Biggest First Round Upsets in NCAA Tournament History

Feb 21

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The 15-Seed Richmond Spiders Upset the 2-Seed Syracuse Orange in the 1991 NCAA Tournament

The 15-Seed Richmond Spiders Upset the 2-Seed Syracuse Orange in the 1991 NCAA Tournament (realclearsports.com)

It’s coming.  March Madness.  Just a little more than two weeks before Selection Sunday on March 11th.  Get studying!

Here’s the tournament schedule.

And here are the biggest first round upsets in NCAA Tournament history.  Every

15-seed over 2-seed (four times),

14-seed over 3-seed (16 times),

13-seed over 4-seed (22 times) and

12-seed over 5-seed (38 times).

No 16-seed has ever beaten a 1-seed.

Update from the 2012 NCAA Tournament: With the two 15-seed victories on Friday [Norfolk State over Missouri 86-84 and Lehigh over Duke 75-70], a 15 seed has now beaten a 2 seed six times. 13-seeded Ohio vanquished Michigan, the 4 seed, 65-60. So that has occurred 23 times. And two 12 seeds won: VCU took Wichita State 62-59 and South Florida sent Temple home 58-44.  That’s now happened 40 times.

Thanks to sports-reference.com!

And Thank You for visiting!  Check out the Sports List of the Day archives at the bottom of this page:  Over 300 posts, by date or sport…

