Every NCAA tournament, 67 teams finish their season with a loss. But only one team can be considered the “biggest loser”. This team, which we will call the Biggest Transitive Loser, is the the worst team in the tournament based on the transitive property. In other words, this is the team that lost to Team A, who lost to Team B, who lost to Team C, who lost to Team D, who lost to Team E, and so on.
This year, we are down to a Transitive Loser Final Four:
10 seed Drake (who lost to Washington State, who lost to Iowa State, who lost to Illinois, who lost to UConn)
8 seed Nebraska (who lost to Texas A&M, who lost to Houston, who lost to Duke, who lost to NC State)
6 seed South Carolina (who lost to Oregon, who lost to Creighton, who lost to Tennessee, who lost to Purdue)
10 seed Nevada (who lost to Dayton, who lost to Arizona, who lost to Clemson, who lost to Alabama)
The Biggest Transitive Loser title clinching scenarios are:
Nebraska wins the crown if Purdue makes the title game and loses
South Carolina wins the crown if NC State makes the title game and loses
Drake wins the crown if Alabama makes the title game and loses
Nevada wins the crown if UConn makes the title game and loses
The 2023 Biggest Transitive Loser was 15 seed Vermont, who lost to Marquette, who lost to Michigan State, who lost to Kansas State, who lost to Florida Atlantic, who lost to San Diego State, who lost to UConn.
Some Previous Tournament Facts (since 1985 tourney expansion):
The most common seed to win is the 15 seed (9 times), followed by the 4 seed (5 times).
The only multiple time winners are New Mexico State (2015, 2007) and Oklahoma (2014, 1995).
The only seeds who have yet to win are 1 seeds, 2 seeds, and 9 seeds.
A play-in team has never won.
All Previous Biggest Transitive Losers:
2023: 15 seed Vermont
2022: 8 seed Boise State
2021: 12 seed Georgetown
2019: 5 seed Mississippi State
2018: 4 seed Arizona
2017: 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s
2016: 5 seed Purdue
2015: 15 seed New Mexico State
2014: 5 seed Oklahoma
2013: 10 seed Colorado
2012: 12 seed Harvard
2011: 4 seed Louisville
2010: 7 seed Oklahoma State
2009: 7 seed California
2008: 15 seed Belmont
2007: 13 seed New Mexico State
2006: 3 seed Iowa
2005: 14 seed Winthrop
2004: 5 seed Florida
2003: 4 seed Dayton
2002: 16 seed Boston U
2001: 15 seed Princeton
2000: 14 seed Appalachian State
1999: 15 seed Arkansas State
1998: 3 seed South Carolina
1997: 14 seed Butler
1996: 6 seed Indiana
1995: 4 seed Oklahoma
1994: 13 seed Drexel
1993: 15 seed Tennessee State
1992: 15 seed Louisiana-Monroe
1991: 11 seed Southern Miss
1990: 14 seed Texas Southern
1989: 13 seed Rutgers
1988: 11 seed Saint John’s
1987: 4 seed Clemson
1986: 15 seed Akron
1985: 15 seed Marshall