 2021). "Why this may already be the craziest NCAA men's tournament ever". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  2. ^ Wilco, Daniel (March 17, 2018). "Last perfect bracket busts after UMBC pulls off biggest upset in NCAA tournament history". NCAA.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018. UMBC (The University of Maryland Baltimore County) scored the biggest upset in the history of the NCAA tournament, beating top overall seed Virginia 74–54 Friday night, and becoming the first 16 seed to win a game in 136 tries.
  3. ^ Camargo, Alberto (March 17, 2023). "16-seed FDU shocks 1-seed Purdue in first round of March Madness". NCAA.com. NCAA. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023. Five years and one day since UMBC became the first 16-seed to beat a 1-seed, FDU pulled off the unthinkable yet again, knocking off 1-seed Purdue in a 63-58 shock upset on Friday. 16-seeds are now 2-150 all-time since the men's tournament expanded to 64 teams.
  4. ^ "NCAA Final Four Tournament Seeds". Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  5. ^ "UCLAs win over Michigan". 13 August 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  6. ^ Trotter, Jake (March 17, 2023). "16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson, a 23.5-point underdog, shocks No. 1 Purdue". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Kraemer, Mackenzie; Nelson, Rob (March 16, 2018). "Biggest NCAA tournament upsets of the 64-team era". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  8. ^ "Summary: UMBC vs. Virginia". ESPN.com. March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  9. ^ "NCAA tourney upsets match first-round record". ESPN.com. March 19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 13, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  10. ^ Wilco, Daniel (March 17, 2018). "Last perfect bracket busts after UMBC pulls off biggest upset in NCAA tournament history". NCAA.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  11. ^ Camargo, Alberto (March 17, 2023). "No. 16 FDU shocks No. 1 Purdue in first round of March Madness". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  12. ^ Boone, Kyle (March 17, 2022). "March Madness 2022: Saint Peter's stuns Kentucky, No. 15 upsets No. 2 for 10th time in NCAA Tournament history". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  13. ^ Goodall, Fred (March 16, 2023). "No. 13 seed Furman hands UVA its latest early March exit". Associated Press News. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Lipscomb, Keith (March 17, 2019). "March Madness bracket facts for 2019 NCAA tournament". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  15. ^ Bromberg, Nick (March 17, 2022). "NCAA tournament: No. 11 Michigan rides big second half to win over No. 6 Colorado State". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "2013 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records". NCAA.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  17. ^ "We're tracking upsets in the 2021 NCAA tournament". NCAA.com. March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  18. ^ "Saint Peter's Makes History as First MAAC Men's Basketball Program to Reach March Madness Sweet Sixteen". MAACSports.com. March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  19. ^ Bonagura, Kyle (March 18, 2023). "Princeton takes out Missouri, latest 15-seed to make Sweet 16". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  20. ^ McDaniel, Mike (25 March 2022). "No. 15 Saint Peter's Continues Cinderella Run, Upsets No. 3 Purdue to Advance to Elite Eight". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  21. ^ "Mcubed.net : Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament : : Records by Seed". Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  22. ^ Russo, Ralph D. (March 25, 2023). "FAU holds off Nowell and K-State to reach 1st Final Four". The Associated Press. Retrieved March 26, 2023.

See also

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