Fill My Bracket starts a full March Madness bracket from five questions.

What was the closest March Madness final?

One point, six times. The last one-point final was 1989. Michigan beat Seton Hall 80 to 79, in overtime.

128 days until Selection Sunday, Sunday, March 14, 2027.

Every one-point final

Year	Champion	Beat	Score
1953	Indiana	Kansas	69 to 68
1957	North Carolina	Kansas	54 to 53, three overtimes
1959	California	West Virginia	71 to 70
1982	North Carolina	Georgetown	63 to 62
1987	Indiana	Syracuse	74 to 73
1989	Michigan	Seton Hall	80 to 79, overtime

Kansas lost two of the six. Both were by one point.

Six more finals were decided by two points.

The most recent was 2025.

Florida beat Houston 65 to 63.

No final since 1989 has been decided by one point.

Counted from the site’s champions list, 1939 to 2026.

The margin is the title game score gap.

Five questions start your bracket. Your picks finish it.

The picker opens on Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027. Name your favorite and your upsets.

What was the closest March Madness final?

Six finals were decided by one point. The most recent was 1989, when Michigan beat Seton Hall 80 to 79 in overtime.

Has a March Madness final ever been decided by one point?

Yes, six times: 1953, 1957, 1959, 1982, 1987, and 1989. Kansas lost two of them, in 1953 and 1957.

What was the closest recent March Madness final?

The 2025 final. Florida beat Houston 65 to 63, a two-point game. No final since 1989 has been closer.