Underdog stories are part of the beauty that is the NCAA Tournament. Staging an upset on college basketball's biggest stage is one of the biggest thrills in sports, and it's hard to root against a lower seeded team that's in the midst of making a deep and unexpected run through the fray in March Madness.

Throughout tournament history, there have been some truly inspiring runs from underdog teams. While only two No. 16 seeds have ever advanced past the opening round of the tournament, there have been a handful of low seeds that have made impressive Cinderella-esque runs in the tournament.

Defying the Odds in March Madness

Getting hot at the right time is a big part of the NCAA Tournament. A team that's perhaps not been as dominant throughout the course of a season may find their form at the perfect time, which could lead to the perfect storm in March.

Making the Final Four requires a team to win four consecutive games, including matchups in the round of 64, round of 32, Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight. For lower seeded teams, that would effectively require them to pull off four straight upsets. To even reach the Final Four is a major accomplishment for lower seeded teams, let alone securing a win once that stage is reached.

We're going to take a look at some of the lowest seeded teams to ever reach the Final Four in both the men's and women's NCAA tournament and highlight some of the most improbable runs throughout the tournament's history.

What’s the Lowest Seed to Make the Final Four in Men’s NCAA History?

The lowest seed to have ever reached the men's Final Four is a No. 11 seed. It's a feat that's been accomplished six times by teams ranked as the No. 11 seed, most recently in 2024 when NC State, led by DJ Burns Jr., enjoyed a captivating and equally improbable run in the tournament.

LSU's run in 1986 was an electric one, as they toppled multiple high-seeded teams, including No. 3 Memphis, No. 2 Georgia Tech, and No. 1 Kentucky en route to a Final Four berth. They ultimately were upended by No. 2 Louisville.

George Mason's stunning display in the tournament in 2006 saw them get past powerhouses such as No. 3 North Carolina and No. 1 UConn before falling to the eventual champions in Florida.

Shaka Smart's VCU Rams were a force to be reckoned with in the 2011 NCAA tournament. They took down teams such as No. 3 Purdue and No. 1 Kansas during their inspiring run before losing to No. 8 Butler.

Loyola Chicago and Sister Jean stole the hearts of college basketball fans throughout their impressive run in 2018, during which they staged upsets of No. 6 Miami, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 9 Kansas State before losing to No. 3 Michigan in the Final Four.

UCLA played an extra game in its run in 2021, having been one of the last four in. That didn't stop them from staging multiple key upsets, including wins over No. 2 Alabama and No. 1 Michigan before being thwarted by No. 1 Gonzaga.

DJ Burns and NC State were among the most exciting storylines in last year's tournament, having delivered upset wins against No. 2 Marquette and No. 4 Duke as they snuck into the Final Four.

What’s the Lowest Seed to Make the Final Four in Women’s NCAA History?

Unlike the men's tournament, the women's NCAA tournament has never had a No. 11 seed reach the Final Four. The lowest seed to ever make such a run in the women's tournament was No. 9 Arkansas, who made an improbable run to the Final Four in 1998. That year, they took down No. 8 Hawai'i, No. 16 Harvard, No. 5 Kansas and No. 2 Duke before losing to No. 1 Tennessee.

Only four teams seeded No. 7 or lower have ever advanced to the Final Four, though none were able to secure a win. The lowest seeded team to ever win a women's national championship was a No. 3 seed, which occurred three times; North Carolina in 1994, Tennessee in 1997 and LSU in 2023.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as What's the Lowest Seed to Ever Make the Final Four in Men's and Women's NCAA Tournaments?.