2 People Came Within One Game of a Perfect Bracket

ESPN and CBS each had one bracket with only one mistake on the women's side
Posted Apr 8, 2025 10:55 AM CDT
2 People Nearly Pulled Off a Bracket Miracle
UConn guard KK Arnold holds up a piece of the net after the Huskies defeated South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday in Tampa, Florida.   (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Filling out a perfect bracket in the NCAA men's or women's tournament is all but impossible, with the odds somewhere around 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to the AP. This year, two people came within one game of perfection on the women's side:

  • ESPN reports that somebody picked 62 of 63 games right for the first time ever in its bracket challenge. The only mistake came in the tournament's third game, when the person picked No. 8 Utah over No. 9 Indiana. A second person began their bracket with a 57-0 mark, the longest win streak ever.

  • Another person came within one game in the CBS Sports Bracket Challenge on the women's side. The only mistake was picking No. 7 Oklahoma State to beat No. 10 South Dakota State, also in the first round.
  • Both the men's and women's tournaments this year were dominated by high-seeded teams. USA Today, for example, notes that 20% of ESPN brackets correctly predicted UConn would win the women's title. (Florida won the men's title Monday night.)

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