Has a No. 15 seed ever reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament?

The No. 15 Princeton Tigers are headed to the Sweet 16 after beating the Missouri Tigers 78-63 in Round 2 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. They shocked No. 2 Arizona 59-55 in the first round, and are now heading to Louisville for a regional semifinal.

But is Princeton the first No. 15 seed in history to make it to the Sweet 16 round? Let’s take a look at the company they keep.

History of No. 15 seeds in Sweet 16 in NCAA Tournament

A total of four No. 15 seeds have now reached the NCAA Tournament — and two of those three reached the third round in the last two years. In 2022, Saint Peter’s Peacocks reached not just the Sweet 16, but actually became the first ever No. 15 to get to the Elite Eight. They beat No. 2 Kentucky in an instant overtime classic before overcoming No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 Purdue. They fell to North Carolina ahead of the Final Four.

In 2021, the Max Abmas-led Oral Roberts Golden Eagles shocked the nation and immediately became a fan favorite with their Sweet 16 run. They beat No. 2 Ohio State in the first round and No. 7 Florida in the second round before falling to No. 3 Arkansas in a close game.

The first team to ever made the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed was the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles back in 2013. FGCU made history with wins over No. 2 Georgetown and No. 7 San Diego State before getting taking down by Florida.