March Madness: Has a 16-seed ever beaten a 1-seed in men’s NCAA tournament?
This is the history of No. 16 seeds vs. No.
1 seeds in the men’s NCAA tournament
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 19: Gavin Doty #4 of the Siena Saints brings the ball up court while guarded by Nikolas Khamenia #14 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half during the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images No. 16 seeds were 0-135 against No.
1 seeds in the men’s NCAA tournament before UMBC happened. I remember scrambling to write the recap when top-seeded Virginia lost to No. 16 seed UMBC back in 2018 .
Ironically, Virginia is now coached by Ryan Odom, who was the UMBC coach who pulled off that historic upset against the Hoos. I was on the call again when No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson upset the No.