March Madness perfect bracket count drops to just over 200 out of 36 million after opening round

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.

The perfect March Madness bracket might still exist, but the chances have narrowed significantly after the first round of games wrapped up on Friday night. 

Of the more than 36 million brackets filled out across major sports platforms, only 224 flawless entries remained entering the second round on Saturday, according to the NCAA’s website. 

High Point Panthers fans watch before a game against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on March 19, 2026. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Roughly 14,000 brackets remained after a trio of upsets on Thursday, and despite no Cinderella stories on Friday, that number was further reduced to 224. That number dropped further on Saturday afternoon after No. 1 seed Michigan punched its ticket to the Sweet 16, leaving just 207 entries intact.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

According to the NCAA, the biggest bracket buster of the day was No. 7 seed Kentucky's thrilling overtime victory over No. 10 seed Santa Clara. The Broncos looked primed to upset the Wildcats, but Otega Oweh’s 3-pointer in front of his own bench with just 2.4 seconds in regulation gave Kentucky the path to score eight consecutive points in overtime to move on to the second round. 

Roughly 6,000 brackets were dismantled by the final whistle. Another 3,200 were busted when Utah State pulled away from Villanova, 86-76. 

Brandon Garrison (10) of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates a basket against the Santa Clara Broncos during overtime in the first round of the 2026 NCAA men’s Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri,