Elite Eight
In the NCAA men's Division I basketball championship or the NCAA women's Division I basketball championship, the "Elite Eight" comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. In Division I and Division III, the Elite Eight consists of the two teams in each of the four regional championship games. The winners advance to the Final Four. Since 1997, when the NCAA trademarked the phrase,[1] in Division II, the Elite Eight consists of the eight winners of the eight Division II regions. Like the Division I Final Four, the Division II Elite Eight games are all held in one predetermined location.
In the men's Division I, the lowest-seeded team ever to reach this round in the modern 64-team tournament era is No. 15 seed Saint Peter's University in 2022.[2]
Two No. 12 seeds have advanced to the Elite Eight: Missouri in 2002, and the Oregon State Beavers in 2021.
Ten No. 11 seeds have advanced to the Elite Eight: LSU (1986), Loyola Marymount (1990), Temple (2001), George Mason (2006), Virginia Commonwealth (2011), Dayton (2014), Xavier (2017), Loyola Chicago (2018), UCLA (2021), and North Carolina State (2024). There have only been four seasons where two double-digit-seeded teams have made it to the Elite Eight: 1990 (10 seed Texas and 11 seed LMU); 2002 (12 seed Missouri and 10 seed Kent State); 2021, where both were from the same conference (12 seed Oregon State and 11 seed UCLA); and 2022 (10 seed Miami and 15 seed Saint Peter's).
On average, three of the four No. 1 seeds make it to the Elite Eight each year. There has only been one occurrence in history in which no No. 1 seeds made the Elite Eight (2023). In men's play, the Elite Eight exists intact for less than 24 hours between the second Friday evening and the following Saturday afternoon of the tournament. The Elite Eight also represents the halfway mark of the men's tournament since each qualifying team must win three rounds (games) to reach the national quarterfinals, with three rounds remaining to reach and win the national championship game.
Like "March Madness," the phrase "Elite Eight" originally referred to the Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship, the single-elimination high school basketball tournament run by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). When the IHSA finals were reduced from sixteen to eight teams in 1956, a replacement nickname for Sweet Sixteen was needed, and Elite Eight won popular favor. The IHSA trademarked the term in 1995; the trademark rights are now held by the March Madness Athletic Association, a joint venture between the NCAA and IHSA formed after a 1996 court case allowed both organizations to use "March Madness" for their own tournaments.
The Elite Eight can also refer to the eight NCAA Division I baseball teams that reach the College World Series.
In addition, the term is often colloquially used to denote quarterfinalists in the four major North American professional sports; i.e., the teams that reach the American League Division Series and the National League Division Series in Major League Baseball, the Divisional Playoffs in either conference of the National Football League, and the conference semi-finals in the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League.
NCAA men's Division I tournament
[edit]- During the first 12 years of the tournament (1939–50, inclusive) only eight teams competed, meaning every team that qualified in those years was an automatic "Elite Eight" team.
- Idaho State in 1977, which defeated UCLA in the previous round to end the Bruins' streak of consecutive Final Four appearances at 10 to end the John Wooden-era dynasty[3]
Double-digit seeds to reach the Men's Elite Eight
[edit]10 seeds
[edit]Six teams seeded No. 10 have reached the regional final round with two (2016 Syracuse, 2022 Miami (FL)) advancing to the Final Four.
| Year | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Providence | First 10 seed to advance to Elite Eight |
| 1999 | Gonzaga | |
| 2002 | Kent State | First time two double-digit seeds reached the Elite Eight in the same tournament (Missouri)[4] |
| 2008 | Davidson | Stephen Curry propelled the Wildcats to a near upset of eventual National champion Kansas.[5] |
| 2016 | Syracuse | |
| 2022 | Miami (FL) | Head coach Jim Larrañaga was the first to take two double-digit-seeded teams to the Elite Eight under different schools (George Mason in 2006) |
11 seeds
[edit]A total of ten teams seeded No. 11 have reached the Elite Eight – more than all other double-digit seeds combined. Six advanced to the Final Four.
| Year | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | LSU | First double-digit seed to advance to Elite Eight and Final Four |
| 1990 | Loyola Marymount | One of the team's stars, Hank Gathers, collapsed and died on the court during the WCC Tournament, and teammates (including Bo Kimble, who shot his first free throw of each tournament game left-handed) honored Gathers during the tournament.[6] |
| 2001 | Temple | Finished the 2001 regular season on a remarkable run, winning the Atlantic 10 tournament behind play of Lynn Greer before succumbing to Michigan State. |
| 2006 | George Mason | First 11 seed to advance to the Final Four since 1986, after defeating 1 seed UConn in overtime in the Elite Eight |
| 2011 | Virginia Commonwealth | The first "First Four" team to advance to the Final Four |
| 2014 | Dayton | |
| 2017 | Xavier | |
| 2018 | Loyola–Chicago | Reached the Final Four |
| 2021 | UCLA Bruins | The second First Four team to advance to the Final Four |
| 2024 | NC State Wolfpack | The program's first Final Four since capturing the 1983 National championship |
12 seeds
[edit]Two twelve seeds have reached the regional final round. Neither advanced to the Final Four.
| Year | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Missouri | First 12 seed to advance to Elite Eight[7] |
| 2021 | Oregon State |
15 seeds
[edit]| Year | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Saint Peter's | First 15 seed (and first below a 12 seed) to advance to Elite Eight |
Double-digit seeds to reach the Women's Elite Eight
[edit]In 1991, with 48 participants in the tournament, No. 10 seed Lamar reached the regional final round. The women's tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994, and double-digit seeds have reached the Elite Eight round three more times (2011, 2017, 2022). No double-digit seed has reached the Final Four of the women's NCAA tournament.
10 seeds
[edit]| Year | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Lamar | |
| 2017 | Oregon | |
| 2022 | Creighton |
11 seeds
[edit]| Year | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Gonzaga |
References
[edit]- ^ "Trademark record for serial no. 74687330 (Elite Eight)". United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ "St. Peter's becomes the first 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight after stunning March Madness win against Purdue". CBS News. March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Bruins were finally floored
- ^ "For Kent State, 'Validation'". The Washington Post. March 22, 2002. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ "Davidson continues dream run into Elite Eight". reuters.com. March 28, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ Mike Downey (March 24, 1990). "Lions Refuse to Let Ship Be Grounded". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
- ^ "Tigers Upend UCLA, 82-73, To Advance To Elite Eight". University of Missouri Athletics. March 21, 2002. Retrieved March 22, 2025.