With the familiar tune of ‘One Shining Moment’ accompanying a montage of all the best moments during the year’s tournament, college basketball’s March Madness is one of the premier sporting events in the world due to the thrill and excitement it provides. The draws of the event include its unpredictability and opportunities for teams or star players to seemingly emerge out of nowhere.
The tournament is single elimination meaning there are no second chances. One slip up or missed shot and your whole season is over. Every game is win or go home. There is no multiple game series or adjustments that can be made for a next game, all changes have to be made quickly and on the fly. In contrast, one bad night from a top seeded team or a highly regarded player can affect the entire tournament. One upset shakes up the whole bracket and leads to unexpected matchups.
Brackets are a large part of the excitement of March Madness. From office pools to online groups, people are able to make their picks regarding who they think will advance to the next round. The elusive concept of the perfect bracket remains alive even with the approximate odds being 1 in 9.2 quintillion, significantly lower than the odds to win the Powerball lottery (1 in 300 million). The known record for correct picks is 49 straight by a man named Gregg Nigl before an incorrect pick in the Sweet 16 ended the streak.
Another element of March Madness is underdog teams, otherwise known as Cinderellas. Any team can get hot and beat a big name school. One of the best parts about the format of the tournament is it gives smaller schools an opportunity to put themselves on the map bringing excitement and surprise. It keeps fans engaged through all two weeks and provides great stories for those following. Because of its 64 teams, a new champion is usually crowned every year.
The UConn Huskies were an exception to this rule winning in both 2023 and 2024 due to an impressive camaraderie between a roster of more experienced transfer players. Instances like UConn may become more common due to the current landscape of college athletics.
In recent years, we have begun to see higher seeded teams advancing deep into the tournament due to stacked rosters as the schools with winning cultures, or teams that play in major conferences are able to attract the top incoming freshman or transfer players as they receive a greater amount of name, image and likeness (NIL) funding.
For example, in last year’s tournament, all number one seeds advanced to the final four, something which had only occurred one other time during the tournament. With 2026’s tournament, many teams are in contention for the title on both the Men’s and Women’s side of the bracket.
Players give their all because some of them don’t know if it is the last game they will ever play. The increased visibility gives players an opportunity to get noticed and potentially drafted or signed by an NBA franchise. Along with individual stories, there are a multitude of games which occur all day creating constant highlights. March Madness stands alone because of the impact it has on college basketball. It’s the best championship event in sports.