…or click on any topic to your right —>

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15-SEED OVER 2-SEED
1.
2001
March 15, 2001
West
15 Hampton
58
2 Iowa State
57
2.
1997
March 14, 1997
East
15 Coppin State
78
2 South Carolina
65
3.
1993
March 18, 1993
West
15 Santa Clara
64
2 Arizona
61
4.
1991
March 14, 1991
East
15 Richmond
73
2 Syracuse
69
14-SEED OVER 3-SEED
1.
2010
March 18, 2010
Midwest
14 Ohio
97
3 Georgetown
83
2.
2006
March 17, 2006
Atlanta
14 Northwestern State
64
3 Iowa
63
3.
2005
March 18, 2005
Syracuse
14 Bucknell
64
3 Kansas
63
4.
1999
March 11, 1999
West
14 Weber State
76
3 North Carolina
74
5.
1998
March 12, 1998
East
14 Richmond
62
3 South Carolina
61
6.
1997
March 14, 1997
Southeast
14 Chattanooga
73
3 Georgia
70
7.
1995
March 17, 1995
Southeast
14 Weber State
79
3 Michigan State
72
8.
1995
March 17, 1995
East
14 Old Dominion
89
3 Villanova
81
3OT
9.
1992
March 20, 1992
Southeast
14 East Tennessee State
87
3 Arizona
80
10.
1991
March 14, 1991
Midwest
14 Xavier
89
3 Nebraska
84
11.
1990
March 16, 1990
Southeast
14 Northern Iowa
74
3 Missouri
71
12.
1989
March 16, 1989
East
14 Siena
80
3 Stanford
78
13.
1988
March 18, 1988
Midwest
14 Murray State
78
3 North Carolina State
75
14.
1987
March 12, 1987
Southeast
14 Austin Peay
68
3 Illinois
67
15.
1986
March 14, 1986
East
14 Cleveland State
83
3 Indiana
79
16.
1986
March 14, 1986
Midwest
14 Arkansas-Little Rock
90
3 Notre Dame
83
13-SEED OVER 4-SEED
1.
2010
March 18, 2010
West
13 Murray State
66
4 Vanderbilt
65
2.
2009
March 20, 2009
Midwest
13 Cleveland State
84
4 Wake Forest
69
3.
2008
March 21, 2008
Midwest
13 Siena
83
4 Vanderbilt
62
4.
2008
March 21, 2008
West
13 San Diego
70
4 Connecticut
69
OT
5.
2006
March 17, 2006
Oakland
13 Bradley
77
4 Kansas
73
6.
2005
March 18, 2005
Austin
13 Vermont
60
4 Syracuse
57
OT
7.
2003
March 20, 2003
Midwest
13 Tulsa
84
4 Dayton
71
8.
2002
March 14, 2002
South
13 North Carolina-Wilmington
93
4 Southern California
89
OT
9.
2001
March 16, 2001
South
13 Indiana State
70
4 Oklahoma
68
OT
10.
2001
March 15, 2001
West
13 Kent State
77
4 Indiana
73
11.
1999
March 12, 1999
Midwest
13 Oklahoma
61
4 Arizona
60
12.
1998
March 13, 1998
Midwest
13 Valparaiso
70
4 Mississippi
69
13.
1996
March 14, 1996
Southeast
13 Princeton
43
4 UCLA
41
14.
1995
March 16, 1995
Southeast
13 Manhattan
77
4 Oklahoma
67
15.
1993
March 19, 1993
West
13 Southern
93
4 Georgia Tech
78
16.
1992
March 20, 1992
West
13 Louisiana-Lafayette
87
4 Oklahoma
83
17.
1991
March 15, 1991
East
13 Penn State
74
4 UCLA
69
18.
1989
March 16, 1989
Southeast
13 Middle Tennessee
97
4 Florida State
83
19.
1988
March 18, 1988
East
13 Richmond
72
4 Indiana
69
20.
1987
March 13, 1987
Southeast
13 Missouri State
65
4 Clemson
60
21.
1987
March 12, 1987
Midwest
13 Xavier
70
4 Missouri
69
22.
1985
March 15, 1985
Southeast
13 Navy
78
4 Louisiana State
55
12-SEED OVER 5-SEED
1.
2010
March 19, 2010
East
12 Cornell
78
5 Temple
65
2.
2009
March 20, 2009
East
12 Wisconsin
61
5 Florida State
59
OT
3.
2009
March 20, 2009
Midwest
12 Arizona
84
5 Utah
71
4.
2009
March 19, 2009
South
12 Western Kentucky
76
5 Illinois
72
5.
2008
March 21, 2008
West
12 Western Kentucky
101
5 Drake
99
OT
6.
2008
March 21, 2008
Midwest
12 Villanova
75
5 Clemson
69
7.
2006
March 17, 2006
Atlanta
12 Texas A&M
66
5 Syracuse
58
8.
2006
March 17, 2006
Minneapolis
12 Montana
87
5 Nevada
79
9.
2005
March 17, 2005
Chicago
12 Milwaukee
83
5 Alabama
73
10.
2004
March 19, 2004
St. Louis
12 Pacific
66
5 Providence
58
11.
2004
March 18, 2004
East Rutherford
12 Manhattan
75
5 Florida
60
12.
2003
March 21, 2003
East
12 Butler
47
5 Mississippi State
46
13.
2002
March 15, 2002
Midwest
12 Creighton
83
5 Florida
82
OT
14.
2002
March 14, 2002
East
12 Tulsa
71
5 Marquette
69
15.
2002
March 14, 2002
West
12 Missouri
93
5 Miami (FL)
80
16.
2001
March 16, 2001
South
12 Gonzaga
86
5 Virginia
85
17.
2001
March 15, 2001
East
12 Utah State
77
5 Ohio State
68
OT
18.
1999
March 12, 1999
East
12 Missouri State
43
5 Wisconsin
32
19.
1999
March 11, 1999
South
12 Detroit Mercy
56
5 UCLA
53
20.
1998
March 13, 1998
Midwest
12 Florida State
96
5 Texas Christian
87
21.
1997
March 13, 1997
Southeast
12 College of Charleston
75
5 Maryland
66
22.
1996
March 14, 1996
West
12 Drexel
75
5 Memphis
63
23.
1996
March 14, 1996
East
12 Arkansas
86
5 Penn State
80
24.
1995
March 16, 1995
Midwest
12 Miami (OH)
71
5 Arizona
62
25.
1994
March 18, 1994
Midwest
12 Tulsa
112
5 UCLA
102
26.
1994
March 17, 1994
West
12 Green Bay
61
5 California
57
27.
1993
March 19, 1993
West
12 George Washington
82
5 New Mexico
68
28.
1992
March 20, 1992
West
12 New Mexico State
81
5 DePaul
73
29.
1991
March 15, 1991
East
12 Eastern Michigan
76
5 Mississippi State
56
30.
1990
March 15, 1990
West
12 Ball State
54
5 Oregon State
53
31.
1990
March 15, 1990
Midwest
12 Dayton
88
5 Illinois
86
32.
1989
March 16, 1989
West
12 DePaul
66
5 Memphis
63
33.
1987
March 12, 1987
West
12 Wyoming
64
5 Virginia
60
34.
1986
March 13, 1986
East
12 DePaul
72
5 Virginia
68
35.
1985
March 14, 1985
West
12 Kentucky
66
5 Washington
58
36.
1984
March 15, 1984
East
12 Richmond
72
5 Auburn
71
37.
1983
March 18, 1983
West
12 Princeton
56
5 Oklahoma State
53
38.
1980
March 6, 1980
Mideast
12 Pennsylvania
62
5 Washington State
55
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Posted on February 21, 2012, in NCAA Basketball and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.

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