There’s no such thing as an easy game during the NCAA Tournament. By now, all elite programs and veteran coaches have seen enough upsets every year in March Madness to be on high alert every time out, no matter the matchup or seeding.
An increase in high-end upsets over the last decade and change across the brackets shows mid-majors are big game-hunting in the first round, and when there’s blood in the water, that’s when underdogs can strike.
Sifting through some of the most memorable upsets of all time during the NCAA Tournament, many have come during the first round with red-hot, experience-fueled teams gunning for the favorites.
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10. Middle Tennessee over Michigan State (2016)
Tom Izzo stomped his foot in the second half as Middle Tennessee continued to drain shot after shot from long range. The second-seeded Spartans were gutted by 11 Blue Raider 3-pointers as all five MTSU starters scored in double figures. It was an unforgettable outing for a Spartan lineup heavy with seniors and snapped Michigan State’s nine-game winning streak entering March Madness.
9. George Mason over UConn (2006)
This George Mason team was special. The program had never won an NCAA Tournament game prior to this magical run in 2006 under Jim Larranaga and his veteran-led lineup. As the 11-seed, the Colonials took out No. 6 Michigan State, No. 3 North Carolina, and No. 7 Wichita State before stunning top-seeded Jim Calhoun and UConn in the regional final during a heavyweight fight. After the first 25 years of his coaching career were spent leading a mid-major, Larranaga finally got his shot at a Power program at Miami and made a Final Four in 2023 prior to his retirement two years later.
8. Mercer over Duke (2014)
Mercer’s post-game viral danceathon after beating the Blue Devils in 2014 was short-lived after a 20-point loss to Tennessee in the following round, but the Bears’ magic against Duke remains an all-time upset. For the most part during his storied career, former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was upset-proof in March, but 14th-seeded Mercer had other plans behind five players in double figures, including Jakob Gollon’s 20 points.
7. Norfolk State over Missouri (2012)
This is the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history, according to the point spread. The Tigers were a 21.5-point favorite against 15th-seeded Norfolk State before falling in the final minute to the Spartans. Kyle O’Quinn’s majestic 26-point, 14-rebound explosion was enough to lift Norfolk State, who survived, 86-84, after Missouri guard Phil Pressey’s potential game-winning 3-pointer bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
6. Saint Peter’s over Kentucky (2022)
This one still must irk John Calipari, who lost in overtime to a 15-seed in the opening round despite SEC Player of the Year Oscar Tschiebwe’s 30 points and 16 rebounds. Saint Peter’s coach Shaheen Holloway executed a brilliant game plan against the considerably more talented Wildcats in Indianapolis and rode that momentum to several more NCAA Tournament wins before a loss in the Elite Eight. Holloway left Saint Peter’s for the Seton Hall opening after March Madness, but hasn’t gotten back to the NCAA Tournament during his first four seasons with the Pirates.
5. Florida Gulf Coast over Georgetown (2013)
Everyone remembers “Dunk City” and FGCU’s impressive above-the-rim play during the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The Atlantic-10 champions that season, FGCU obliterated the second-seeded Hoyas as a 15-seed with 54 first-half points during a double-digit victory and handled San Diego State in the next round to reach the Sweet Sixteen. Like many mid-major success stories, Andy Enfield parlayed that success into the head job at USC, where he coached for 11 seasons before going to SMU in 2024.
4. Villanova over Georgetown (1985)
Patrick Ewing and the defending national champion Hoyas were supposed to capture another title before 8-seed Villanova and its blistering hot-shooting were triumphant in the final. Villanova recorded one of the most impressive runs in NCAA Tournament history under coach Ronnie Massimino, taking out top-seeded Michigan, No. 5 Maryland, No. 2 North Carolina and No. 2 Memphis before shocking Ewing and the Hoyas in the finale.
3. NC State over Houston (1983)
Jim Valvano’s leaping celebration after Lorenzo Charles dunked Dereck Whittenburg’s air ball in the final seconds to stun top-ranked Houston is one of the NCAA Tournament’s most iconic sequences, certainly No. 1 in Wolfpack basketball lore. The Cougars’ “Phi Slamma Jamma” offense featured Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon in their starting lineup and was the heavy favorite to win the national title that season. It wasn’t to be as NC State’s second national championship in program history marked one of the greatest upsets the NCAA Tournament has ever seen.
2. Fairleigh Dickinson over Purdue (2023)
The second 16-seed to ever take down a top-seeded Goliath, Fairleigh Dickinson was the shortest team in college basketball during the 2023 season, but used scrappy play and undeniable heart down the stretch to slay Boilermakers 7-footer Zach Edey and the NCAA Tournament favorite. Purdue rebounded to reach the national championship game the following season, but coach Matt Painter still feels the sting of crumpled expectations despite having one of the best teams in the country. Fairleigh Dickinson hasn’t appeared in the NCAA Tournament since that memorable opening-round win.
1. UMBC over Virginia (2018)
The original giant-slayers, UMBC destroyed the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, 74-54, in Charlotte during a matchup that was never all that competitive. The Cavaliers were a 20.5-point favorite against the 16th-seeded Retrievers from Maryland, who broke up a tie game at halftime early in the second half and never looked back. Coach Ryan Odom, was a ball boy for the Cavaliers as a kid, and is now Virginia’s head coach. His name will always be synonymous with becoming the first leader of a 16-seed to ever topple a No. 1.