We are heading very quickly to arguably one of the most exciting times of college sports. March Madness! Or, Storrs versus everyone else month. As members of the ” Basketball Capital of the World,” University of Connecticut students are eager to participate in all the madness, but some of us may not understand this controlled chaos or how it works. So, as my favorite TikToker Mariah Rose says, “I’m here to teach the girls, the gays, and the theys about all things”: March Madness edition.
The Teams
The tournament of March Madness is between only 68 teams across college basketball. At the start of March, teams participate in tournaments across the 32 different conferences like the Big East, Big10, and ACC for a guaranteed spot in the bracket as one of the tournament winners. The rest hope to be selected for the remaining 36 based on status as an “at-large team,” which means they have to have at least a record of 50% or better. To put into context how crazy this is, there are 353 teams in NCAA men’s D1 basketball (351 for women according to NCSA). The selection process is intense with a committee of 12 that submits voting ballots in multiple rounds to pick the 36 teams. Keep an eye out for Selection Sunday for men’s and women’s teams on March 17th.
The rounds
The official start of the tournament is the First Four, where the four lowest automatic conference winners and the four lowest at-large teams play against each other. After those games, this brings us to 64 teams, four regions, and 16 teams in each. For the first round, the top four seeds are split up into regions with 15 other teams. In each region, the top seed plays against the lowest seed (1 vs. 16) and the other matchups follow, moving inward (2 vs. 15, 3 vs. 14, etc.). The winners of this round move on to the second round. Following that, there are the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four.
The ” Madness” in march Madness
If you are familiar with March Madness then you have heard of the term ” bracket,” which is how you organize your prediction for how the tournament goes. Many different companies around the country host competitions for one million dollars or more to anyone with the perfect bracket. The multi-billionaire Warren Buffet has conducted a billion-dollar bracket competition for about the last decade. Everyone has their deep faith in their bracket, but the tournament is known for twists, turns, underdogs, and upsets. Making all the wagering hard to win and the losses even more devasting for many fans. Sports betting has become legalized in more states with a multitude of programs, so maybe get in on the madness this spring.
Hotties, I challenge you to get together with your friends and fill out some brackets. Maybe bother your dad or brother with an outrageous prediction based entirely on vibes; I know I will. Either way, have fun and good luck!