Being a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament is about as close to a participation trophy as you can get in Division I college basketball. It’s practically a formality, a “thanks for coming, but here’s the door.” 

That’s because No. 16 seeds just don’t defeat No. 1 seeds. 

The combined men’s and women’s record? A paltry 3–374.

Thanks for coming. 

But, those three instances … simply magical. Three times the nation got to witness David topple Goliath, reminding everyone of why the game is played. 

Let’s take a look back at the three No. 16 seeds to make history in college hoops. 

When the UMBC Retrievers Made History

In 2018, UMBC became the first No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1, defeating a 31–2 Virginia Cavaliers team by 20 points. 

The Cavaliers were known for a slow, plodding pace and stifling defense. They would often shut down opposing teams and grind out victories. With the score tied at 21 at halftime, that’s what most expected to happen. 

Instead, the Retrievers exploded for 53 second-half points, burying the Cavaliers and handing them their largest loss of the season (74–54). 

UMBC shot 50% from 3-point range and outrebounded Virginia by 11. 

Unfortunately for the Retrievers, they fell to Kansas State in the next round. 

Fairleigh Dickinson Shocks the World

After decades of dominance from No. 1-seeds, we saw two major upsets in a five-year stretch. In 2023, Fairleigh Dickinson pulled off a massive upset, knocking off No. 1 Purdue. 

The matchup was quite literally a David vs. Goliath game. 

FDU’s average height was 6-foot-1 (not counting players who played less than 10% of the team’s total minutes), while Purdue was one of the tallest teams in the nation, with an average height of 6-foot-6 and 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey patrolling the paint. 

And FDU wasn’t even supposed to play David in this game. The Knights lost to Merrimack in the Northeast Conference championship game, but the conference awarded FDU its lone NCAA tournament berth because Merrimack was in the final year of a four-year transitional period between DII and DI. 

None of that mattered when the game began, though. Purdue was favored by nearly 25 points, but the Knights took every punch from the Boilermakers and always had an answer. FDU won 63–58.

The Knights would lose in the next round to FAU. 

One and Only: The Harvard Crimson Become the First 16-seed to Upset a 1-seed

A whopping 20 years before UMBC knocked off Virginia, No. 16 Harvard stunned No. 1 Stanford, on Stanford’s home court no less. 

The Crimson were led by Allison Feaster, perhaps the best player in program history. Feaster scored 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Stanford got bit by the injury bug. 

The Cardinal lost Vanessa Nygaard and Kristin Folkl during the game and fell 71–67.

For what it’s worth, Harvard had won three-straight Ivy League titles and many felt the Crimson were misseeded. Still, winning a true road game in March Madness against a No. 1 seed? That’s unheard of. 

It remains the only No. 16 over No. 1 upset in women’s college basketball.

Farthest 16-Seed Runs (Men’s and Women’s)

Why 16-Seeds Struggle to Advance

So why exactly is it so rare for a No. 16 to advance in the NCAA tournament? Well, it isn’t rocket science. 

It’s a talent gap. A massive one. 

During the 2024 NCAA tournament No. 1 UConn faced No. 16 Stetson in the first round. It will come as a surprise to no one that not a single player on that Stetson team is playing in the NBA right now. 

Do you know how many players from that UConn team are currently in the NBA? 

Four. 

Stephon Castle (San Antonio), Donovan Clingan (Portland), Tristen Newton (Minnesota) and Cam Spencer (Memphis). 

As we’ve documented, it can happen. But the reason why No. 16-seeds struggle in March is simply because the players on those teams, as talented as they might be, aren’t (usually) NBA-level talent. 

Not to mention that smaller programs have less money. Which means more inexperienced coaches and trainers. It means not having a team nutritionist, a robust student-athlete center on campus or player-issued devices for film access. 

It’s an uphill battle for the little guys. And it will continue to be so. 

But that’s what makes the rare upset so stunning. 


This article was originally published on www.si.com as What’s the Farthest a 16-Seed Has Ever Gone in the NCAA Tournament? (Men's and Women's).