Fill My Bracket starts a full March Madness bracket from five questions.
How often does a 15 seed beat a 2 seed?
11 times in 160 games since 1985. That is about 7 in 100. Princeton did it last, beating Arizona 59–55 in 2023.
130 days until Selection Sunday, Sunday, March 14, 2027.
Start your bracketThe 15-over-2 upset is getting more common.
All 11 wins
| Year | Winner | Beat | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Richmond | Syracuse | 73–69 |
| 1993 | Santa Clara | Arizona | 64–61 |
| 1997 | Coppin State | South Carolina | 78–65 |
| 2001 | Hampton | Iowa State | 58–57 |
| 2012 | Lehigh | Duke | 75–70 |
| 2012 | Norfolk State | Missouri | 86–84 |
| 2013 | Florida Gulf Coast | Georgetown | 78–68 |
| 2016 | Middle Tennessee | Michigan State | 90–81 |
| 2021 | Oral Roberts | Ohio State | 75–72 |
| 2022 | Saint Peter's | Kentucky | 85–79 |
| 2023 | Princeton | Arizona | 59–55 |
One run went deep
Four of the 11 winners won again.
Saint Peter's went furthest. It beat Kentucky in 2022, then won twice more and reached the Elite Eight.
No 15 seed has reached the Final Four.
How we counted
Counted from every men's tournament game, 1985 to 2025.
Main bracket only. First Four and Opening Round games are not counted.
The full table lives on which first-round upsets happen most.
Five questions start your bracket. Your picks finish it.
The picker opens on Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027. Name your favorite and your upsets.
Common questions
How often does a 15 seed beat a 2 seed?
11 times in 160 games since 1985, about 7 in 100. It has happened in 10 of 40 tournaments.
Has a 15 seed ever reached the Final Four?
No. Saint Peter's came closest, reaching the Elite Eight in 2022.