Does a 15 seed beat a 2 seed every year? Exploring history behind biggest upsets in March Madness

As March Madness approaches, the excitement among college basketball fans continues to rise. The upsets make the tournament even more thrilling and memorable.

So, does a 15 seed beat a 2 seed every year, and what are some of the biggest upsets in the history of the NCAA tournament?

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The history of the 15 Seed against 2 Seed in March Madness

Last year on the opening day of March Madness, there were plenty of upsets, including the 15 seed Princeton upsetting 2 seeds Arizona 59-55.

It was the 11th time that the 15 seed had beaten the 2 seed in the history of the NCAA Tournament. It was the third consecutive year that a 2 seed was beaten by a 15 seed.

In 2022, Kentucky lost to a determined Saint Peters, and in 2021, Ohio State was the victim of the Cinderella story, Oral Roberts.

The matchup between the 2 seed against the 15 seed stands at 141-11 in the history of March Madness, with the 15 seed winning 7.24% of the time.

• 1991 Richmond def. Syracuse 73-69
• 1993 Santa Clara def. Arizona 64-61
• 1997 Coppin State def. South Carolina 78-65
• 2001 Hampton def. Iowa State 58-57
• 2012 Lehigh def. Duke 75-70
• 2012 Norfolk State def. Missouri 86-84
• 2013 Florida Gulf Coast def. Georgetown 78-68
• 2016 Middle Tennessee def. Michigan State 90-81
• 2021 Oral Roberts def. Ohio State 75-72
• 2022 Saint Peter's def. Kentucky 85-79
• 2023: Princeton def. Arizona 59-55

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Princeton stuns Arizona

The matchup against Princeton was supposed to be an easy one for the much fancied 2 seeds,

Arizona had won the Pac-12 championship and was chosen by President Joe Biden as his favorites for March Madness.

The Wildcats led for most of the game and only relinquished the lead with 50 seconds remaining. Over the last 4:43 minutes, the Princeton Tigers held the Arizona Wildcats scoreless.

Princeton guard Matt Allocco summarized the enormity of the upset:.

“Pretty surreal feeling,” Matt Allocco said. “To beat a great team like that on this stage is a pretty special feeling. But also I can’t say I’m surprised. This team has been so good all year, so gritty.

"On paper, it’s going to look like a big upset. But we believe in each other, and we think we’re a really good team. When we’re at our best, then, I think we can beat anybody in the country.”

It was the Ivy League's first tournament win since Yale beat Baylor in 2016, making Arizona the only No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 15 seed twice, after losing to No. 15 Santa Clara in 1993.