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How 6 Seeds do in the NCAA Men’s Tournament
The seeding system is one of the most heavily scrutinized aspects of the NCAA Tournament. Without seeds, there is no bracket.
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.
Teams need strong regular season performances to earn 6 seeds – they’re all among the top 25 teams by seed heading into the tournament. Still, their record of success in the Tournament exemplifies the madness that March is known for.
Here's a closer look at how 6 seeds do in the NCAA Men's Tournament
| Seed | NCAAM Titles | Overall Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | 65% |
| 2 | 5 | 14% |
| 3 | 4 | 11% |
| 4 | 1 | 3% |
| 5 | 0 | 0% |
| 6 | 1 | 3% |
| 7 | 1 | 3% |
| 8 | 1 | 3% |
Over the years, only three teams have entered the tournament as 6 seeds and advanced to the Final Four. Two of them made it to the Finals. The only 6 seed to ever got down the nets was the Kansas Jayhawks in 1988.
In the opening round, 6 seeds have a 94-54 record against 11 seeds since 1985 It’s a strong record overall, but Texas was the only 6 seed to advance past the first round in the 2022 tournament proving they are no lock to survive the opening round.
