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Every 15 seed to upset a 2 seed in March Madness

Saint Peter’s made a deep run in March Madness as a 15 seed in 2022. How many other 15s have knocked off a 2 in NCAA Tournament history?

By Mike Phillips

G Doug Ebert, Saint Peter's Peacocks. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
G Doug Ebert, Saint Peter's Peacocks. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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There have been quite a few Cinderellas in the history of the NCAA Tournament but no one has had a more magical run than Saint Peter’s. The MAAC champions were given a 15-seed in 2022 but then went on to upset Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue to make March Madness history as the first 15-seed to ever reach the Elite Eight.

The run ended there for the Peacocks, who got knocked off by North Carolina one game shy of an improbable Final Four run, making them the most successful 15-seed of all time. The odds of seeing another one soon, however, are still quite slim.

How many 15-seeds have upset a 2-seed in March Madness?

While they are better than the 2-150 mark 16-seeds have against 1s, 15-seeds are just 11-141 against 2-seeds since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Here’s a brief look back at the chronological history of 15-seed upsets.

  • 1991: Richmond became the first 15-seed ever to beat a 2 when they shocked Syracuse 73-69. The Owls went on to lose in the Round of 32 to Temple.
  • 1993: Santa Clara, led by a young point guard named Steve Nash, knocked off Arizona before falling to Temple in the second round.
  • 1997: Coppin State stunned South Carolina, which was ranked 6th in the AP poll prior to the tournament, 78-65 before putting up a valiant effort in an 82-81 loss to Texas.
  • 2001: The Hampton Pirates got a go-ahead jumper with 6.9 seconds to go to beat Iowa State and advance to the Round of 32, where they promptly lost to Georgetown.
  • 2012: We had to wait 12 years for another 15 seed to win but were rewarded with two of them as Norfolk State edged Missouri by two points and Lehigh, which was led by future NBA star C.J. McCollum, stunned Duke to advance. Neither team won its Round of 32 game.
  • 2013: Florida Gulf Coast, which became affectionately known as Dunk City for their high-flying acrobatics, became the first 15-seed to reach the Sweet 16 after they followed up their upset of Georgetown with a win over San Diego State in the Round of 32. The run ended for Eagles with a 12-point loss to Florida.
  • 2016: In perhaps the most stunning upset to that point, Middle Tennessee got red-hot from beyond the arc to knock out a Michigan State team many felt had a legitimate shot to win the NCAA Tournament. The magic didn’t last, however, as the Blue Raiders were blown out by Syracuse in the Round of 32.
  • 2021: Oral Roberts found a nice home in the NCAA Tournament bubble with upsets over Ohio State and Florida to reach the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles gave Arkansas a run for their money before losing by a bucket.
  • 2022: We’ve covered Saint Peter’s already but their Cinderella run is quite remarkable.
  • 2023: Princeton added to the chaos of a wild 2023 NCAA Tournament as the Tigers came out of the Ivy League to upset the Arizona Wildcats in the first round. But they didn't stop there, knocking off Missouri in the Round of 32 before losing in the Sweet 16 to Creighton.

What is the farthest a 15 seed has gone in March Madness?

The aforementioned Saint Peter's Peacocks made history as the first-ever 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Peacocks upset Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue before meeting No. 8 seed North Carolina in that Elite Eight game and falling to the Tar Heels, 69-49. Prior to Saint Peter's going on that run in 2022, the farthest a No. 15 seed had gone in March Madness was the Sweet 16, which Florida Gulf Coast (2013) and Oral Roberts (2021) had previously accomplished.

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