Such a tease

March Madness: The Heartbreak and Triumph of College Basketball

April 8, 2025, 11:00 AM ET

March Madness is one of the best events in the sports community for what it brings us: upsets, storylines, and all the magic of three glorious weekends of win-or-go-home college basketball. When “One Shining Moment” plays at the end of the tournament, even the most stoic fans can be moved to tears.

But on the other side of every loss is a fan base with high expectations and the disappointment that their team left the tournament far too soon. On the receiving end of every buzzer-beater is a team left walking off the court stunned, jerseys covering their faces.

Is it possible to truly measure the level of heartbreak a team and its fans feel after a loss in the NCAA tournament? As a Mets, Jets, and 76ers fan, I’m well-versed in sports misery and consider myself equipped with enough firsthand knowledge to compile this ranking of just that, from least to most painful.

This year, we’re breaking them down even further, into tiers:

• Just happy to be here: Self-explanatory.
• Such a tease: This tier is for the high seeds that made us do a double take at the scoreboard a few times, before eventually landing at the expected conclusion in blowout fashion.
• Here’s your participation trophy: These teams were expected to have a reasonable chance to advance, but never really were a threat.
• Silver linings playbook: The loss wasn’t ideal, but there’s something positive to take from the overall tournament performance.
• So close, yet so far: They were in it for a majority of the game, but the final score didn’t show it.
• We’re not mad, just disappointed: For the flat-out underperformers.
• Emotional roller coaster: They had us at the edge of our seat and biting our nails.
• If you had one shot or one opportunity: Things came down to the final play.
• … What just happened?! Reserved for the most painful finishes.

We’re basing these rankings on pre-tournament expectations, peak win probability (according to ESPN Analytics), and other notable storylines or circumstances. Every team has now been eliminated, leaving just Florida standing as the 2025 national champion. Time to measure everyone’s heartbreak.

Last updated: April 8, 2025

Tiers:
Just happy to be here