What’s the Lowest Seed to Make the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament?

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FILE - In this March 15, 2018, file photo, Loyola-Chicago guard Donte Ingram (0) and Marques Townes, right, celebrate their 64-62 win over Miami in a first-round game at the NCAA college basketball tournament in Dallas. Their run to the Final Four as an 11 seed never seemed short of drama.(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Chase Kiddy @chaseakiddy Mar 28, 2024, 3:21 PM

Five No. 11 seeds have reached the Final Four: LSU (1986), George Mason (2006), VCU (2011), Loyola Chicago (2018), and UCLA (2021).

Several teams seeded worse than 11 have come within one win of reaching the Final Four. Most recently, No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s reached the Elite Eight in 2022, becoming the first-ever No. 15 seed to reach the regional final.

The Peacocks’ first win of the 2022 NCAA Tournament – over No. 2 seed Kentucky – was the fourth-biggest upset in March Madness history.

None of the five No. 11 seeds in the Final Four reached the national championship.

Lowest Seed To Win March Madness

A No. 8 seed is the lowest seed to win the national championship (and to appear in the national championship).

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About the Author

Chase Kiddy

Read More @chaseakiddy

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.

Chase Kiddy is a writer for BetMGM and co-host of The Lion's Edge, an NFL and college football podcast available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else. He has also written for a number of print and online outlets, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington Post, Daily News-Record, and HERO Sports. His first novel, Cave Paintings, is in development.