March Madness: Has a 16-seed ever beaten a 1-seed in men’s NCAA tournament?

No. 16 seeds were 0-135 against No. 1 seeds in the men’s NCAA tournament before UMBC happened. I remember scrambling to write the recap when top-seeded Virginia lost to No. 16 seed UMBC back in 2018. Ironically, Virginia is now coached by Ryan Odom, who was the UMBC coach who pulled off that historic upset against the Hoos.

I was on the call again when No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson upset the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers back in 2023. That Purdue team was loaded with Zach Edey leading the way. Edey and the Boilermakers would get some revenge the next year when they made the Final Four, but ultimately their dream season ended on a sour note against UConn in the national championship game.

Those are the only two times a No. 16 seed has ever beaten a No. 1 seed in the men’s NCAA tournament. Could we get another one this year? No. 16 seed Siena leads No. 1 seed Duke 43-32 at halftime. It’s the largest halftime lead any 16-seed has ever had against a No. 1 seed. Some bozo who calls himself an expert picked Duke to win the national championship on this website. It really might be over already.

Update: Duke wins 71-65

We’ll update this post after the Duke-Siena game goes final. Until then, here are some other things to know.

No. 1 seeds all-time record vs. No. 16 seeds in the men’s NCAA tournament

No. 1 seeds are 2-158 all-time entering the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament. Here are the only two No. 16 seeds to ever beat a No. 1 seed

• UMBC over Virginia (2018)
• Fairleigh Dickinson over Purdue (2023)

That’s it. That’s the list.

What are the 1 vs. 16 matchups in the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament?

Duke vs. Siena is the first one on Thursday afternoon. Here are the other games:

• No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Howard on Thursday evening
• No. 1 Arizona vs. Long Island on Friday afternoon
• No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M on Friday evening

Want more discussion on the Florida game? Check out the conversation on our Florida community Alligator Army:

Can Siena really beat Duke in 2026 March Madness?

Duke shot 2-of-15 from three in the first half. They need to shoot much better to win this game in the second half.

We’ll keep you updated.