Ranking the 10 Biggest March Madness Upsets of All Time
The ultimate prize in the NCAA tournament is winning a national championship, but a single victory can make for a legendary result, too.
Throughout the history of March Madness, some upsets have earned an unforgettable place in history. Most recently, we've watched two No. 16 seeds pull off the unthinkable and derail a No. 1 team.
But that's simply the start—and we're not limited to first-round games.
During the 1980s, two underdogs sprung a shocker in the title matchup. After an unprecedented upset in the 1990s, a double-digit seed out of a low-major conference rolled all the way to the Final Four.
While the choices and order are both subjective, factors considered were seeding, point spreads and perceived talent difference, among others.
10. Saint Peter's over Kentucky (2022)
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Kentucky has been the subject of a couple big upsets recently, also falling to Oakland in the opening round in 2024.
Two years earlier, though, John Calipari's team arrived at the Big Dance with the third-best championship odds as a No. 2 seed. Star center Oscar Tshiebwe would soon be crowned the National Player of the Year, too.
Nobody bothered to tell Saint Peter's, apparently.
Daryl Banks III poured in 27 points, and mustachioed man Doug Edert dropped 20 with a clutch shot to force overtime. Kentucky went cold in the extra session, and Saint Peter's earned a shocking 85-79 win.
Best of all for the Peacocks, they ended up advancing to the Elite Eight—the deepest run for a No. 15 seed in March Madness history.
9. Coppin State over South Carolina (1997)
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Given that Coppin State had just secured its seventh MEAC regular-season title in an eight-year stretch, the Eagles didn't come out of nowhere.
But these upsets didn't happen.
Until this moment in 1997, the MEAC never saw a conference team win a game in the Big Dance. That changed when 15th-seeded Coppin State derailed SEC regular-season champion and No. 2 seed South Carolina 78-65.
Coppin State became only the third 15-seed to win a first-round matchup, joining Richmond (1991) and Santa Clara (1993).
8. Norfolk State over Missouri (2012)
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To date, there are 11 upsets featuring a 15-seed in the first round. Only during the 2012 tournament have a pair of 15s provided a stunner.
Lehigh, led by future NBA standout CJ McCollum, took out Duke and certainly landed consideration for this ranking. Duke was a 12.5-point favorite, though, so it was a more modest line in comparison.
Missouri held a 21-point betting edge on Norfolk State.
Whoops.
Future NBA forward Kyle O'Quinn turned into a menace that day, racking up 26 points and 14 rebounds. Chris McEachin and Pendarvis Williams both added 20 points for Norfolk State, which overcame zero bench points to clip Mizzou 86-84.
7. Richmond over Syracuse (1991)
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All hail Richmond, the upset kings.
Even before the 1991 tournament, the program had logged upset victories as a double-digit seed in 1984 and 1988. You might be familiar with the Spiders' more recent work in 2011 or 2022, as well.
The brightest moment in Richmond history, nevertheless, is this 1991 triumph over Jim Boeheim's second-seeded Syracuse.
For the first time in NCAA history (during the 64-team era), a No. 15 seed advanced to the second round. Curtis Blair and Terry Connolly keyed a balanced effort with at least 14 points and five assists apiece in Richmond's 73-69 win.
6. George Mason over Connecticut (2006)
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Top-seeded Connecticut had an opportunity to end this Cinderella story, but it wasn't yet midnight for George Mason.
Head coach Jim Larranaga, who later led Miami to its first-ever Final Four appearance, oversaw this iconic run as a No. 11 seed. The team knocked off Michigan State and North Carolina—both Final Four qualifiers one year earlier—to reach the Sweet 16, where the Patriots took out Wichita State.
Connecticut held a nine-point lead in the second half, but GMU wouldn't go away. The game ultimately went to overtime, and UConn guard Denham Brown's last-second shot clanged off the rim to seal the 86-84 result.
George Mason became the first double-digit seed from outside a high-major conference to make the Final Four.
5. Middle Tennessee over Michigan State (2016)
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Despite being a No. 2 seed, Michigan State entered the 2016 tournament as nearly the co-favorite to win a national title.
The dream died immediately.
Fresh off a Big Ten tournament crown, the Spartans fell to Middle Tennessee 90-81. They simply could not slow the Blue Raiders, whose starters all scored double-digit points while shooting a combined 11-of-19 from the perimeter.
The loss snapped a 12-time streak of MSU, when holding a top-five seed in Tom Izzo's tenure, advancing at least to the Sweet 16.
4. NC State over Houston (1983)
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The balance to remember is that North Carolina State wasn't exactly an unsuspecting team. After winning the ACC tournament, the sixth-seeded Wolfpack beat national top-10 teams UNLV and Virginia as part of their Cinderella run.
Still, the final obstacle was a star-studded Houston roster with future NBA standouts Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
NC State spoiled the party for the country's No. 1 team.
Thanks to Lorenzo Charles' iconic last-second dunk, the Wolfpack won 54-52. The late Jim Valvano, NC State's head coach, is remembered for running around the court, spinning and looking for a celebration to join.
3. Villanova over Georgetown (1985)
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The season in which the tournament first expanded to 64 teams, March Madness provided what remains a record championship.
Villanova, an 8-seed, won it all.
On the path to a national title, the Wildcats were a prime example of the "survive and advance" mantra. They clipped Dayton, top-seeded Michigan and Maryland by four points or less to reach the Elite Eight, then upended highly ranked North Carolina and Memphis to earn a shot at a crown.
Georgetown, which won both regular-season meetings and boasted future No. 1 overall draft pick Patrick Ewing, awaited in the championship.
Villanova took full advantage of there not being a shot clock, playing a slow-paced game and finishing a remarkable 22-of-28 from the field with a 22-of-27 mark at the free-throw line, too.
It took every bit of Nova's brilliant efficiency to clip Georgetown 66-64.
2. Fairleigh Dickinson over Purdue (2023)
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From a point-spread perspective, Fairleigh Dickinson owns the biggest upset. Purdue entered this contest as a 23.5-point favorite.
Put simply, the Knights are second on this list simply because they weren't the first team to pull off the unthinkable as a No. 16 seed.
Yet that doesn't diminish this accomplishment in the slighest.
Matched up with 7'4" Zach Edey—the National Player of the Year—and top-seeded Purdue, the undersized FDU roster scrapped to a 63-58 triumph. Purdue couldn't buy a three and committed 16 turnovers to FDU's eight.
The wildest part is Fairleigh Dickinson made the Big Dance on a technicality. Merrimack won the NEC tourney but wasn't eligible for the postseason because of the four-year Division 1 transition rule.
Truly an unforgettable game.
1. UMBC over Virginia (2018)
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First, UMBC broke the seal.
That alone is reason for placing the Retrievers atop the list. They stunned the college basketball world in 2018, becoming the first-ever No. 16 seed to eliminate a top-seeded opponent.
The second part, however, is UMBC straight-up dominated Virginia.
At the break, the teams were deadlocked at 21 apiece. UMBC went on a quick run to pull ahead, but surely Virginia would come back. The advantage grew to double digits, but UVA still had time. But slowly, steadily, the lead continued rising and the clock kept on ticking.
Soon enough, it was a blowout. Jairus Lyles poured in 28 points for the Retrievers, who connected on a sizzling 12-of-24 attempts from the perimeter.
The buzzer sounded with an emphatic, history-making 74-54 rout and locked in UMBC's place in March Madness lore.
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