Ricky Dimon
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It’s one of the best months of the year for sports fans – and certainly the best month of the year for college basketball fans. March is here, and that means March Madness is on the immediate horizon. Before it begins, let’s break down everything you need to know about the NCAA Tournament.
What is March Madness?
March Madness specifically refers to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, which take place annually from mid-March through the end of the month (and even into April, as the Final Four these days takes place in the first week of the following month). March Madness is a catchy alliteration that accurately describes the wonderful chaos that generally comes with the conclusion of college basketball season.
Conference tournaments are also held in early March and fans will often declare that the madness has begun when something crazy happens in those tournaments, but March Madness officially and specifically refers to the actual NCAA Tournament itself.
When did March Madness start?
The first NCAA Tournament took place in 1939. March Madness was first associated with the festivities in the early 1980s. There were some copyright issues over the years in part because the Illinois High School Association had been using the term, but in a 1996 court ruling the NCAA was granted rights to the trademark along with the IHSA.
How does March Madness work?
The NCAA Tournament features 68 teams that play for the National Championship. Those 68 are determined on Selection Sunday (this year on Sunday, March 13) by the NCAA Tournament selection committee (see below for more information).
To get down from 68 teams to a traditional bracket of 64, a First Four round on Tuesday and Wednesday (before the first round begins on Thursday) is played in Dayton, Ohio. A total of 8 teams are in action; 4 playing for the last 2 at-large spots and 4 conference champions playing for last 2 No. 16 seeds.
After that, a traditional 64-team tournament is played out over 3 weeks to determine the National Champion. This year’s Final Four (the national semifinals and the National Championship) will be held in New Orleans on April 2 and April 4.
Don’t forget to check out our March Madness hub
Why is March Madness so important?
The short answer is that March Madness is important because it decides the national champion in college basketball.
The long answer is that March Madness is important because it captures the imaginations of sports fans (and bettors!) perhaps to a greater extent than any other tournament in any other sport. Why? Because it is without question the most entertaining way to determine a champion and arguably the most effective way. Unlike in football, for example, all of the best teams in the country are participating. Even the champions of smaller conference tournaments get their shot as underdogs against the proverbial big guys. It sets the stage for all kinds of upsets in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament – for which “March Madness” is truly known. But given the size of the tournament and number of games required to win, a worthy champion that is one of the higher-ranked teams in the nation usually emerges victorious in the end.
From a betting standpoint, college basketball’s competition is superior to all. Even casual sports fans are known to fill out brackets every year and compete in office pools with friends and/or colleagues. And, of course, there are 67 individual games throughout the NCAA Tournament that always inspire a whole host of wagering.
How are teams selected for March Madness?
After 32 teams earn automatic spots by winning conference tournaments, the NCAA Tournament selection committee convenes on Selection Sunday to decide on 36 teams that will earn at-large berths to round out the field of 68. Those 68 teams are seeded 1-16 in 4 different regions of bracket, as determined by the committee.
When the committee completes its work on Sunday evening, March Madness begins as sports fans around the world scramble to fill out their brackets before the first round tips off at noon the following Thursday.
Make sure you check out our predictions for EVERY March Madness matchup!
Pickswise is the home of March Madness Predictions. Check out all of our March Madness Picks, including daily March Madness Parlays throughout the NCAA Tournament.
