how many 16 seeds have won
There have been two wins by 16 seeds over 1 seeds in the NCAA men’s tournament as of the 2026 tournament.
Quick Scoop: How many 16 seeds have won?
In the men’s NCAA March Madness era since the field expanded in 1985, 16 seeds are just 2–160 all-time in games against 1 seeds. That means only two true “David vs. Goliath” 16-over-1 upsets have ever happened.
The two historic 16‑seed wins
- UMBC over Virginia (2018)
- No. 16 UMBC beat No. 1 Virginia 74–54, the first 16 to ever topple a 1.
* It snapped a decades-long streak where 1 seeds were undefeated vs. 16s.
- Fairleigh Dickinson over Purdue (2023)
- No. 16 FDU shocked No. 1 Purdue, becoming the second 16 seed to win.
* Heading into the 2026 tournament, those remain the only two 16-over-1 wins.
Has a 16 seed ever “won March Madness”?
- A 16 seed has never won the national championship.
- In fact, 16 seeds have only reached the second round twice (those same two upsets).
Snapshot table (16 vs. 1 history)
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total 1 vs. 16 games | 160 | [3][9]
| 16‑seed wins | 2 | [7][1][3][9]
| Record of 16 seeds vs. 1s | 2–158 | [7][9]
| 16 seeds reaching Round of 32 | 2 times | [9][10]
| 16‑seed national titles | 0 | [10]
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
