Chances are, you no longer have a perfect bracket.
Well, scratch that: It’s almost guaranteed you don’t have a perfect bracket through three days of the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament with half the field set for the Sweet 16 through Saturday, March 21.
REQUIRED READING: March Madness games today: Breaking down Sunday’s men’s NCAA Tournament matchups
Fans already faced impossibly long odds of creating a perfect bracket. So having upsets on Day 1 took out a massive chunk of brackets. However, the chalkiness of the ensuing games — with just one double-digit seed headed to the Sweet 16 — likely also eliminated a bunch of brackets.
Blame Texas. Blame Gonzaga.
Here’s a look at how many perfect brackets remain in March Madness, with plenty more opportunities for upsets on the horizon:
1 / 13
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A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
1 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
2 / 13
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Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
3 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
4 / 13
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A view of Buddy the Street Dog as Queens University of Charlotte Royals guard Yoav Berman talks to the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis on March 19, 2026.
5 / 13
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The High Point Panthers band performs prior to a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
6 / 13
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High Point Panthers fans cheer prior to a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Wisconsin Badgers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
7 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders preform during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
8 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The South Florida Bulls mascot performs during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center on March 19, 2026 in Buffalo, NY.
9 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleaders perform in the first half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
10 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The Troy Trojans mascot dances on the floor during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
11 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The UCF Knights band performs during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 19, 2026 in Philadelphia.
12 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders perform during the second half against the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
13 / 13
See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
A Wisconsin Badgers cheerleader performs during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Or.
How many people still have perfect bracket in March Madness?
Last updated 8 a.m. ET on March 22
ESPN: 2 perfect brackets remain (beginning with 26,029,409)
NCAA: 2 perfect brackets remain
As of 8 a.m. ET on March 22, four perfect brackets remain in either the ESPN or NCAA bracket challenges. The NCAA did not provide the full number of brackets entered, but ESPN did. Only two of the 26,029,409 remain.
The biggest culprit on Saturday was No. 11 Texas’ upset win over No. 3 Gonzaga. Before the game, 120 perfect brackets remained. Following the Longhorns’ win, we were down to 27.
The four remaining perfect brackets
Here they are. The four smartest (or luckiest) bracketologists (of more than 26 million) of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, according to the NCAA:
