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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.
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
National Basketball Association
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
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
Basketball
Bucknell Bison
Kansas Jayhawks
64–63
2006
Not awarded
2007
2007 NBA Playoffs , Western Conference first round
April 22, 2007 – May 3, 2007
National Basketball Association
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
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
Basketball
Northern Iowa Panthers
Kansas Jayhawks
69–67
2011
2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Southwest Regional Final [ 1]
March 27, 2011
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
Basketball
Virginia Commonwealth Rams
Kansas Jayhawks
71–61
2012
2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs
June 12, 2012
National Hockey League
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
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
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
Cross-cutter Individual Former Ceremonies