Chaos Strikes Early in the NCAA Tournament

The opening day of the NCAA Tournament never fails to deliver, and this year was no exception. While many teams held serve, one shocking upset stole the show—and busted millions of brackets in the process.

NCAA Tournament Biggest Upset so Far: McNeese Stuns Clemson

In what will go down as one of the biggest upsets of the past decade, No. 12 McNeese took down No. 5 Clemson, sending shockwaves through the tournament. Not only did McNeese come out firing, but they controlled the game from start to finish, proving they belonged on the big stage.

Historically, 12-seeds have always been dangerous, but few saw this one coming. The last time a 12-seed won in such a commanding fashion was in 2013 when Oregon dominated Oklahoma State. The McNeese victory will join the long list of Cinderella stories, and their journey is just beginning.

While not quite on the level of UMBC’s legendary 16-over-1 upset of Virginia in 2018, this loss will haunt Clemson fans for years. It also marks yet another brutal first-round exit for an ACC team, as conference struggles continue in the tournament.

How Does It Compare to Past Years?

Historically, 5-seeds vs. 12-seeds have been ripe for upsets, but this year’s McNeese win stands out for the sheer number of brackets it shattered.

• The 5-12 upset rate sits at about 36% all-time, meaning nearly 1 in 3 of these matchups end in chaos.

• Recent 12-seed magic includes Oregon over Wisconsin in 2019 and Liberty over Mississippi State that same year.

• McNeese’s win marks the 23rd time in tournament history that a No. 12 has won outright.

The upset perfectly embodies what makes this tournament special—unknown teams rising to the occasion, proving rankings don’t mean everything.

Brackets Busted: A Brutal Opening Day for Millions

Every year, millions of hopefuls dream of a perfect bracket. But as always, those dreams came crashing down almost immediately.

Some of the craziest bracket-busting stats from Day 1:

• Total brackets entered this year: 24,388,542

• Louisville's loss in the first game wrecked over half of all brackets before noon!

• After Creighton’s win, only 36.17% of brackets remained unbusted.

• The McNeese upset destroyed nearly all hope, leaving just 5.7% (1.4M) perfect brackets.

• After Drake’s first-ever tournament win, only 0.27% remained perfect, with 317 brackets still at ZERO correct picks through 12 games.

• By the end of Day 1, only 30 brackets had gotten every single pick wrong (16 games played), while 25,802 perfect brackets were still alive!

It’s always fun to track bracket carnage, and this year’s destruction started earlier than usual. With 47 more games left, expect even more upsets and celebrations in the coming days.

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