UMBC Retrievers

The UMBC Retrievers are forever linked to one of the most stunning moments in American sports history. Playing home games at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, the Retrievers carry the identity of the ultimate underdog who proved anything is possible on a given night. Even as a mid-major America East program, UMBC now enters every March with a built-in mystique that few schools its size will ever match.

UMBC basketball began play in the late 1960s and joined Division I in the mid-1980s as an independent before settling into America East. The program's defining moment came on March 16, 2018, when the 16-seed Retrievers stunned top overall seed Virginia 74-54 in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first 16-seed ever to defeat a 1-seed in tournament history. That win, secured after UMBC beat Vermont in the America East title game, remains one of the most celebrated upsets in college basketball lore.