A No. 16 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But, just once.
In 2018, No. 16 UMBC defeated No. 1 Virginia 74-54.'The spread in that game was UMBC +20.5.
It was the second-biggest March Madness betting upset of all time (by spread); only Norfolk State won – over Missouri in 2012 – as a bigger underdog (+21).
Close No. 16 Seed Upsets
While UMBC is the only No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed, there have been other close calls in the tournament’s history.