Which was the lowest-seeded team ever to make the Final Four? Exploring history of underdogs in the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA tournament began with 68 teams full of hopes and dreams of making deep tournament runs. As things stand, only four remain in contention for the national title.

March Madness is a one-of-a-kind spectacle. The allure of the journey to the Final Four is unmatched by any professional league, owing to the nature of the single-elimination tournament.

No. 11-seeded NC State's current run to the 2024 Final Four, which includes a nine-game winning streak, has revived talks of previous runs by unheralded college teams that had no business competing and beating the traditional college blue-bloods.

Which was the lowest-seeded team ever to make the Final Four?

No. 11 is the lowest seed ever to make the Final Four. In the tournament's history, six teams have entered March Madness ranked eleventh, and managed to reach the NCAA tournament's national semi-finals.

Let us explore and list down some distinct low-seeded teams that made the Final Four round of March Madness.

NC State Wolfpack (2024)

NC State is heading to the Final Four on a nine-game winning streak.

This journey is not over yet! The NC State Wolfpack are on a winning streak, dating back to the first round of the ACC conference tourney.

Led by the two DJs, Burns Jr. and Horne, the team from Raleigh, North Carolina had amassed a 17-14 record with a four-game losing streak. Nine games later, the Wolfpack won the ACC Championship, and are in the Final Four, two games away from securing a National title.

It has been 43 years since NC State last played in the National Semi-Finals. Similarly to the 2024 team, the 1983 Wolfpack also went on a winning streak before the ACC and NCAA tournaments. They went on to win the NCAA championship against Hakeem Olajuwon and the No. 1 ranked Houston Cougars.

Will history repeat itself for the Wolfpack?

Key Players: DJ Burns Jr. DJ Horne, Casey Morselle, Jayden Taylor, Mohamed Diarra, Ben Middlebrooks, Michael O'Connell

George Mason Patriots (2006)

George Mason is the NCAA's Cinderella of the early 2000s.

Coach Jim Larranaga and the George Mason Patriots lost the CAA championship and were not supposed to feature in March Madness if not for an at-large bid granted by the NCAA's selection committee.

The team was unheralded but was ranked 21st in the country in points allowed per game. They went on a run beating college blue bloods such as Michigan State, North Carolina, and No. 1 ranked UConn on their way to the Final Four.

Gabe Norwood throws it down against Michigan State.

For 5 games, this was America's team. The NCAA's Cinderella of the early 2000's!

Key Players: Jai Lewis, Tony Skinn, Lamar Butler, Will Thomas, Folarin Campbell, Gabe Norwood

VCU Rams (2011)

Shaka Smart's 2011 VCU Rams defied expectations.

In 2011, the NCAA implemented the 'First Four' where the four lowest-ranked at-large bid teams had to win a play-in game to earn a spot in March Madness. Shaka Smart's Rams beat USC in the First Four, then went on to knock teams out from the other power conferences such as Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas. The team eventually lost to No. 8 Butler in the Final Four.

The 2011 VCU Rams have the distinction of being the only team to win five games in the NCAA tournament without ever making the championship game.

Key Players: Jamie Skeen, Bradford Burgess, Joey Rodriguez, Brandon Rozzell, Ed Nixon (Future NBA Player Troy Daniels was also on the roster, but was not a key player during VCU's Final Four run).

Loyola Chicago Ramblers (2018)

The Loyola Chicago Ramblers had one of the most dramatic runs in the early rounds compared to their counterparts on the list.

From the first round to the Sweet Sixteen, the games were decided by two game-winners and a dagger basket in the clutch. On their way to the Final Four, the Ramblers eliminated Miami (FL), Tennessee, Nevada, and Kansas State, before falling to Michigan in the National Semi-Finals.

Key Players: Clayton Custer, Marques Townes, Donte Ingram, Aundre Jackson, Cameron Krutwig, Ben Richardson

Complete list of lowest-seeded teams that made the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament

LSU	1986	Final Four loss (88-77 to Louisville)
George Mason	2006	Final Four loss (73-58 to Florida)
VCU	2011	Final Four loss (70-62 to Butler)
Loyola Chicago	2018	Final Four loss (69-57 to Michigan)
UCLA	2021	Final Four loss (93-90 to Gonzaga in overtime)
NC State	2024	TBD

Will NC State go on to win the title? Sound off in the comments section.