The 17 Biggest Upsets In Sports History

• Date: April 30th, 2023
• Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
• Final Score: Panthers 4 - 3 Bruins

The #1 seeded Boston Bruins completed the greatest overall regular season in NHL history in 2023, going 65-12 and earning 135 points. Expectations were rightfully high for this team littered with Stanley Cup champions and primed to end the greatest regular season with a championship run. However, they drew the 42-32 #8 seeded Florida Panthers, who somehow took the series to a game 7 and did the unthinkable, going into TD Garden and winning a game 7. This eliminated the Bruins earlier than anyone could have imagined and completed what some call the biggest choke in NHL history.

• Date: August 6th, 2023
• Location: Los Cab Sports Village, Fountain Valley, California
• Final Score: 11-8, 2-11, 11-3

In the world of pickleball there is one GOAT who stands above them all, Anna Leigh Waters. This young star went on one of the most impressive win streaks in any professional sport, having not lost a match in several months going into the 2023 Takeya Open. However, she ran into 'Hurricane' Tyra Black, the 9th seeded player in the female singles side. Black would dominate the game and end Waters' hopes of earning a 6th consecutive triple crown.

• Date: June 16 - June 25
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York
• Final Score: Spurs 4 - 1 Knicks

Before the 2023 Miami Heat, there had only been one #8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, the 1999 New York Knicks. While this team was talented, featuring Larry Johnson, Latrell Spreewell and Marcus Camby, they were plagued by injuries, mainly to Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing. This resulted in a 27-23 strike shortened regular season, finishing in 4th place in the Atlantic Division. However, they got hot in the playoffs, knocking off the #1 seed Miami Heat in the first round 3-2 before sweeping the Atlanta Hawks 4-0 and taking care of the Pacers 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks would ultimately fall short in the Finals to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1, but the fact they made it that far earns a spot on this list.

• Date: March 16, 2018
• Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
• Final Score: UMBC 74 - 54 Virginia Cavaliers

A #16 seed had never beaten a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.... that was until the 2018 UMBC Retrievers rewrote that narrative. They faced off against the 31-2 Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament and flat out dominated the game. They blew out Virginia by 20 points in what was (up until that point) the biggest bracket buster in the history of March Madness.

• Date: September 1, 2007
• Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Final Score: Appalachian State 34 - 32 Michigan

In the world of college football, it's common place to schedule your first game of the season as a 'tune up' game. A game that should be won if your team isn't even playing 100%. Michigan thought they had that tune up game in their 2007 season opener at home, but ran into the greatest college football upset of all time. The 5th ranked Wolverines entered the season as the favorites to win the Big 10 and serious National Championship contenders, but after a last second Michigan field goal was blocked by the Mountaineers, all hopes were dashed. Michigan wound up finishing the season 9-4, good enough to be ranked 18th in the final AP poll. However, this game basically ended Michigan's season.

• Date: March 17, 2023
• Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
• Final Score: Fairleigh Dickinson 63 - Purdue 58

FDU became the second team in March Madness history to win as a #16 seed when they took down the heavily favored and national championship contender Purdue. What makes this upset even more ild was that Purdue was only down 2 with 1:26 left in the game, and almost every person on the planet who was watching expected them to eventually overtake the pesky FDU squad from Teaneck, NJ. However, after a big late three pointer from FDU, the game was sealed and history was made.

• Date: September 27, 2000
• Location: Sydney, Australia
• Final Score: 1 -0

Going into the 2000 Summer Olympics Aleksandr Karelin wasn't the greatest wrestling alive, he was arguably the greatest wrestler ever. The Russian had won three gold medals and hadn't given up a point in SIX years of wrestling at the highest level. That was until dairy farmer Rulon Gardner faced off against the Goliath. Gardner won gold and cemented himself with the greatest wrestling upset of all time.

• Date: October 16th, 1969
• Location: Shea Stadium, Queens, New York
• Final Score: Mets Win Series 4-1

The New York Mets had only been a Major League franchise since 1962, and in their first 7 seasons, developed a reputation as the "lovable losers", finishing no higher than 9th place in the 10 team National League, not once even having a winning record and losing at least 100 games five times. That was until the "Miracle Mets" of 1969 erased that narrative. They secured a record of 100-62 in the regular season before sweeping the Atlanta Braves 3-0 in the Inaugural NLCS and winning the World Series against the American League Champion Baltimore Orioles in 5 games. All it took was one season to go from "lovable losers" to the "Amazin' Mets".

