how many 1seeds have lost to a 16
Only two 1-seeds have ever lost to a 16-seed in the men’s NCAA tournament as of the 2026 bracket.
Quick Scoop: How many 1-seeds have lost to a 16?
In all the years since the field expanded and full seeding became standard, No. 1 seeds are an almost sure thing against No. 16s, with an all‑time record of about 158–2 heading into the 2026 tournament. That means only two 16‑seeds have ever pulled off the upset.
Those two legendary games:
- 2018 – UMBC vs. Virginia
- 16‑seed UMBC beat 1‑seed Virginia 74–54, the first time a 16 had ever beaten a 1 in the men’s tournament.
- 2023 – Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Purdue
- 16‑seed Fairleigh Dickinson stunned 1‑seed Purdue 63–58, becoming just the second 16 to advance.
Put simply:
- How many 1-seeds have lost to a 16? Two.
- How often do 1s win? Roughly 98–99% of the time in this matchup.
Even with all the “March Madness,” a 16 over a 1 is still one of the rarest sights in sports.
TL;DR: Only two 1‑seeds have ever lost to a 16‑seed in men’s March Madness history so far (Virginia in 2018 and Purdue in 2023).
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.