Mississippi’s Matthew Murrell (11) blocked a shot attempt by North Carolina’s RJ Davis (4) during the second half of their NCAA tournament first-round game on Friday, March 21, 2025, in Milwaukee. Mississippi’s Dre Davis also reached for the ball as the play unfolded. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
The NCAA Tournament has once again proven how unpredictable it can be, with nearly all perfect brackets wiped out after Friday’s early games. Out of 34 million entries, only 0.0044% remained flawless, according to the NCAA.
Brackets Crumble as Upsets Roll In
ESPN, which had 24 million participants in its bracket challenge, reported that just 1,098 perfect brackets were left after Ole Miss pulled off a 71-64 victory over North Carolina. Over at Yahoo Sports, the Men’s Bracket Mayhem competition saw more than 100 entries eliminated after the same game, leaving only 81 unscathed—essentially 0%.
CBS Sports saw a similar trend, with only 0.005% of brackets still intact following the Ole Miss win. Each year, millions of fans try their luck at predicting the perfect bracket, but with the unpredictable nature of March Madness, keeping a flawless record is nearly impossible.
Shocking Losses Wipe Out Millions
One of the biggest bracket-busting moments came when Clemson, a heavily favoured team, was upset by McNeese in a tight 69-67 game. Yahoo reported that 85% of its participants had Clemson advancing, while ESPN saw 6.6 million brackets ruined by the Tigers’ loss.
Thursday's matchups were just as brutal for hopeful participants. Creighton dominated Louisville 89-75, knocking out 13,339,089 brackets on ESPN alone. These unexpected results prove that even the most confident predictions can collapse in an instant.
The Unluckiest Brackets
While most people aim for perfection, a handful of participants achieved a bizarre feat—getting every single game wrong. ESPN reported that 30 of its brackets failed to pick a single winner, a statistical anomaly that’s nearly as rare as a perfect bracket itself.
With more upsets likely to come, the already slim chances of maintaining a flawless bracket continue to shrink. The chaos of March Madness is exactly what makes it so thrilling—every game has the potential to rewrite expectations.