• Date: June 19th 1955
• Location: Olympic Club, San Francisco, California
• Final Score: +7 score, -1 in playoff

The 1955 US Open gave us the greatest upset in the long and illustrious history of golf., featuring a slew of legends from Ben Hogan to Sam Snead and many more in between. The big winner of this weekend? It was a course pro from Iowa named Jack Fleck. He was able to tie Ben Hogan in the four days of play, pushing the tournament to a playoff. There, he completed the upset, defeating Hogan in the playoff and winning the 1955 US Open.

• Date: February 11th, 1990
• Location: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
• Final Score: 10th Round Knockout Win For Buster Douglas

In the annals of boxing upsets, the biggest comes between Buster Douglas and Mike Tyson. Going into their 1990 Heavyweight championship bout, Mike Tyson was one of if not the biggest names in sports. This fight was supposed to be a warmup to Tyson's eventual matchup with Evander Holyfield, with Douglas coming in as a 42-1 underdog. Tyson's corner was heavily unprepared and in the 10th round, Douglas did the unthinkable and knocked out Mike Tyson.

• Date: October 13th, 1960
• Location: Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Final Score: Pirates win Series 4-3

In the 1950's and early 1960's, the Yankees were about as dominant as any dynasty in the history of professional sports. Mickey Mantle. Yogi Berra. Whitey Ford. Roger Maris. The 1960 Yankees team was absolutely loaded, winning their 11th American League title in 14 years.

The Pirates, on the other hand, had just won their first pennant since 1927, so when they met up in the 1960 World Series, not many were giving them a shot. However, in one of the most Jeckyl and Hyde back and forth series imaginable, the Pirates won game 1 (6-4) before being blown out in game 2 (16-3) and game 3 (10-0). After taking back-to-back beatings like that, it was SHOCKING that they recovered and somehow won games 4 and 5 at Yankee Stadium. After losing game 6 back in Pittsburgh (another blowout 12-0), the stage was set for game 7.

The Pirates would go on to win the series on probably the most famous home run in the history of baseball, Bill Mazeroski's walk off blast over the left field wall thrown by Yankees reliever Ralph Terry to win the game 10-9. The Pirates were outscored in the series 55-27, but still were crowned one of the most improbably champions in the history of modern professional sports.

• Date: April 1st, 1985
• Location: Lexington, Kentucky
• Final Score: Villanova 66 - Georgetown 64

Before 1985, a #8th seeded team or lower had never won a national basketball championship. Villanova entered the championship game as an #8th seed but faced off against one of the most stacked collegiate teams of all time in Georgetown, led by all-world center Patrick Ewing. The Wildcats shot an incredible 78.6% from the field and pulled off the unthinkable.

• Date: January 12th, 1969
• Location: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
• Final Score: Jets 16 - 7 Baltimore Colts

The AFL's New York Jets entered this game against the NFL's Baltimore Colts as a 19.5 point underdog, but don't you dare tell that to "Broadway" Joe Namath. The Jets QB was sick and tired of hearing how great the Colts were in the lead up to the big game, and made a declaration.

"We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it".

The Jets backed up Broadway Joe's words, taking down the big bad Colts by a score of 16-7, securing the franchise their first (and only) Super Bowl win and helping pave the way for the NFL/AFL merger that shaped the modern day NFL that we all currently know and love.

• Date: May 2nd 2016
• Location: Leicester City
• Final Record: 23-12-3 (81 points)

Going into the 2015-16 Premier League season, many pundits predicted that Leicester City would be relegated and the team was given 5000:1 odds to win the league. Backed by the longest goal scoring streak in Premier League history by Jaime Vardy, Leicester mathematically locked up the title after Chelsea drew at home. This remains one of the longest odds to ever hit in sports betting history.

• Date: April 4th, 1983
• Location: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
• Final Score: NC State 54 - 52 Houston

The 1983 NCAA Finals not only gave us one of the greatest buzzer beaters in March Madness history, but it also made Jimmy Valvano a national icon. NC State made an incredible run to the championship, but faced off against one of the best college basketball teams ever in Houston, led by future hall of famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The 1983 NC State team will always be remembered and Jimmy V's legacy lives on through the Jimmy V Foundation.

• Date: February 22nd, 1980
• Location: Olympic Fieldhouse, Lake Placid, New York
• Final Score: USA 4 - 3 USSR

"Do you believe in miracles?"

The 1980 Winter Olympics matchup against the USSR and the United States not only gave us the greatest upset in sports, but gave us the greatest call in sports history. The United States and USSR were not only enemies on the ice, but were in a long and bitter 'Cold War' that had been brewing since the 1940's. After a questionable win for the USSR in basketball over the US at the previous summer olympics, this game became more than just about winning a hockey game. The USA was able to pull of the upset and cement themselves as the greatest upset in sports history. Team USA would go on to defeat Finland in their last match and clinch the gold medal.