Farthest a 12-Seed Has Gone in March Madness

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2021 Oregon State is the most recent example of a No. 12 seed who advanced all the way to the Elite Eight.
(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
BetMGM @BETMGM Feb 27, 2023, 10:07 PM

In the history of the NCAA Tournament, only two No. 12 seeds have ever made it to the Elite Eight. None have ever won their regional and advanced to the Final Four.

The most recent example of this was actually 2021 when Oregon State got hot at the end of the season and turned a blasé season into an unforgettable tournament run.

At 14-12 (10-10), the Beavers weren’t even really a bubble team heading into the Pac-12 tournament. But Oregon State earned an automatic bid by toppling UCLA, rival Oregon and a top-25 ranked Colorado team. 

In the tournament, Oregon State kept winning. It eliminated No. 5 seed Tennessee, No. 4 seed Oklahoma State and No. 8 Loyola Chicago to earn a berth in the regional championship, where it finally lost to No. 2 seed Houston. 

The 2001-02 Missouri Tigers are the only other No. 12 seed ever to make the Elite Eight. 


High Water Marks for other NCAA Tournament seeds: No. 10 Seed | No. 11 Seed | No. 13 Seed | No. 14 Seed | No. 15 Seed | No. 16 Seed

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Our BetMGM editors and authors are sports experts with a wealth of knowledge of the sports industry at all levels. Their coverage includes sports news, previews and predictions, fun facts, and betting.