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First-Round March Madness Upset Eliminates Over 50% Of All ESPN NCAA Tournament Brackets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Mar 20, 2025 2:53 PM ET

The 2025 NCAA Tournament first round began with an upset. No. 8 Louisville and No. 9 Creighton faced off in the first game on Thursday.

However, Louisville lost, 89-75, despite the Cardinals being a favorite and playing the game in Lexington, Kentucky, just an hour-and-a-half drive from the Louisville campus.

When March Madness rolls around, fans everywhere are trying their best to fill out a perfect tournament bracket.

The chances of getting a perfect bracket are just 1 in 9.2 quintillion, so very minuscule. If that happens, places are giving out lots of prizes, including Warren Buffet, Elon Musk and others.

Unfortunately, Louisville's loss already eliminated 54.26% of the brackets, vai the ESPN Tournament Challenge app.

MORE THAN HALF OF ALL BRACKETS GOT DUSTED AFTER ONE GAME

Creighton gets the first win of the NCAA tournament against Louisville. pic.twitter.com/EXpRgUVHvP
— ESPN (@espn) March 20, 2025

That's a big number, and the 8-9 games are always fairly close and difficult to predict.

Creighton jumped out to a 49-34 lead at halftime. In the second half, Louisville was putting together a comeback attempt, but a Pat Kelsey technical foul (and a fan throwing a water bottle) turned the tables and Creighton ran away with the win from that point on.

Louisville was a trendy Sweet 16 pick, with some even having the Cardinals going to the Elite Eight.

On the other hand, this now marks the fifth straight NCAA Tournament where Creighton has won at least one game.

Creighton beats Louisville and is heading to the Round of 32. The Blue Jays have won a tournament game in five straight seasons.

Brilliant performance by the Jays offense. Got whatever they wanted all day, and won’t be an easy game for Auburn, assuming it wins. The Jays are…
— Sean Paul (@SeanPaulCBB) March 20, 2025