NEWSLETTER
Who doesn’t love a huge upset in college basketball’s biggest tournament? We’ve seen some incredible upsets over the years during March Madness but has a number 16 seed ever won in the First Round over a top seed? Here’s the history of no. 16 seeds defeating no. 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament history.
How Many 16 Seeds Have Upset a 1 Seed in March Madness?
There have been just two upsets of a number one seed in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament since the field expanded to 64 back in 1985. UMBC took down Virginia in 2018 and Fairleigh Dickinson beat Purdue in 2023.
2018: (16) UMBC Beats (1) Virginia 75-54
After sitting with a 21-21 tie at the half, UMBC dominated the second half to beat Virginia and become the first no. 16 seed to ever beat a no. 1 seed. The Retrievers shot 50% from three and Jairus Lyles scored 28 points in the 75-54 win. Virginia shot 4-22 from three-point range in the loss.
Read More: Potential upsets this year
2023: (16) Fairleigh Dickinson Beats (1) Purdue 63-58
Fairleigh Dickinson led 32-21 at the half and were able to pull out a 63-58 upset win over top-seeded Purdue. Sean Moore led the Knights with 19 points while Zach Edey had 21 points and 15 rebounds in the loss for Purdue. Both teams shot under 40% in the game. Purdue was 5-26 from downtown in the upset.
How Many No. 2 Seeds Upset No. 15 Seeds in History?
There have been 11 upsets by no. 15 seeds over no. 2 seeds in the history of the NCAA Tournament. The most recent was last year when Princeton beat Arizona. Back in 2012, two no. 15 seeds won in the first round as Lehigh beat Duke and Norfolk State beat Missouri. Check out the 15 seed wins in NCAA history.
| Year | No. 15 vs No. 2 Game | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Richmond def. Syracuse | 73-69 |
| 1993 | Santa Clara def. Arizona | 64-61 |
| 1997 | Coppin State def. South Carolina | 78-65 |
| 2001 | Hampton def. Iowa State | 58-57 |
| 2012 | Lehigh def. Duke | 75-70 |
| 2012 | Norfolk State def. Missouri | 86-84 |
| 2013 | Florida Gulf Coast def. Georgetown | 78-68 |
| 2016 | Middle Tennessee def. Michigan State | 90-81 |
| 2021 | Oral Roberts def. Ohio State | 75-72 |
| 2022 | Saint Peter’s def. Kentucky | 85-79 |
| 2023 | Princeton def. Arizona | 59-55 |
Read More: Will any 14 seeds win in the First Round?
2024 March Madness No. 1 vs No. 16 Matchups
Thursday, March 21
Friday, March 22
