Has there ever been an Elite 8 without a 1 seed?

Since the 16-seed UMBC Retrievers knocked out the 1 seed Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament, the meaning of March Madness has never been more stark.

The 1 seeds are always expected to proceed deep into the tournament, but it does not always go to plan. So, has there been an Elite Eight without a 1 seed?

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How many instances of an Elite Eight without a 1 seed

The 2023 NCAA tournament was the tournament of shocks, providing the only instance of an Elite Eight without a 1 seed.

It started off on a high note when the Purdue Boilermakers were knocked out 63-58 by the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights in the first round. Purdue was a top seed and had National Player of the Year, center, Zach Edey in its ranks, making their loss even more unexpected.

Before the game against Purdue, then-first-year FDU coach, Tobin Anderson threw down a challenge that the Boilermakers shrunk from.

"I want Purdue to see this. The more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them," Anderson said. "Let's go shock the world. Enjoy this one, be humble."

Although FDU could not make history by being the first No. 16 seed to make the Sweet 16, a pattern emerged that led the 2023 NCAA tournament to be the first in history without a top seed in the Elite Eight.

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How the top seeds were knocked out

The next top seed to be knocked out were the Kansas Jayhawks, who fell 72-71 to the No. 8 seed, the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second round to provide the tournament's second biggest shock.

The next top seed to fall were the Alabama Crimson Tide of star, Brandon Miller, who lost 71-64 to the San Diego State Aztecs in the Sweet 16. With the epic win, the Aztecs became the first Mountain West program to have reach the Elite Eight.

Lastly, the Houston Cougars fell to the fifth-seeded Miami Hurricanes in the Sweet 16 game to make history as the first NCAA tournament without a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight.

The Cougars saw the chance to play the Final Four matchup in their hometown slip through their fingers, as the pace set by the Hurricanes unsettled them all game.

Upsets are part of the reason why March Madness attracts such fervent viewership from CBB fans. The unpredictability and chances of upsets for the elite teams against the smaller ones make it one of the most intriguing college sports tournaments.

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