March Madness 2026: The Upsets Are Here and Your Bracket Is Already Broken

March Madness 2026: The Upsets Are Here and Your Bracket Is Already Broken

It took exactly one game for the madness to begin.

The first tip-off of the 2026 NCAA Tournament hadn't even cooled down before brackets across America started crumbling. If you picked a clean bracket this year — congratulations, you're already wrong. Welcome to March.

Day One Delivered Everything

TCU led Ohio State by 15 points at halftime, squandered the entire lead, then escaped 66-64 on a basket in the final four seconds by Xavier Edmonds — the youngest of nine kids. That was the very first game of the day. The mood of the entire tournament was set immediately. (SSBCrack)

And it only got wilder from there.

No. 12 High Point stunned No. 5 Wisconsin 83-82 in one of the most memorable moments of the first round. (NPR) The hero? A 26-year-old reserve who hadn't made a single 2-point shot all season — Chase Johnston — suddenly found himself with an open layup for the biggest field goal in school history. (SSBCrack) His first 2-pointer of the year. In the NCAA Tournament. Against Wisconsin. You can't write this stuff.

No. 11 VCU eliminated No. 6 North Carolina, and No. 11 Texas moved past No. 6 BYU (MPR News) — making it a brutal opening day for power conference programs.

In total, we saw a trio of upsets on Day One: VCU, Texas, and High Point all advancing as double-digit seeds. (TRADING ECONOMICS)

History Was Also Made

Nebraska — a program playing organized basketball since 1896 — finally earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, a 76-47 victory over Troy. (SSBCrack) It took 130 years, but the Cornhuskers can now say they've done what 246 schools had already accomplished before them.

Duke Survived — Barely

Duke, the No. 1 overall seed, barely survived their first-round game (U.S. News & World Report) — a reminder that no team, no matter how talented, is safe in March. Cameron Boozer and the Blue Devils are still alive, but the message was clear: this tournament will not be handed to anyone.

The Perfect Brackets Are Basically Gone

We started the 2026 NCAA Tournament with more than 36 million brackets submitted across major platforms. After just two days of play, only 224 perfect brackets remained. (TRADING ECONOMICS)

To put that in perspective: you're more likely to be struck by lightning than to have a perfect bracket at this point. March does this every single year — and we love it every single time.

What's Coming Next: Second Round Today

The Second Round tips off today, Saturday March 21, with more games scheduled for Sunday March 22. (CNBC) The surviving Cinderellas — High Point, VCU, Texas — now face another test. Can any of them keep dancing?

The Sweet 16 is right around the corner, and if the first round taught us anything, it's that nothing is guaranteed. Duke is still the favorite. But favorites don't always survive March.

Our Upset Watch for Round Two

Keep your eyes on these teams as Round Two tips off:

High Point — They already proved they belong. Can they do it again?

VCU — Knocked out North Carolina in overtime. The Rams are dangerous.

TCU — Escaped by the skin of their teeth, but they're still standing.

One of these teams is going to the Sweet 16. Maybe more than one.

Stay with PopScope USA all tournament long — we'll track every upset, every bracket buster, and every Cinderella story as March Madness 2026 rolls on.

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