This March Madness, the no-namers are going home unlike the other years, and the powerhouse schools stay in charge.

Consecutively, March Madness fans hope to see small schools run the table and become a “Cinderella team.” However, in this 2026 tournament, there have been a few upsets, and the high-seed schools still hold possession at the top.

The tournament has progressed to the Sweet Sixteen currently, and there have been major upsets, but none of the underdog teams have been able to continue the run.

High Point University was a fan favorite after they defeated Wisconsin, 83-82. People thought High Point University would be the Cinderella team for the 2026 season. However, HPU ended up losing in the next round to Arkansas 94-88.

VCU was another Cinderella favorite after defeating North Carolina, but they fell apart after losing to Illinois the very next week too.

There were many possibilities for the underdog teams to make a run, but the high-seed teams stood their ground and resisted any major upsets.

The leading cause is NIL money and the transfer portal. Large, rich schools steal any potential talent using large sums of money. Aspiring talent in small schools is poached by the big-name universities, and the small schools lose the talent needed to make a deep run in the March Madness tournament.