March Madness never disappoints.
Sixty-eight teams in the most intense single-knockout tournament in the world. Although you’ll see familiar faces like UConn or Florida regularly in the Final Four, March Madness always brings upsets that leave fans and bettors with their hands on their heads.
Brace yourself for the rollercoaster of emotions, from jubilation to heartbreak, as the tournament unfolds.
Let’s revisit the 10 biggest March Madness upsets in the history of the madness.
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#10 – No. 15 Santa Clara Upsets No. 2 Arizona (1993 First Round)
Santa Clara was a little-known program with a little-known Canadian freshman named Steve Nash. The March Madness odds were so stacked against the Broncos that their own head coach, Dick Davey, said, “Our chances are not good; it could get ugly.”
It absolutely did. Arizona had a 25-0 run halfway through the game, but the Broncos never quit, and Nash planted seeds for his superstar pedigree by nailing six-straight foul shots down the stretch to stun the Wildcats. The 64-61 win was just the second time a 15th seed won in the first round of the playoffs since the field expanded in 1985 to 64 teams.
#9 – No. 15 Coppin State Upsets No. 2 South Carolina (1997 First Round)
Without Google, can you find Coppin State on a U.S. map? We doubt it.
Coppin State is a tiny school of approximately 3,000 students in Baltimore, Maryland, and they upset a monster program, the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the first round – their first win ever in the tournament.
It wasn’t a nail-biter like our 10th entry either. Coppin State was a 17-point underdog but had a 44-31 second half to beat the reeling Gamecocks by 13. In 1997, the Eagles were just the third No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2 in the tournament’s history. Their 78-65 win even prompted the creation of a documentary film called “On & Coppin”.
#8 – No. 15 Lehigh Upsets No. 2 Duke (2012 First Round)
With over 25 years of having a 64-team tournament, the madness was bound to grow over time. That was the case in 2012 when not one, but two No. 15 seeds upset No. 2 in the first round.
We start with Lehigh shocking one of the most legendary programs in college athletics, the Duke Blue Devils. This is the “Coach K” Blue Devils, too, a hall-of-fame coach who always assembled and maximized top talent for the program – they had eight future NBA players on their roster heading into this game.
But Lehigh had a future NBA star of their own, CJ McCollum. He dropped 30 points on Duke, leading the Mountain Hawks to a 75-70 win despite closing as +11.5 underdogs. It was Lehigh’s first-ever tournament win.
#7 – No. 15 Norfolk State Upsets No. 2 Missouri (2012 First Round)
The second 15 vs. 2 upset in 2012 from Norfolk State. The Spartans were even bigger underdogs than Lehigh, closing at+21 against Missouri. Not only did Norfolk State shock bracketologists by holding Missouri’s second-leading scorer, Kim English, to just 2 points on 1-7 shooting, but they were led by the emergence of center Kyle O’Quinn, who scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. O’Quinn’s performance put him on the NBA’s radar; he went on to be selected 49th overall and have an eight-year NBA career.
#6 – No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast Upsets No. 2 Georgetown (2013 First Round)
When No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast entered the 2013 tournament, college basketball fans were quickly introduced to the squad affectionately known as “Dunk City.” No. 2 Georgetown was not ready for the hammer that came down from the Eagles, deflating its momentum and sending the crowd at Wells Fargo Center (now Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia) into a frenzy.
Despite it being their first tournament appearance, the Eagles knocked off Georgetown 78-68 as 13.5-point underdogs. Then rode their high-flying momentum all the way to the Sweet Sixteen – the first No. 15 seed to ever do it.
#5 – No. 15 Oral Roberts Upsets No. 2 Ohio State (2021 First Round)
This one had everything March Madness is famous for – pressure, chaos, and a fearless underdog refusing to fold.
In 2021, Oral Roberts went shot-for-shot with Ohio State, matching the heavyweight Buckeyes as the tension kept building. Forward Kevin Obanor delivered the performance of his life, pouring in 30 points and knocking down clutch shots whenever the Golden Eagles needed to swing momentum.
The drama peaked in the final moments of regulation. Trailing late, Oral Roberts clawed back and forced overtime with a tying bucket in the closing seconds, stunning the Buckeyes and swinging momentum completely. Ohio State began to crack under the pressure, misfiring from deep at a brutal 5-for-23 clip while committing 15 costly turnovers. The Golden Eagles shocked the basketball world with a 75-72 win despite closing as 15-point underdogs.
#4 – No. 15 Saint Peter’s Upsets No. 2 Kentucky (2022 First Round)
Starting to notice a trend with the top five upsets? College basketball used to have dynasties with future NBA stars loading up on the big programs and playing college ball for four years. That just no longer happens, which gives small schools with four-year starters an advantage over the one-and-done rosters.
That’s partially how Saint Peter’s delivered one of the tournament’s biggest shocks in 2022, taking down powerhouse Kentucky with relentless defense and fearless shot-making. The Peacocks controlled the tempo, stayed poised late, and outplayed the Wildcats in overtime, sealing a stunning 85–79 victory that launched their historic Cinderella run.
#3 – No. 15 Princeton Upsets No. 2 Arizona (2023 First Round)
Princeton proved that discipline, patience, and an Ivy League pedigree can topple raw talent in March Madness.
Princeton turned its first-round matchup with Arizona into a slow, physical grinder, dictating the tempo and forcing the Wildcats out of their comfort zone. The Tigers relied on disciplined half-court offense and relentless defense, limiting clean looks and preventing the Wildcats from finding any rhythm. The final score was a shocking 59-55 despite Arizona being 15-point favorites and the total listed at 154.5.
#2 – No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson Upsets No. 1 Purdue
Something was clearly in the water in 2023, as it also featured the second-biggest upset on this list.
Fairleigh Dickinson, a private New Jersey school with 12,000 students, faced Purdue, a perennial tournament powerhouse with over 52,000 students.
It marked only the second time in NCAA tournament history that a 16th seed defeated a #1 seed. The Knights’ 63-58 win shattered brackets nationwide before the opening round had even concluded.
#1 – No. 16 UMBC Upsets No. 1 Virginia
Ever heard of UMBC? Many hadn’t. But in 2018, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County became the first-ever 16th seed to defeat a number one seed, overcoming 33 years of tournament history.
The Virginia Cavaliers had the second-best odds to win the championship entering the tournament. Instead, they were dominated from the opening tip and fell 74-54.
The Retrievers entered the tournament for only the second time in school history. That relative obscurity, combined with the historic nature of the result, is why many consider it the greatest upset in March Madness history.