Favorites dominate NCAA Tournament Day 2: Explaining how day without point-spread upset fits into history

It was a Friday of favorites on Day 2 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. In 15 games on Friday, the team that was favored came out victorious, bringing a rare sense of chalk to a bracket that had been set on fire in years past. After a chaotic Thursday defined by High Point’s historic upset and multiple double-digit seeds advancing, the heavyweights reasserted their dominance to ensure the weekend wouldn't be entirely devoid of blue bloods.

Top seeds Arizona, Florida, Purdue, and Iowa State all handled their business with relative ease, avoiding the nightmare 16-over-1 scenarios that have haunted favorites in recent years. Arizona, in particular, looked the part of a national title contender, dismantling LIU behind a balanced attack that saw five players reach double figures. Even in the few games that flirted with drama, the higher-seeded teams found ways to survive and advance, preserving their place in the Round of 32.

The lack of upsets on Friday was a welcome sight for bracket purists and those chasing the "perfect bracket" dream, though the number of unblemished entries still plummeted below 1,500 by late evening. While the magic of March was largely absent from the scoreboard today, the stage is now set for a heavyweight-heavy second round. 

Here's more on the favorites' dominant day.

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Favorites record on Day 2 of NCAA Tournament 

The second day of the 2026 NCAA Tournament was a stark departure from the relative madness of Thursday, as higher-seeded teams collectively slammed the door on any potential Cinderella stories. In a rare display of dominance, favorites went a perfect 16-0 on Friday, restoring order to a bracket that had been rattled by High Point’s massive upset just 24 hours earlier.

While the betting favorites all advanced, the path was anything but easy for several Blue Bloods. Kentucky provided the game of the day in St. Louis, surviving a near-disaster against 10th-seeded Santa Clara. The Wildcats were saved by Otega Oweh’s miraculous, half-court buzzer-beating heave to force overtime, eventually pulling away for an 89-84 victory. Similarly, Virginia had to sweat out a final-second defensive stand to avoid a repeat of their infamous tournament history, narrowly edging out a gritty Wright State squad.

SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year

What was the last first-round day without an upset?

Per ESPN research, the last time favorites went undefeated on a single day in the Round of 64 was March 19, 1992 -- 34 years ago. 

The opening day of the 1992 tournament saw all 16 higher-seeded teams advance, including top-ranked Duke's blowout win over Campbell and Ohio State’s victory over Mississippi Valley State. While several games that day were closely contested, including a narrow escape by 4-seed North Carolina against Miami (OH), the favorites ultimately held firm across the board.

The feat remained unmatched for over three decades until this Friday, March 20, 2026, when the favorites again pulled off a perfect 16–0 sweep. While the 2019 tournament saw a similar run on its opening Thursday, that day is technically excluded from this specific historical record due to the "seeding upset" of No. 9 Washington over No. 8 Utah State; while the betting favorite won, the higher seed did not.

HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5

How many upsets were in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament?

In total, there were 5 upsets in the first round (Round of 64) of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The lopsided nature of the opening round was defined by a chaotic Thursday followed by a historically chalky Friday. While Thursday saw multiple double-digit seeds advance, Friday became the first day in more than 30 years where favorites went a perfect 16–0.

SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year

How many upsets were in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament?

The 2025 NCAA Tournament was also one of the most chalky in recent history, featuring only 7 first-round upsets.

While the tournament eventually provided plenty of drama — including Florida's run to its third national title — the opening round was historically stable for top seeds. For the first time since 2008, all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four, and not a single team seeded 1 through 4 lost their opening game.

SN EXPERT BRACKETS: DeCourcy (Arizona) | Bender (Michigan) | Iyer (Arizona) | Gay (UCLA women)