March Madness is a single-game elimination tournament in college basketball. The winner of the tournament is honored as the national champion in the Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since the NCAA tournament was increased to 64 teams in 1985, several low-seeded teams have managed to upset higher-seeded teams. One such instance was on March 16, 2018, when the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers became the first 16-seed team to beat a 1-seed team, they defeated the Virginia Cavaliers by a 74–54 margin.
The NCAA formally has an upset as a win by a team seeded at least five lines lower than its opponent. Over the years, several 11 or lower-seeded teams have won first and second-round games, eight or lower-seeded teams have made it to the Sweet 16, seven or lower-seeded teams have made it to the Elite Eight, and six or lower-seeded teams have reached the Final Four. Just three teams seeded 11 or lower in the first round have won as betting favorites, and just one such team won as a pick 'em. These upsets show the unpredictability of March Madness, as lower-seeded teams often defy expectations by beating higher-seeded opponents in single-elimination rounds.
Biggest upset in March Madness history
The largest point-spread upset in the history of March Madness was when Fairleigh Dickinson upset Purdue in 2023 with a point spread of plus 23.5 points. This was the largest upset since the introduction of 64 teams in 1985. Other major upsets include Norfolk State over Missouri in 2012 and UMBC's historic upset of Virginia as a 16 seed in 2018 (via ESPN). Following is a list of the largest point-spread upsets:
| Year | Underdog Team | Favorite Team | Point Spread | Score |
| 2023 | Fairleigh Dickinson | Purdue | +23.5 | 63–58 |
| 2012 | Norfolk State | Missouri | +21.5 | 86–84 |
| 2018 | UMBC | Virginia | +20.5 | 74–54 |
| 1993 | Santa Clara | Arizona | +20.0 | 64–61 |
| 1997 | Coppin State | South Carolina | +18.5 | 78–65 |
| 2022 | Saint Peter’s | Kentucky | +18.0 | 85–79 |
FAQs on March Madness
A. It is the semifinal round of the March Madness tournament.
A. The March Madness games air on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV.
A. They are eliminated from the March Madness tournament.
A. The March Madness Tournament is known for upsets, brackets, and intense games.
