If you’re over 30 and have ever eaten a gallon of ice cream or extra large pizza by yourself, then you already know it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. With that logic in mind, how many March Madness upsets are too many?
This year seems to be the right time to ask that question. Not only did we have a number 16 seed upend a one seed, but the bracket as a whole is a mess. You have number six Creighton facing off against fifteenth-seeded Princeton along with seven, eight and nine-seeded squads still in the big dance. The Sweet Sixteen feels more like a Hydrox than an Oreo in 2023.
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear before we continue. Upsets are good, and it’s awesome to have non-major schools playing after the opening rounds. This is what makes college basketball great. On the other hand, no one would want to watch Cinderella if eight princesses were searching for eight Prince Charmings.
Underdogs are great. So too, is seeing the best teams. There is a balance that must be struck or else you risk devaluing the entire NCAA tournament.
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How many March Madness upsets are too many?
There is no number or set limit of upsets to qualify. When you know, you know. This year is dangerously close to crossing the line, but I think two factors keep it from being oversaturated with underdogs.
Firstly, this was a down year for elite teams in college basketball. Purdue and Marquette weren’t even ranked in the top-25 to start the season and some pre-season favorites turned out to be average. Secondly, there are still several higher seeds remaining. Three, four and five seeds are still really good teams and plenty of those survived.
As far as how many March Madness upsets are too many? The answer can be found in the 2018 NCAA Tournament bracket. While we all fondly recall Loyola Chicago’s run, that entire March was a case study in too many Cinderellas.
That year saw two 7’s, two 9’s and two 11’s all advance to the second weekend. And while there were some excellent games throughout, everything felt a bit random. Even now, I have no idea if those 2018 games were actually upsets or if the entire season was just one big fluke. That takes away from the fun.
All things considered, March Madness is great because of the upsets. On the other hand, too many make the entire tournament feel hollow. This year’s proliferation of underdogs is more a case of lousy seeding and general parity than anything else.
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