Best Upset ESPY Award explained
The Best Upset ESPY Award was conferred once each in 2004 and 2005 annually from 2007 until 2017 and again in 2019 to the team in a regular season or playoff game or series contested professionally under the auspices of one of the four major sports leagues in the United States and Canada or collegiately under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association adjudged to have completed the best, most significant, or most impressive upset in a given calendar year.
In 2004, award selections were made by fans voting over the Internet or at relevant sporting events from among choices determined by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, ESPN personalities, and retired sportspersons, whilst since 2005 voting has been undertaken by fans exclusively over the Internet from among choices determined by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. The ESPY Awards ceremony is conducted in July and awards conferred reflect performance and achievement over the twelve months previous to presentation.
There was no award presented in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 or 2024; however, an award was presented in 2019.
List of winners
Year of
award | Game or event | Date(s) | Competition or league | Sport | Winner | Loser | Score or result |
|---|
| 2004 | 2004 NBA Finals | June 6, 2004 – June 15, 2004 | | Basketball | Detroit Pistons | Los Angeles Lakers | Four games to one in best-of-seven-game series |
| 2005 | 2005 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament first round | March 18, 2005 | | Basketball | Bucknell Bison | Kansas Jayhawks | 64–63 |
| 2006 | Not awarded |
| 2007 | 2007 NBA Playoffs, Western Conference first round | April 22, 2007 – May 3, 2007 | | Basketball | Golden State Warriors | Dallas Mavericks | Four games to two in best-of-seven-game series |
| 2008 | Super Bowl XLII | February 3, 2008 | National Football League | American football | New York Giants | New England Patriots | 17–14 |
| 2009 | 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semifinal | June 24, 2009 | Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) | Soccer | United States men's national soccer team | Spain men's national soccer team | 2–0 |
| 2010 | 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament second round | March 20, 2010 | | Basketball | Northern Iowa Panthers | Kansas Jayhawks | 69–67 |
| 2011 | 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Southwest Regional Final[1] | March 27, 2011 | | Basketball | Virginia Commonwealth Rams | Kansas Jayhawks | 71–61 |
| 2012 | 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs | June 12, 2012 | | Ice hockey | Los Angeles Kings | Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
Phoenix Coyotes | Defeated the top 3 seeds in the Western Conference to reach the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals as a #8 seed
(Los Angeles later defeated the New Jersey Devils in six games to win the Stanley Cup) |
| 2013 | 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament South Regional 2nd Round | March 22, 2013 | | Basketball | Florida Gulf Coast Eagles | Georgetown Hoyas | 78–68 |
| 2014 | 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Midwest Regional 2nd Round | March 21, 2014 | National College Athletic Association Division I | Basketball | Mercer Bears | Duke Blue Devils | 78–71 |
| 2015 | Regular season Southeastern Conference game | October 4, 2014 | National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I | College football | Ole Miss Rebels | Alabama Crimson Tide | 23–17 |
| 2016 | UFC 193 | November 14, 2015 (US time) | Ultimate Fighting Championship | Mixed martial arts | Holly Holm | Ronda Rousey | Holm knocked out the previously–undefeated Rousey in the second round of their bout to win the UFC women's bantamweight championship |
| 2017 | 2017 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four | March 31, 2017 | NCAA Division I | College basketball | Mississippi State Bulldogs | Connecticut Huskies | Morgan William hit a pull-up jumper as time expired in overtime to give the Bulldogs a 66–64 win over UConn in the national semifinals, ending the Huskies' 111–game winning streak, the longest such streak by any men's or women's team in college basketball history. |
| 2018 | Not awarded |
| 2019 | Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. | June 1, 2019 | Various organizations | Boxing | Andy Ruiz Jr. | Anthony Joshua | Ruiz knocked out the previously-undefeated Joshua in the seventh round to win the WBA, IBF, WBO, and International Boxing Organization heavyweight titles. |
| 2020 | Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 | Not awarded | |
See also
Notes and References
- News: Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki win at ESPYs . . July 13, 2011 . July 14, 2011.
