To anyone stumbling across this page, this is an overhaul of NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament upsets that I'm working on. Feel free to chip in if you want, but if you have any ideas for which games should be included/excluded that are potentially controversial, I'd like to talk it out on a talk page somewhere (the one for this page should work). I'm not going to focus on prose until after I finish the tables, but if anyone wants to take that on, be my guest. My main goal right now is to get the tables done and well-sourced – anything defined as an "upset" by the NCAA will be included, at the bare minimum.
My current plan is to include every seed mentioned in a previous section, starting with 16–11 winning in the round of 64, then adding 10–7 winning in the round of 32, and 6 seeds winning in the elite 8. I don't think it's possible to pull an official NCAA upset before those parameters, and 5 seeds and above can never pull off an official NCAA upset. The name will have to be changed, because this list will include teams seeded above others winning (e.g. an 11 over a 14), but it's probably better to do that than to wipe all trace of any "unofficial" upsets by teams after they've already pulled one to get there, at least in my view.
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament upsets (and advancements by lower-seeded teams?)
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Round of 32 upsets and advancements by lowly seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1986
Cleveland State
(6) Saint Joseph's
75–69
1997
Chattanooga
(6) Illinois
75–63
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1988
Richmond
(5) Georgia Tech
59–55
1999
Oklahoma
(5) UNC Charlotte[ j]
85–72
2006
Bradley
(5) Pittsburgh
72–66
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1998
Valparaiso
(12) Florida State
83–77OT
2012
Ohio
(12) South Florida
62–56
2013
La Salle
(12) Ole Miss
76–74[ 3]
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[ 3]
2021
Oregon State
(4) Oklahoma State
80–70[ 5]
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
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[ 5]
2022
Iowa State
(3) Wisconsin
54–49[ 34]
Michigan
(3) Tennessee
76–68[ 35]
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[ 36]
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1979
St. John's
(2) Duke
80–78[ 12]
1983
Utah
(2) UCLA
67–61[ 12]
1984
Dayton
(2) Oklahoma
89–85[ 12]
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[ 37]
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
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2018
Kansas State
(16) UMBC
50–43
2023
Florida Atlantic
(16) Fairleigh Dickinson
78–70[ 40]
Non-upsets (INCOMPLETE)
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2012
Kentucky
(8) Iowa State
87–71
Syracuse
(8) Kansas State
75–59
North Carolina
(8) Creighton
87–73
2013
Louisville
(8) Colorado State
82–56
Kansas
(8) North Carolina
70–58
2014
Virginia
(8) Memphis
78–60
Arizona
(8) Gonzaga
84–61
2015
Kentucky
(8) Cincinnati
64–51
Wisconsin
(8) Oregon
72–65
Duke
(8) San Diego State
68–49
2016
Oregon
(8) Saint Joseph's
69–64
2017
Gonzaga
(8) Northwestern
79–73
North Carolina
(8) Arkansas
72–65
2018
Kansas
(8) Seton Hall
83–79
2021
Gonzaga
(8) Oklahoma
87–71
Michigan
(8) LSU
86–78
2023
Alabama
(8) Maryland
73–51
† Later vacated by the NCAA
INCOMPLETE
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2014
Wisconsin
(7) Oregon
85–77
Michigan
(7) Texas
79–65
2015
Gonzaga
(7) Iowa
87–68
Sweet Sixteen upsets and advancements by lowly seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2022
Saint Peter's
(3) Purdue
67–64[ 48]
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
edit
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
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
2018
Loyola Chicago
(7) Nevada
69–68
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1979
St. John's
(6) Rutgers
67–65[ 50]
1984
Dayton
(6) Washington
64–58[ 51]
1990
Texas
(6) Xavier
102–89
1999
Gonzaga
(6) Florida
73–72
Wins over lower seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1997
Providence
(14) Chattanooga
71–65
2016
Syracuse
(11) Gonzaga
63–60
2022
Miami (FL)
(11) Iowa State
70–56[ 52]
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Wins over lower seeded teams
edit
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2013
Wichita State
(13) La Salle
72–58[ 3]
With how the bracket is set up, it is impossible for an 8 seed to face any seed higher than a 4 in the Sweet Sixteen, thus making an official upset in this round impossible.
