College Basketball
March Madness: History Of No. 11 Seeds Beating No. 6 Seeds In NCAA Tournament
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Get to know Dan Girolamo betterPublished21 Mar 2025
One of the most popular upsets in the NCAA Tournament is the No. 11 seed beating the No. 6 seed. How many times has it happened? Find out the history of No. 11 seeds beating No. 6 seeds during March Madness.
No. 11 Drake Beats No. 6 Missouri
DRAKE IS HEADED TO THE SECOND ROUND 🐶
The Bulldogs pull off the upset over (6) Missouri 67-57 👀#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/xdFnwUWVmZ
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2025
It’s been a magical year for Drake head coach Ben McCollum. After 15 seasons at Division II Northwest Missouri State, McCollum jumped to Division I and accepted the Drake head coaching position on April 1.
The Bulldogs went 31-3 and won the Missouri Valley Conference.
Add NCAA Tournament-winning coach to McCollum’s resume.
The first-year head coach led No. 11 Drake to a 67-57 first-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 6 Missouri (22-12) on Thursday night.
Bennett Stirtz, who followed McCollum to Drake from Northwest Missouri State, scored 21 points.
Drake was in cruise control most of the game, jumping out to a 43-28 lead midway through the second half.
The Tigers closed the gap to 52-51. However, Drake weathered the storm and closed the game on a 15-5 run.
Drake will now play No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the second round on Saturday evening.
How Many Times Has No. 11 Beaten No. 6?
If you're picking a low seed to go far in March Madness, make it a No. 11 seed pic.twitter.com/cPNZHGYloA
— Lev Akabas (@LevAkabas) March 19, 2025
How many times has a No. 11 seed beat a No. 6 seed?
With Drake’s win, No. 11 seeds have defeated No. 6 seeds 62 times since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Since 2005, at least one No. 11 seed has won in the first round.
2024 saw three No. 11 seeds, with NC State getting to the Final Four.
View the list of No. 11 seeds to defeat No. 6 seeds.
| Year | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drake def. Missouri | 67-57 |
| 2024 | Oregon def. South Carolina | 87-73 |
| 2024 | NC State def. Texas Tech | 80-67 |
| 2024 | Duquesne def. BYU | 71-67 |
| 2023 | Pitt def. Iowa State | 59-41 |
| 2022 | Michigan def. Colorado State | 75-63 |
| 2022 | Notre Dame def. Alabama | 78-64 |
| 2022 | Iowa State def. LSU | 59-54 |
| 2021 | Syracuse def. San Diego State | 78-62 |
| 2021 | UCLA def. BYU | 73-62 |
| 2019 | Ohio State def. Iowa State | 62-59 |
| 2018 | Loyola Chicago def. Miami (FL) | 64-62 |
| 2018 | Syracuse def. TCU | 57-52 |
| 2017 | Rhode Island def. Creighton | 84-72 |
| 2017 | USC def. SMU | 66-65 |
| 2017 | Xavier def. Maryland | 76-65 |
| 2016 | Northern Iowa def. Texas | 75-72 |
| 2016 | Gonzaga def. Seton Hall | 68-52 |
| 2016 | Wichita State def. Arizona | 65-55 |
| 2015 | Dayton def. Providence | 66-53 |
| 2015 | UCLA def. SMU | 60-59 |
| 2014 | Tennessee def. UMass | 86-67 |
| 2014 | Dayton def. Ohio State | 60-59 |
| 2013 | Minnesota def. UCLA | 83-63 |
| 2012 | Colorado def. UNLV | 68-64 |
| 2012 | NC State def. San Diego State | 79-65 |
| 2011 | Marquette def. Xavier | 66-55 |
| 2011 | VCU def. Georgetown | 74-56 |
| 2011 | Gonzaga def. St. John’s | 86-71 |
| 2010 | Washington def. Marquette | 80-78 |
| 2010 | Old Dominion def. Notre Dame | 51-50 |
| 2009 | Dayton def. West Virginia | 68-62 |
| 2008 | Kansas State def. USC | 80-67 |
| 2007 | Winthrop def. Notre Dame | 76-64 |
| 2007 | VCU def. Duke | 79-77 |
| 2006 | Milwaukee def. Oklahoma | 82-74 |
| 2006 | George Mason def. Michigan State | 75-65 |
| 2005 | UAB def. LSU | 62-68 |
| 2003 | Central Michigan def. Creighton | 79-73 |
| 2002 | Wyoming def. Gonzaga | 73-68 |
| 2002 | Southern Illinois def. Texas Tech | 76-68 |
| 2001 | Georgia State def. Wisconsin | 50-49 |
| 2001 | Temple def. Texas | 79-65 |
| 2000 | Pepperdine def. Indiana | 77-57 |
| 1998 | Washington def. Xavier | 69-68 |
| 1998 | Western Michigan def. Clemson | 75-72 |
| 1996 | Boston College def. Indiana | 64-51 |
| 1995 | Texas def. Oregon | 90-73 |
| 1994 | Penn def. Nebraska | 90-80 |
| 1993 | Tulane def. Kansas State | 55-53 |
| 1991 | Creighton def. New Mexico State | 64-56 |
| 1991 | UConn def. LSU | 79-62 |
| 1990 | Loyola Marymount def. New Mexico State | 111-92 |
| 1989 | Minnesota def. Kansas State | 86-75 |
| 1989 | Evansville def. Oregon State | 94-90 |
| 1989 | South Alabama def. Alabama | 86-84 |
| 1989 | Texas def. Georgia Tech | 76-70 |
| 1988 | Rhode Island def. Missouri | 87-80 |
| 1986 | LSU def. Purdue | 94-87 |
| 1985 | Boston College def. Texas Tech | 55-53 |
| 1985 | UTEP def. Tulsa | 79-75 |
| 1985 | Auburn def. Purdue | 59-58 |
