McNeese State Cowboys gave the 2025 March Madness brackets its first massive upset, knocking off the No. 5 ranked Clemson Tigers. The 12th-seeded Cowboys had a downright incredible first half, putting the game out of reach for the Tigers in the second.

McNeese State’s magical moment in the NCAA tournament may be over after the underdog 12-seed from Lake Charles, Louisiana — fresh off a huge upset of No. 5 Clemson — fell to No. 4 Purdue on Saturday,

It won’t need greater description. People will know it was the Cowboys' 69-67 win over the Tigers. McNeese State had never won an NCAA tournament game before. Their football team plays in the Championship Subdivision. Their athletic accomplishments are rarely noted outside of Lake Charles.

The McNeese State Cowboys pulled off the first shocker of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, upsetting No. 5 Clemson with a stifling first half to win, 69-67.

McNeese State University is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Cowboys (27-6) qualified for the NCAA Men's Tournament by winning the Southland Conference for the second straight season.

McNeese State’s run in the 2025 NCAA Tournament should be the focus of March Madness. Instead, CBS put the spotlight on Amir Khan, the team’s student manager, and fans are not happy about it.

McNeese State head coach Will Wade, reportedly headed to N.C. State after the NCAA Tournament, was charged with a technical foul for arguing with officials in the second half of Purdue’s second-round win.

Clemson went one and done in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 and suffered its second worst upset (in terms of seeding) in NCAA history. This is a developing story and will be updated.

Did Purdue beat McNeese State? The Boilermakers know a thing or two about getting upset early in the NCAA Tournament and left little doubt about the chances of it happening on Saturday.

The 12-5 matchups have historically created some of the most memorable games in tourney history and Thursday’s game might make for another.