Lowest seeds to reach men's NCAA tournament rounds

Sports fans love underdogs, and there's nothing better than a Cinderella run during the NCAA tournament. Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been quite a few memorable March Madness upsets. But that got us thinking: who were the lowest seeds to reach each round of the NCAA tournament? Let's take a look!

ROUND OF 32: 16-SEED

Only two 16-seeds have pulled off a first-round upset over a top-seeded opponent: UMBC and Fairleigh Dickinson. UMBC destroyed Virginia during the 2018 NCAA Tournament, blowing them out, 74-54. Fairleigh Dickinson defeated Purdue, 63-58. Both teams lost in the second round, but each program benefited greatly from their first-round victory.

SWEET 16: 15-SEED

Four 15-seeds have pulled off an opening-round upset and then advanced to the Sweet 16: Florida Gulf Coast, Oral Roberts, Saint Peter's and Princeton. The FGCU Eagles defeated Georgetown, 78-68, in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles defeated the Buckeyes, 75-72, in an overtime thriller during the 2021 NCAA tournament. The Saint Peter's Peacocks defeated the powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats, 85-79, in the 2022 NCAA tournament. The Princeton Tigers defeated Arizona, 59-55, in the 2023 NCAA tournament.

ELITE 8: 15-SEED

Of the four No. 15 teams that advanced to the Sweet 16, only Saint Peter's kept dancing into the Elite 8. After eliminating No. 2 Kentucky in the first round, the Peacocks defeated No. 3 Purdue, 67-64. Saint Peter's forced 15 turnovers, while only turning the ball over eight times themselves. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Saint Peter's win over Purdue was tied for the largest upset in Sweet 16 history (+13). Unfortunately for the Peacocks, their Cinderella run ended in the Elite 8 when they lost to No. 8 North Carolina.

FINAL FOUR: 11-SEED

We've seen four No. 11 teams advance to the Final Four: LSU, George Mason, VCU and UCLA. LSU accomplished this feat in the 1986 NCAA tournament. George Mason did so during the 2006 NCAA tournament. VCU got to the Final Four during the 2011 NCAA tournament. UCLA got within one win of the title game in the 2021 NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, all four teams failed to advance to the national championship game.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: 8-SEED

Surprisingly, there have been four No. 8 seeds that played for a national championship: Villanova, Butler, Kentucky and North Carolina. Villanova's run occurred during the 1985 NCAA tournament and they faced Georgetown in the title game. Butler advanced to the national championship game in 2011, where they squared off against UConn. Kentucky came within one win of a title during the 2014 NCAA tournament, facing UConn. Most recently, UNC advanced to the title game during the 2022 NCAA tournament, with Kansas standing in their way. Were any of these 8-seeds able to cut down the net?

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: 8-SEED

Yes, one of the 8-seeds did win the national championship! In 1985, Villanova beat Georgetown in the national championship game, 66-64. Ed Pinckney (16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals) and Dwayne McClain (17 points, 3 assists and 2 steals) led the way for Villanova. Hoyas star Patrick Ewing finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block in the losing effort.

Check out ESPN's college basketball coverage, including the latest rankings, in-depth features, recruiting content, Bracketology and more.