A look at the deepest NCAA tournament runs by double-digit seeds, including the lowest-seeded teams to reach the Elite Eight, Final Four, and beyond.
Part of the beauty of the NCAA tournament is the unpredictability. There’s no other event where buzzer-beating shots and miraculous upsets are expected.
That’s why they call it March Madness.
There have been plenty of instances where a lower seeded team plays the perfect David to another’s Goliath, upsetting a more talented team and shocking the country. But in most cases, those upsets are more a flash in the pan than anything.
But not these teams. Today, we’re breaking down the deepest runs by double-digit seeds in NCAA tournament history.
Lowest-Seeded Teams to Reach the Elite Eight
In 2022, No. 15 St. Peter’s reached the Elite Eight. The appearance was a historic one, as it was the first (and remains the only) time a No. 15 has made the Elite Eight.
After that, two No. 12 seeds have advanced to the Elite Eight. The most recent was Oregon State in 2021, the other was Missouri in 2002.
A total of 10 No. 11 seeds made the Elite Eight, with five winning and advancing to the Final Four.
Speaking of which …
Lowest-Seeded Teams to Reach the Final Four
No seed lower than 11 has ever appeared in the Final Four. The first instance of a No. 11 making it to the precipice of the national championship was in 1986 when the LSU Tigers accomplished the feat.
Twenty years later and the George Mason Patriots would match it. George Mason defeated Michigan State (6), North Carolina (3), Wichita State (7) and UConn (1) before falling to Florida (3).
The next program to reach the Final Four as an 11-seed was VCU in 2011. The Rams also made history, becoming the first team to go from the First Four to the Final Four. After defeating USC in the First Four, VCU went on to beat Georgetown (6), Purdue (3), Florida State (10) and Kansas (1) before losing to Butler (8).
Loyola Chicago’s 2018 Final Four run will be remembered fondly for a long time, as the country was enamored with the small school and team chaplain, Sister Jean. The Ramblers knocked off Miami (6), Tennessee (3), Nevada (7) and Kansas State (9) en route to a matchup with the Michigan Wolverines, which they lost.
In 2021, the UCLA Bruins made the Final Four after beginning in the First Four. The Bruins defeated Michigan State (11) before taking down BYU (6), Abilene Christian (14), Alabama (2) and Michigan (1). The Bruins fell to Gonzaga in the Final Four, on a buzzer-beating 40-foot shot.
North Carolina State finished the 2024 regular season by losing 10 of its final 14 games. The Wolfpack wouldn’t be dancing without a miracle. Then the ACC tournament began and North Carolina State looked like a brand new team. The Wolfpack defeated Louisville, Syracuse, No. 11 Duke, Virginia and No. 4 North Carolina, winning the ACC tournament and clinching an automatic bid. Moving on to the NCAA tournament, North Carolina State defeated Texas Tech (6), Oakland (14), Marquette (2) and Duke (4) en route to the Final Four before finally succumbing to Purdue (1).
Have Any Double-Digit Seeds Ever Made the National Championship Game?
No. Despite March Madness routinely supplying the nation with a steady stream of upsets, a double-digit seed has never reached the national championship game.
Most recently, North Carolina State’s run to the Final Four in 2024 as an 11-seed is the closest a double-digit seed has come. Previously, UCLA (2021), Loyola Chicago (2018), VCU (2011), George Mason (2006) and LSU (1986) also reached the Final Four as 11-seeds.
The lowest seed to actually win the national championship was Villanova in 1985. The Wildcats were a No. 8 seed that season.
Records By Seed in NCAA Tournament Since Expansion (1985–2024)
Read More About March Madness
This article was originally published on www.si.com as What Is the Farthest a Double-Digit Seed Has Gone in March Madness?.
