In ESPN analyst Dick Vitale’s words on social media on Monday, “It’s MARCH MADNESS Baby!”
The field of 68 for the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been revealed, and that means it is also upset season.
In nine of the past 13 years, lower seeds have won at least 10 games in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, there were nine total upsets, while No. 1 UConn waltzed to its second-straight title. Historically, an average of 4.7 upsets occur each year in the first round, which begins on Thursday.
As people furiously fill out their brackets, the iconic broadcaster issued an upset warning to three big teams that could contribute to the madness this year.
Up first is 5-seed Clemson, who Vitale believes has a tough draw against 12-seed McNeese State. The Tigers took down 1-seed Duke at home on Feb. 8, which was Vitale’s first broadcast after a long battle with cancer, but he thinks the Cowboys can upset the ACC powerhouse after seeing Clemson in person.
He pointed out another possible No. 12 over No. 5 upset by putting the Memphis Tigers on alert against the Mountain West champion, Colorado State. On average, there are 1.4 first-round upsets per tournament by a 12-seed, so Penny Hardaway’s Tigers must be careful.
Finally, the 85-year-old put the pressure on No. 6 BYU ahead of its first-round game against No. 11 VCU. The Rams have a history of magical runs in March. The most notable one happened in 2011, when they made the Final Four as — you guessed it — an 11-seed.
Vitale’s full bracket is public, and it includes more major upset picks than just the three teams he called out on Monday.
