How 3 Seeds do in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament

The seeding system is one of the more compelling aspects of the NCAA Tournament.

March Madness is notorious for the surprising results that come from a 64-team field. Higher-seeded teams win more often than not, but history remembers the early-round upset artists as much as – perhaps more than – it remembers the champions.

How have 3 seeds performed historically in the NCAA Tournament?

Since the tournament expanded to its current format in 1985, third-seeded teams have won 4 of 37 National Championships. Here's how they stack up among the other top-seeded teams:

Seed	NCAAM Titles	Overall Percentage of Tournaments
1	24	65%
2	5	14%
3	4	11%
4	1	3%

3 seeds have enjoyed a similar level of success as 2 seeds, but both are dwarfed considerably by 1 seeds. Here's a look at all 3 seeds to capture the title in a 64-team field

Connecticut (2011)
Florida (2006)
Syracuse (2003)
Michigan (1989)

It isn't uncommon to see 3 seeds during the final weekend, with 17 total runs to the Final Four of the tournament, and have a striking 11-6 record in the semifinal round. They are just 4-7 in the Title Game.

In the opening weekend, 3 seeds have a dominant with 122-22 record against 14 seeds. Texas became the most recent 3 seed to lose on opening weekend after falling to 53-52 to Abilene Christian in 2021.