Ultimate Guide to March Madness Seed Records: Men's and Women's NCAA Tournament Performance
Explore the historical performance of every seed in the NCAA March Madness tournaments for both men's and women's basketball since 1985 and 1994, respectively.
There's nothing quite like the thrill of March Madness, where every game can turn into an unforgettable story. From the adrenaline-pumping buzzer-beaters to the shocking upsets, the NCAA Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments bring an unparalleled level of excitement as they herald the arrival of spring.
While the top seeds have historically dominated the tournaments, combining for 48 national championships since the fields expanded to 64 teams, the lower-seeded teams have also made their mark by clinching significant victories and trophies.
Women's Tournament Performance (since 1994)
- No. 1 Seed: 459-97 (23 national championships)
- No. 2 Seed: 318-116 (four national championships)
- No. 3 Seed: 263-117 (three national championships)
- No. 4 Seed: 213-120 (one national runner-up)
- No. 5 Seed: 141-120 (one national runner-up)
- No. 6 Seed: 123-120 (one Final Four appearance)
- No. 7 Seed: 103-120 (two Final Four appearances)
- No. 8 Seed: 63-120 (one Sweet 16 appearance)
- No. 9 Seed: 66-120 (one Final Four appearance)
- No. 10 Seed: 48-120 (one Elite Eight appearance)
- No. 11 Seed: 51-120 (one Elite Eight appearance)
- No. 12 Seed: 31-120 (two Sweet 16 appearances)
- No. 13 Seed: 10-120 (three Sweet 16 appearances)
- No. 14 Seed: 0-120
- No. 15 Seed: 0-120
- No. 16 Seed: 1-120 (Harvard's historic win over top-ranked Stanford in 1998)
Men's Tournament Performance (since 1985)
- No. 1 Seed: 515-131 (25 national championships)
- No. 2 Seed: 363-151 (five national championships)
- No. 3 Seed: 287-152 (four national championships)
- No. 4 Seed: 243-154 (two national championships)
- No. 5 Seed: 180-156 (four national runners-up)
- No. 6 Seed: 163-155 (one national championship)
- No. 7 Seed: 139-155* (one national championship)
- No. 8 Seed: 111-155 (one national championship)
- No. 9 Seed: 96-156 (two Final Four appearances)
- No. 10 Seed: 94-155* (one Final Four appearance)
- No. 11 Seed: 104-156 (five Final Four appearances)
- No. 12 Seed: 79-156 (two Elite Eight appearances)
- No. 13 Seed: 39-156 (six Sweet 16 appearances)
- No. 14 Seed: 25-156 (two Sweet 16 appearances)
- No. 15 Seed: 16-156 (one Sweet 16 appearance)
- No. 16 Seed: 2-156 (two round of 32 appearances)
*The 2021 round of 64 game between No. 7 Oregon and No. 10 VCU was ruled a no-contest due to COVID-19 protocols.
For more in-depth coverage, check out the ESPN men's college basketball hub page and ESPN women's college basketball hub page.
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