Topline
Only four perfect brackets remain after Saturday’s second round games for the NCAA March Madness men’s tournament, according to the organization, as those four users hope to overcome the staggering odds to correctly pick the winners of all 63 games.
Kentucky’s Otega Oweh celebrates after making a basket.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Key Facts
Two of the brackets were submitted to ESPN’s Tournament Challenge, and another two submitted to the NCAA’s Men’s Bracket Challenge Game.
The number of perfect brackets was slashed from 120 to 27 on Saturday night, when No. 11 seed Texas upset No. 3 seed Gonzaga, while No. 4 seed Nebraska’s win over No. 5 seed Vanderbilt whittled that number down to four, according to the NCAA.
Before the games tipped off on Saturday, 224 brackets were still perfect.
Over 36 million brackets were submitted in major online games through ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, USA Today and Sports Illustrated, according to the NCAA.
More than half of the brackets were eliminated after the first game of the tournament, when No. 9-seeded TCU edged No. 8-seeded Ohio State in a 66-64 victory.
What Are The Odds Of A Perfect Bracket?
One in 9.22 quintillion if you flip a coin or guess every pick. However, odds improve to a still abysmal estimated one in 120.2 billion if entrants have knowledge of college basketball and the tournament’s teams, according to the NCAA. A perfect bracket requires entrants to pick 63 games correctly.
Surprising Fact
Those who submitted brackets through prediction market Kalshi can win $1 billion if they pull off the near-impossible with a perfect bracket. The highest scoring bracket will receive a $1 million prize.
Key Background
Nobody has ever picked a perfect March Madness bracket, according to NCAA data. The closest someone has come to beating the odds was an Ohio man, who in 2019 predicted 49 of the 63 games correctly. His bracket was busted during the Sweet Sixteen round. Last year, a bracket remained perfect through 42 games and was busted after No. 3 seed Kentucky defeated No. 6 seed Illinois, marking the first time since 2019 a perfect men’s bracket lasted until the tournament’s second round. For women’s basketball, one bracket made it as far as 57 games out of the 67 games played.
What Teams Are The Favorites?
Before the tournament tipped off, the University of Arizona was favored to win this year’s men’s tournament, according to DraftKings, which put the juggernaut at a +320 betting line, just ahead of Michigan (+370) and Duke (+380). The University of Connecticut boasts a -265 betting line in the women’s tournament. All those teams were still alive as of Sunday.
About the Author
