The 10 Biggest March Madness Upsets in NCAA History

• Final Score: UMBC 74 - Virginia 54
• Date of Game: March 16, 2018

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) pulled off one of the biggest March Madness upsets ever by beating the top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the 2018 tournament.

UMBC was the first #16 seed to beat a #1 seed in the history of the NCAA Tournament, winning the game by a score of 74-54, so this game wasn't even close! The Retrievers played a near-perfect game, shooting the ball extremely well from the three-point line and playing outstanding defense.

The Retrievers' guard Jairus Lyles had a career-high 28 points, and the team shot 12-24 from the three-point line. Defensively, UMBC held Virginia to just 41% shooting from the field and forced the Cavaliers into 9 turnovers.

• Score: FDU 63 - Purdue 58
• Date of Game: March 17, 2023

“If we played them 100 times, they’d probably beat us 99 times.” That is what FDU coach Tobin Anderson had to say after his team shocked the Arizona and the world when they beat the tournament favorite in epic fashion. FDU became the second #16 seed to win a game in March Madness, and personally I believe this win might have been even better than UMBC's improbable win over Virginia in 2018, but UMBC did it first, so they are ranked number on on this list by default.

FDU entered the tournament as the shortest team and they were up against Purdue, who had a 7'4" center. But against all odds, the team whom most of the world had likely never heard of pulled away and were able to hold on until the final buzzer. They put up a fight in the next round where they were up against #9 seeded Florida Atlantic University, and despite FDU losing, FAU made its way all the way to the Final Four, pulling off their own little Cinderella run. The 2023 NCAA Tournament was a wild time.

• Final Score: Lehigh 75 - Duke 70
• Date of Game: March 16, 2012

In the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the 15th-seeded Lehigh Mountain Hawks pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history by defeating the 2nd-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the round of 64.

Lehigh won the game 75-70 behind a tremendous performance by their star player, guard C.J. McCollum, who scored 30 points and pulled down 6 rebounds. The Mountain Hawks shot 44% from the field, including 8-of-18 from three-point range, and made their free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Defensively, Lehigh played a solid game, limiting Duke to just 29% shooting from beyond the arc and forcing the Blue Devils into 6 turnovers.

The win was particularly significant because Duke was considered one of the top teams in the country and had won the ACC tournament just a week prior to the start of the NCAA tournament. Lehigh, on the other hand, was a relatively unknown team from a smaller conference, the Patriot League.

• Final Score: St. Peter's 85 - Kentucky 79
• Date of Game: March 17, 2022

There's just something about small New Jersey schools to look out for during the NCAA Tournament. Before FDU's insane upset in 2023, Saint Peter's stole the show in 2022 with one of the greatest Cinderella stories in NCAA history. Stories came out about how Saint Peters had to cancel several games due to a leaky roof in their home court throughout the regular season and just how small the school was. Saint Peter's is quite literally just a single city block in Jersey City.

To think they even had a chance at the blue-blood University of Kentucky in 2022 was unfathomable, but it's March and anything can happen. Behind the electric play of Doug Eddert, the Peacocks pulled off the miraculous upset and made a deep run into the tournament, ultimately falling to UNC in the elite eight, but not before putting their school on the map and making an epic story that will be told for years to come.

• Final Score: Middle Tennessee 90 - Michigan State 81 
• Date of Game: March 18, 2016

In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders pulled off one of the biggest March Madness upsets by defeating the 2nd-seeded Michigan State Spartans in the round of 64.

Middle Tennessee won the game 90-81 behind a remarkable performance from their starting five, all of whom scored in double figures. They were led by forward Reggie Upshaw, who had 21 points and 4 rebounds. The Blue Raiders shot an impressive 55% from the field, including 57% from three-point range.

Defensively, Middle Tennessee played a solid game, forcing Michigan State into 17 turnovers and holding the Spartans to just 41% shooting from the field. They also dominated the boards, out-rebounding Michigan State by a margin of 35-23.

• Final Score: Santa Clara 64 - Arizona 61
• Date of Game: March 18, 1993

In the 1993 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the 15th-seeded Santa Clara Broncos pulled off a stunning upset by defeating the 2nd-seeded Arizona Wildcats in the round of 64.

Santa Clara won the game 64-61 in a tightly contested match. The Broncos were led by their star player, guard Steve Nash, who had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the game. Santa Clara also received strong contributions from forward Richard Keefe, who had a team-high 15 points, and guard Kevin Dunne, who added 12 points. Defensively, Santa Clara played a strong game, holding Arizona to just 36% shooting from the field and 26% from three-point range. The Broncos also forced Arizona into 17 turnovers, which proved to be a critical factor in the outcome of the game.

Santa Clara's victory over Arizona was a classic David vs. Goliath moment in college basketball and will be remembered as one of biggest March Madness upsets ever. The win helped put Steve Nash on the map and elevated Santa Clara to National prominence.

• Final Score: Richmond 73 - Syracuse 69
• Date of Game: March 14, 1991

In the 1991 NCAA Tournament, the 15th-seeded Richmond Spiders pulled off a stunning upset by defeating the 2nd-seeded Syracuse Orangemen in the round of 64.

Richmond won the game 73-69 in a closely contested matchup. The Spiders were led by their star player, guard Kenny Wood, who had a game-high 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Richmond also received strong contributions from forward Matt Fish, who had 16 points and 6 rebounds, and guard Curtis Blair, who added 14 points.

Defensively, Richmond played a solid game, holding Syracuse to just 39% shooting from the field and 20% from three-point range. The Spiders also forced Syracuse into 18 turnovers, which proved to be a critical factor in the outcome of the game.

• Final Score: Florida Gulf Coast 78 - Georgetown 68
• Date of Game: March 22, 2013

In the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast Eagles pulled off a stunning upset by defeating the 2nd-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the round of 64.

Florida Gulf Coast won the game 78-68 in a high-flying, fast-paced matchup. The Eagles were led by their high-flying offense, which was spearheaded by guard Sherwood Brown and forward Chase Fieler. Brown had a game-high 24 points and 9 rebounds, while Fieler added 13 points and 9 rebounds.

Defensively, Florida Gulf Coast played a solid game, holding Georgetown to just 38% shooting from the field and 21% from three-point range. The Eagles also forced Georgetown into 15 turnovers, which proved to be a critical factor in the outcome of the game.

• Final Score: Oral Roberts 75 - Ohio State 72
• Date of Game: March 19, 2021

In the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the 15th-seeded Oral Roberts Golden Eagles pulled off a stunning upset by defeating the 2nd-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round.

The Golden Eagles were led by their star player, guard Max Abmas, who had a game-high 29 points and 5 assists. Oral Roberts also received strong contributions from forward Kevin Obanor, who had 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Defensively, Oral Roberts played a solid game, holding the Buckeyes to just 41% shooting from the field and 23% from three-point range. The Golden Eagles also forced Ohio State into 16 turnovers, which proved to be a critical factor in the outcome of the game.

• Final Score: Princeton 85 - Arizona 79
• Date of Game: March 16, 2023

There was just something in the water during the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Upsets and busted brackets were popping up left and right. Honestly, Princeton's underdog win over Arizona might be even higher on this list had it not been slightly overshadowed by the fact that a fellow New Jersey school FDU beat #1 seed Purdue just a day later.

Unlike FDU, Princeton has a history in the NCAA Tournament, though they aren't known to make deep runs. This particular Princeton team did not seem to be a threat to the powerhouse Arizona team, but that did not stop the Tigers, who actually went on to win their next game against Missouri before falling to Creighton in the Sweet Sixteen.