Before there was Fairleigh Dickinson University or the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, there was Harvard women’s basketball.
In 1998, Harvard took down No. 1 seed Stanford to become the first-ever No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
Harvard beat Stanford 71-67 on Mar. 14, 1998, and didn’t have another member of this club until 2018 when the University of Maryland-Baltimore County men’s basketball took down Virginia.
Oftentimes, women’s sports are forgotten when discussing history-making moments or worse, intentionally omitted.
When Fairleigh Dickinson University took down No. 1 seeded Purdue in the 2023 tournament, outlets incorrectly reported that there were only two No. 16 seeds in history to take down a No. 1 seed. They neglected to mention that is the men’s history, but not the full history of the tournament.
The second 16 seed EVER to win in the first round:
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON has taken down Purdue. pic.twitter.com/zjKK02S4xn
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 18, 2023
However, other outlets and aficionados of the game recognized that Harvard women’s basketball did it first.
Your periodic reminder: @HarvardWBB was the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament back in 1998. The club is now 3 teams deep, not 2.
— Jenn Hatfield (she/her) (@jennhatfield1) March 18, 2023
1⃣6⃣ > 1⃣
On this day 25 years ago, @HarvardWBB became the first 16-seed to defeat a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, beating Stanford, 71-67! 🌿🏀 pic.twitter.com/JlhUvKGvpP
— The Ivy League (@IvyLeague) March 14, 2023
And then there were 3️⃣@HarvardWBB, UMBC and Fairleigh Dickinson are the only 16-seeds to upset a 1-seed in NCAA tournament history 😮 pic.twitter.com/UtcQ4Eyma6
— espnW (@espnW) March 18, 2023
A great day in Harvard history 📰🏀
2️⃣5️⃣ years ago to this day, No. 16 Harvard upset No. 1 Stanford in the NCAA Tournament 71-67, the first 16 seed to ever beat a 1 seed in tournament history! #GoCrimson x #BelieveIt pic.twitter.com/qeREO3O7Eh
— Harvard Women's Basketball (@HarvardWBB) March 14, 2023
When history-making moments happen in sports, remember to check the entire history of the sport, not just men’s history.
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