With March Madness brackets out and games fast approaching, many a fan is wondering the same thing: What on earth is the average final score of NCAA Tournament games? After researching whether Hofstra can go on a run or how to avoid the worst bracket pitfalls, the picker suddenly lobs you a question about the championship game, as though you should already have a number picked out.
Fear not, picking your final score tiebreaker doesn’t have to be a major stressor. We’ve got you covered with historic numbers and tactics for deciding on a score.
Average final scores for March Madness
- Average NCAA Tournament championship game final score
- Highest and lowest scores in a March Madness championship game history
- How the bracket tiebreaker works
- Last 10 NCAA Tournament title game scores
Average NCAA Tournament championship game final score
The average final score for the modern men’s NCAA Tournament championship game is 76-65 with a total around 141.
For the women’s NCAA Tournament, the average final score is 74-62 with a total around 136.
Highest and lowest scores in a March Madness championship game history
All records are from the shot clock era, which began in 1985.
Men’s
- Most points: UNLV (1990) — 103
- Most combined points: Virginia vs. Texas Tech (2019) — 162 [85-77 OT]
- Most combined points, non-OT: Baylor vs. Gonzaga (2021) — 156 [86-70]
- Fewest points: Butler (2011) — 41
- Fewest combined points: UConn vs. Butler — 94 [53-41]
Women’s
- Most points: LSU (2023) — 102
- Most combined points: LSU vs. Iowa (2023) — 187 [102-85]
- Fewest points: Louisiana Tech vs. Tennessee (1987) — 44
- Fewest combined points: UConn vs. Stanford (2010) — 100 [53-47]
How the bracket tiebreaker works
When you get to the end of your bracket, you’ll notice you need to input the final score of the championship game. The two sides of that score aren’t actually what matters. It’s the combined total. So if you go with the average of 76-65, that total is 141. If your bracket and someone else’s are tied by the end of the tournament, whoever is closest to the actual total for the game wins.
How to choose your tiebreaker
There’s nothing wrong with going with the average. If you don’t have the energy or interest in doing a deep dive into specific teams’ tendencies, it’s an acceptable neutral.
(Pro tip: Consider picking something near the average, but not exactly on the dot. Other people are likely to use the same number. By going with 143 or 138, you might differentiate your number just enough.)
For those that want to dive in a bit more precisely, the final score should reflect which teams you took to the championship game in the first place. Playing styles and tendencies will give you a much better range to consider.
If you’re riding with Houston, you shouldn’t put in a final score in the 160s, for example. The Cougars are defensive juggernauts who are likely to keep the score low, closer to the 120 total range. On the otherhand, a championship game involving Michigan is likely to push that total up considerably. They average 87 points per game.
On the women’s side, if South Carolina and Texas meet in the title game, we’re looking at a game with both teams in the 60s, or a total between 130 and 120. If UConn takes on UCLA or LSU, the score could get into the 80s on both sides. So look for a total closer to 160.
All that is to say, pay attention to the teams you have going deep. Their tendencies matter more than a historical average.
Speaking of historical averages, it can be useful to look at more recent games for a sense of how the game is played these days.
Last 10 NCAA Tournament title game scores
Men’s March Madness final scores
| Year: Teams | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2025: Florida over Houston | 65-63 | 128 |
| 2024: UConn over Purdue | 75-60 | 135 |
| 2023: UConn over San Diego State | 76-59 | 135 |
| 2022: Kansas over North Carolina | 72-69 | 141 |
| 2021: Baylor over Gonzaga | 86-70 | 156 |
| 2019: Virginia over Texas Tech | 85-77 (OT) | 162 |
| 2018: Villanova over Michigan | 79-62 | 141 |
| 2017: North Carolina over Gonzaga | 71-65 | 136 |
| 2016: Villanova over North Carolina | 77-74 | 151 |
| 2015: Duke over Wisconsin | 68-63 | 131 |
Baylor was the highest scoring champion of the last 10 years, putting up 86 in a takedown of Gonzaga 2021. The lowest scoring champion was Florida in last year’s title game against Houston with just 65.
As for title game losers, their points range from 77 for Texas Tech in 2019 (via overtime) to 59 for San Diego State in 2023.
The average final score for recent title games is 75-66, or a total of 141.6
Women’s March Madness final scores
| Year: Teams | Score | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2025: UConn over South Carolina | 82-59 | 141 |
| 2024: South Carolina over Iowa | 87-75 | 162 |
| 2023: LSU over Iowa | 102-85 | 187 |
| 2022: South Carolina over UConn | 64-49 | 113 |
| 2021: Stanford over Arizona | 54-53 | 107 |
| 2019: Baylor over Notre Dame | 82-81 | 163 |
| 2018: Notre Dame over Mississippi State | 61-58 | 119 |
| 2017: South Carolina over Mississippi State | 67-55 | 122 |
| 2016: UConn over Syracuse | 82-51 | 133 |
| 2015: UConn over Notre Dame | 63-53 | 116 |
The variance in scoring in women’s championship game is extreme compared to the men. We’ve got LSU scoring 102 as winners over Iowa in 2023. That’s just two years after Stanford beat Arizona in 2021 with just 54 points.
Losers in the title game have gone down with 85 points (2023 Iowa) and 49 (2022 UConn).
