The Longest Perfect NCAA Bracket Streaks in History
NCAA's longest perfect bracket streak stands at 49 games.
March Madness has always been one of the most thrilling sports events of the year, drawing millions of fans to test their prediction skills with NCAA tournament brackets. Despite the countless attempts to craft the elusive perfect bracket, only a handful have come close. The longest verified streak of correct picks in NCAA tournament history is 49 games, a record set in 2019 by Gregg Nigl, a neuropsychologist from Columbus, Ohio.
A Look Back at Notable NCAA Bracket Runs
2024: The Latest Attempt Falls Short
The most recent attempt at perfection came in 2024, with the bracket named “Medalstick 84’s Picks 7” in ESPN’s challenge. This bracket held on until the 31st game, when No. 8 Utah State’s victory over No. 9 TCU ended its run.
2019: The Record-Setting Year
In 2019, Gregg Nigl’s “Center Road” bracket stunned the sports world by correctly predicting the first 49 games of the tournament. His bracket remained flawless through the Sweet 16 before being busted by Purdue’s 99-94 overtime win against Tennessee.
2017: A Close Contender
Before Nigl’s 2019 record, the longest perfect streak was 39 games in 2017. A Yahoo Bracket Challenge participant correctly predicted up to the second round before Iowa State fell to Purdue, breaking their streak.
Other Notable Perfect Bracket Attempts
- 2023: No. 16 FDU’s shocking upset over No. 1 Purdue ended the final perfect bracket on game 25.
- 2022: Brackets busted in the first round after No. 11 Iowa State defeated No. 6 LSU.
- 2018: UMBC’s historic victory over Virginia shattered all brackets by the 29th game.
- 2015: ESPN recorded a bracket that went 34 games without a miss before falling in the second round.
The Challenges of Achieving a Perfect Bracket
The odds of achieving a perfect NCAA bracket stand at an astronomical 1 in 9.2 quintillion, assuming a 50-50 chance for each game. When factoring in basketball knowledge, those odds improve to about 1 in 28 billion, according to the late DePaul professor Jeff Bergen. He estimated that even if every person on Earth filled out a bracket every minute, it would take over 2,000 years to reach 9.2 quintillion brackets.
How We Track Perfect Brackets
Since 2016, approximately 20-25 million brackets have been monitored annually across major platforms like ESPN, CBS, and Yahoo Sports. Prior to this, verifying perfect runs relied on archived reports and official tournament records.
Longest Surviving NCAA Brackets Year-by-Year
| Year | Round Busted | Correct Picks |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | First Round | 30 |
| 2023 | First Round | 24 |
| 2022 | First Round | 27 |
| 2021 | First Round | 27 |
| 2019 | Sweet 16 | 49 |
| 2018 | First Round | 28 |
| 2017 | Second Round | 39 |
| 2016 | First Round | 25 |
| 2015 | Second Round | 34 |
| 2014 | Second Round | 36 |
Conclusion
While Gregg Nigl’s 49-game streak remains the gold standard for NCAA brackets, each March Madness brings new hope and excitement for fans aiming to achieve the impossible. With millions of participants each year, the pursuit of perfection continues.
About The Author
