🏀What Is March Madness? 🏀

You might hear people talking about “brackets,” “buzzer-beaters,” and “Cinderella teams” every March. Welcome to March Madness! Next to the Super Bowl, March Madness is one of the most exciting and widely followed sporting events in the U.S.

So what is March Madness?

March Madness is the nickname for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Tournaments, held every spring. College teams from across the country compete in a single-game elimination tournament, which means: one loss and you’re out.

• 68 teams qualify
• The first round of games are played over several weeks March 19 – 29th
• The tournament ends with the Final Four and championship games April 4th and 6th

What makes it “madness”? The unpredictability! Lower-ranked teams often upset top-ranked teams, creating thrilling, unexpected moments.

What’s a “bracket”?

A bracket is a chart used to predict the winners of each game in the tournament. Before the tournament starts, millions fill out brackets trying to guess who will win each matchup and play in the final games.

Even if you’ve never watched basketball before, you can complete a bracket. Some people put a lot of time into making their guesses and others just go on vibes:

• Connect with colleagues, and see who guesses the most matches
• Learn about U.S. basketball and sports culture
• Get excited about the games you’re watching

Make your own bracket and follow along HERE!