The 2026 Cinderella was No. 11 Texas, which won a First Four game and two more to reach the Sweet 16, and lost there to No. 2 Purdue by two points. The next tournament starts with Selection Sunday on March 14, 2027, and it is the first with 76 teams.
What a Cinderella is
A Cinderella is a low seed, usually 10th or worse, that wins more than one game and reaches the second weekend. The word has no official definition. The useful test is the Sweet 16: a double-digit seed that gets there has won at least two games against better-seeded teams.
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By that test the 2026 tournament had one. Texas was the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16.
The 2026 underdog runs
| Team | Seed | Wins | Where it ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 11 | NC State 68-66 (First Four), No. 6 BYU 79-71, No. 3 Gonzaga 74-68 | Lost 79-77 to No. 2 Purdue, Sweet 16 |
| Iowa | 9 | No. 8 Clemson 67-61, No. 1 Florida 73-72, No. 4 Nebraska 77-71 | Lost 71-59 to No. 3 Illinois, Elite Eight |
| High Point | 12 | No. 5 Wisconsin 83-82 | Lost 94-88 to No. 4 Arkansas, second round |
| VCU | 11 | No. 6 North Carolina 82-78 | Lost 76-55 to No. 3 Illinois, second round |
| Texas A&M | 10 | No. 7 Saint Mary’s 63-50 | Lost 88-57 to No. 2 Houston, second round |
| Miami (Ohio) | 11 | SMU 89-79 (First Four) | Lost 78-56 to No. 6 Tennessee, first round |
Iowa went furthest of the low seeds. As a No. 9 it was not a double-digit seed, but it knocked out No. 1 Florida by a point in the second round and reached the Elite Eight.
The rest of the bracket held its shape. Three of the four No. 1 seeds reached the Elite Eight, and No. 1 Michigan beat No. 2 UConn 69-63 in the final on April 6, 2026.
The 2027 tournament
- Selection Sunday: March 14, 2027
- Opening Round (12 games): March 16-17, in Dayton, Ohio, and Wichita, Kansas
- First Round (32 games): March 18-19
- Second Round: March 20-21
- Sweet 16: March 25-26
- Elite Eight: March 27-28
- Final Four and title game: April 3 and 5, Ford Field, Detroit
The field grows from 68 to 76, and the First Four becomes a 12-game Opening Round, all played before the 64-team First Round. In 2026, two of the four First Four winners, Texas and Miami (Ohio), were No. 11 seeds, and Texas made the Sweet 16 from there.
Betting on a Cinderella
There is no Cinderella market, and no price for the 2027 tournament is quoted here: the field is not set until March 14. The ways to back one are a moneyline on a low seed in a single game, the spread on that game, or a price on the team to win its region.
A No. 11 seed at +220 on the moneyline is priced at 31.3%, and a regional price of +2500 at 3.8%. Either is worth taking only when you rate the chance higher than the price does. A Cinderella run needs two or three of those wins in a row, and the price on the run is the product of them. In 2026 the only double-digit seed to string two together was Texas.
The college basketball championship odds follow the 2027 title board, and the Sweet 16 odds and South Regional odds pick up the second weekend. For a bracket pool, funny March Madness bracket names helps, and the NIT odds cover the other tournament. Our college basketball predictions start with the season. For paid picks, compare the best handicappers, and read our sportsbook reviews before you open an account.