It is finally that time of year. Sports fans around the country finally get to look forward to one of the most entertaining events of the year: the NCAA Basketball Tournament (also known as March Madness). The fans, students, and alumni of 68 colleges and universities all over the U.S. get to come together and cheer on their teams. The sense of pride shown for their schools is unlike any other sporting event. Selection Sunday, which occurred on March 15, is a day that players, coaches, and administrations devote a significant amount of time to see their name appear on the bracket. Millions of people around the world fill out their brackets in anticipation of the action to begin, hoping to be the first to have a perfect bracket. Participating in this tournament is a catalyst for financial gains and recognition for schools. All in all, March Madness is where stars shine on the court, and unforgettable memories are made. It is the crip of the crop of sports competition and entertainment. In this particular bracket, there are more good teams than ever, and we can see some very intriguing matchups as soon as the first round. One reason this tournament is so entertaining is that each game is single-elimination, meaning the winner moves on to the next round and the loser goes home for good.  Before getting caught up in the action (the first round of games starts on Thursday, March 19), it is interesting to learn about how the teams are selected. 

Out of the 68 teams in the tournament, 31 of those teams receive automatic bids, and the other 37 receive what is called an at-large bid. The automatic bid recipients are teams that win their respective conference tournaments, which means that these teams are guaranteed a spot in March Madness. The other 37 teams are programs that the selection committee considers good enough to participate in the tournament and receive an “at-large” bid. Most of the at-large bid teams are members of the most competitive conferences, such as the Big 10, Big 12, Southeastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and Big East (in this year’s case). The rest of the auto bid teams are from mid-major and lower conferences in Division 1. Once the committee knows which teams they are selecting, they split the 64 schools into regions (East, West, South, and Midwest). In each region, there are 16 teams, seeded from 1 to 16. The lower the seed, the better the team (in most cases). In the first round of the tournament, the number 1 seed plays against the 16 seed, the 2 plays the 15, and so on. The rounds go from the Round of 64 to the Round of 32, to the Sweet Sixteen, to the Elite Eight. The winner of each region advances to the final four, and after this, the national champion is crowned. 

The logic behind the seeding given is that the higher seed is supposed to win the game. However, throughout the years, we have seen upsets that people never see coming. For example, in the 2023 tournament, the 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson Knights beat the #1 Purdue Boilermakers. In 2022, the 15-seeded Saint Peter’s Peacocks defeated the #2 Kentucky Wildcats. These are the types of games that are rare, but when they do happen, they remind us that anything is possible in this tournament. When filling out your bracket, it is important to keep in mind that upsets can happen. Reading a seed next to a team is just a number. Anything can happen when it is least expected. The impact that these games have on colleges and universities can put them on the map and can even increase application and enrollment numbers. Chances are, in this year’s tournament, we will see a team that came out of nowhere go on a deep run in the tournament. The less “chalky” the brackets are, the more entertaining it can be. Even though your bracket may be busted in the first weekend of games, there is no doubt that you will be entertained by the action. The tournament goes by very quickly, so enjoy it while you can.