Tennessee serves as final bracket buster with win vs. Virginia

Tennessee advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after escaping Virginia, 79-72, in the second round at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday.

The No. 6 Volunteers advanced to the round of 16 for the fourth straight year, while the No. 3 Cavaliers suffered another upset in March Madness.

With Tennessee’s win, all brackets have been busted. For perspective, the odds of filling out a perfect one are 1 in 9.2 quintillion.

IT’S OVER

ALL BRACKETS HAVE BUSTED #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/kkteRqc7FI

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2026

While there is no actual count of how many brackets were filled out, 26.6 million were submitted on ESPN’s Tournament Challenge alone. Total participation is often estimated at around 50-70 million people.

NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach, meanwhile, pointed out that Duke is the only remaining squad from the ACC in the annual tournament after Virginia’s loss.

Tennessee will battle No. 2 Iowa State on Friday.

The Volunteers have yet to enter the Final Four under coach Rick Barnes, who spurned the opportunity to coach Virginia a few decades ago.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the Volunteers anew with 21 points, including six free throws in the last 30 seconds, three rebounds, and six assists.

Nate Ament added 16 points and four rebounds, while Bishop Boswell contributed 13 points, three rebounds, and nine assists.

Thijs De Ridder gave the Cavaliers the lead, 71-70, after burying a three-pointer with 2:03 remaining in the second half. Tennessee, however, refused to fold amid the pressure, with Ament quickly giving the advantage back to them with a pair of free throws.

De Ridder led Virginia with 22 points, including four three-pointers, and five rebounds. Chance Mallory added 10 points, six rebounds, and two steals off the bench.

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