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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† Later vacated by the NCAA
Wins over lower seeded teams
edit
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1998
Rhode Island
(13) Valparaiso
74–68
With how the bracket is set up, it is impossible for a 7 seed to face any seed higher than a 3 in the Sweet Sixteen, thus making an official upset in this round impossible.
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1984
Virginia
(3) Syracuse
63–55[ 57]
Wins over lower seeded teams
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Elite Eight upsets and advancements by lowly seeded teams
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Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2018
Loyola Chicago
(9) Kansas State
78–62
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2016
Syracuse
(1) Virginia
68–62
Wins over lower seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1979
Penn
(10) St. John's
64–62[ 38]
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1980
UCLA†
(6) Clemson
85–74[ 41]
2000
Wisconsin
(6) Purdue
64–60
North Carolina
(7) Tulsa
59–55
† Later vacated by the NCAA
Wins over lower seeded teams
edit
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Wins over lower seeded teams
edit
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1982
Houston
(8) Boston College
99–92[ 62]
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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Final Four upsets and advancements by lowly seeded teams
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Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
edit
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
1980
UCLA†
(6) Purdue
67–62[ 41]
† Later vacated by the NCAA
Wins over lower seeded teams
edit
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2011
Butler
(11) VCU
70–62
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2014
UConn
(1) Florida
63–53
The 1980 Purdue Boilermakers lost in the Final Four, but defeated 5 seed Iowa in the third-place game.[ 63]
Non-upset wins over higher seeded teams
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National Championship Game upsets and victories by lowly seeded teams
edit
Wins over lower seeded teams
edit
Year
Winner
Loser
Score
2014
UConn
(8) Kentucky
60–54
^ 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 .
^ 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 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "2013 NCAA tournament: Bracket, scores, stats, records" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 7, 2023 .
^ Mike Rutherford (March 18, 2016). "Middle Tennessee State's win over Michigan State is the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history" . SBNation . Vox Media. Retrieved March 28, 2016 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "We're tracking upsets in the 2021 NCAA tournament" . NCAA.com . March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022 .
^ Bushnell, Henry (March 17, 2022). "Kentucky stunned by No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, a new March Madness low for John Calipari" . Yahoo! Sports . Retrieved March 17, 2022 .
^ Bonagura, Kyle (March 16, 2023). "No. 15 Princeton shocks No. 2 Arizona in NCAA tournament" . ESPN.com . Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023 .
^ Gabriel Baumgaertner (March 18, 2016). "Stephen F. Austin rides stingy defense to upset of West Virginia" . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved April 4, 2016 .
^ a b Mike Rutherford (March 19, 2016). "NCAA Tournament 2016: The best and worst from the wildest day in March Madness history" . SB Nation . Vox Media . Retrieved March 28, 2016 .
^ "UC Irvine vs Kansas State - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 5, 2023 .
^ Goodall, Fred (March 16, 2023). "No. 13 seed Furman hands UVA its latest early March exit" . Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Records Book (PDF) . National Collegiate Athletic Association . 2023. pp. 108–111. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 7, 2023.
^ 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 .
^ "UALR vs Purdue - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Yale vs Baylor - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Murray State vs Marquette - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 5, 2023 .
^ "Oregon vs Wisconsin - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 5, 2023 .
^ "Liberty vs Mississippi State - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 5, 2023 .
^ "Richmond vs Iowa - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "New Mexico State vs UConn - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ a b "2020-21 Northeastern Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF) . Northeastern University Athletics . p. 70. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 29, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023 .
^ "Middle Tennessee vs. Kentucky Box Score (Men), March 11, 1982" . College Basketball Reference . Retrieved June 4, 2023 .
^ "Gonzaga vs Seton Hall - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Wichita State vs Arizona - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Ohio State vs Iowa State - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ "UCLA vs BYU - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ 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 .
^ "Michigan vs Colorado State - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Notre Dame vs Alabama - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Iowa State vs LSU - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Pittsburgh vs Iowa State - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 2, 2023 .
^ "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 .
^ 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 .
^ "Iowa State vs Wisconsin - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ "Michigan vs Tennessee - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ Bolch, Ben (March 22, 2021). "March Madness: UCLA cruises past Abilene Christian and into the Sweet 16" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved March 23, 2021 .
^ "Miami (FL) vs Auburn - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ a b c Geoghegan, Neal (March 19, 2015). "Penn an unlikely party-crasher at 1979 Final Four" . Daily Times . Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019 .
^ a b c "March Madness defining moment?" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . March 9, 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018 .
^ "FAU vs FDU - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ a b c d "Season by Season Records" (PDF) . UCLA Athletics.
^ "EAGLES UPSET DE PAUL" . New York Times . March 15, 1982. Retrieved December 21, 2019 .
^ "North Carolina vs Baylor - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ Bromberg, Nick (March 18, 2023). "March Madness Saturday recap: Kansas is the 6th straight men's defending champ to exit early" . Yahoo Sports . Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023 .
^ "2022–23 Kansas Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF) . Kansas Jayhawks . p. 161.
^ "Wisconsin vs Xavier - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ "Michigan State vs Marquette - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 4, 2023 .
^ McDaniel, Mike. "No. 15 Saint Peter's Continues Cinderella Run, Upsets No. 3 Purdue to Advance to Elite Eight" . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved April 1, 2022 .
^ "March Madness: UCLA beats Alabama in overtime to advance to Elite Eight" . Los Angeles Times . March 28, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021 .
^ "1978–79 Men's Basketball Schedule" . St. John's University Athletics . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ Katz, Marc (March 24, 1984). "Non-favored Flyers keep on winning" . Dayton Daily News . p. 1. Retrieved June 8, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Iowa State vs Miami (FL) - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ "FAU vs Tennessee - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ "1980-81 K-State Schedule" . K-State Basketball . K-State Athletics. Retrieved July 12, 2021 .
^ "Kansas State vs. Boston College Box Score (Men), March 19, 1982" . College Basketball Reference . Retrieved June 4, 2023 .
^ "North Carolina vs UCLA - DI Men's Basketball" . NCAA.com . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ "Virginia vs. Syracuse Box Score (Men), March 22, 1984" . College Basketball Reference . Retrieved June 8, 2023 .
^ "UCLA Bruins outlast Michigan Wolverines to reach Final Four of NCAA men's tournament" . ESPN . March 30, 2021.
^ 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 .
^ "North Carolina cruises to men's basketball Final Four, concludes storybook season for Saint Peter's" . ESPN.com . March 27, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022 .
^ White Jr., Gordon S. (March 25, 1984). "Virginia, in Upset, and Kentucky Go to Final Four" . The New York Times . Retrieved June 8, 2023 .
^ "NORTH CAROLINA, HOUSTON REACH NCAA SEMIFINALS" . New York Times . March 22, 1982. Retrieved December 21, 2019 .
^ a b "1979–80 Purdue Boilermakers Schedule and Results" . College Basketball Reference . Retrieved April 6, 2023 .
^ "Duke vs. North Carolina rivalry | Wins, highlights, memorable moments | NCAA.com" . www.ncaa.com . Retrieved August 3, 2022 .
^ White Jr., Gordon S. (April 3, 1983). "Houston, North Carolina State Win and Gain N.C.A.A. Final" . New York Times . Retrieved May 19, 2019 .
^ Known athletically as Little Rock since 2015–16.
^ a b Now known athletically as Louisiana.
^ a b c d e Known athletically as UConn since 2013–14.
^ a b c d Known as Memphis since 1994–95.
^ Now known athletically as Green Bay.
^ 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.
^ a b Entered the game as the betting favorite in Las Vegas sports books.[ 13]
^ Entered the game as pick'em (even money) in Las Vegas sports books.[ 13]
^ Entered the game as the betting favorite in Las Vegas sports books.[ 27]
^ Cite error: The named reference Charlotte
was invoked but never defined (see the help page ).
^ Known as Missouri State since 2005–06.