It’s never predictable
Almost every team (even a #16 team in 2018) has at least a shot of an upset. While this is true in every sport (particularly those with one-and-done playoff scenarios), March Madness truly embraces the underdog story. Here’s a few stats that illustrate this point:
- Only once in tournament history have all four #1 seeds made it to the Final Four
- In the last 25 years, only twice have all the teams that advanced to the Sweet Sixteen been seeded ninth or better
- A team seeded 2-4 has fallen in the first round to their lower seeded opponent in 22 of the past 25 years
Brackets are fun
Whether you’re really into college basketball or just “kind of” into sports – filling out a March Madness bracket is a fun experience. Some people really like the analytics side of things, spending hours trying to accurately pick the ultimate bracket, others just guess. If you lean towards the latter, you might want to consider using one of these fun strategies:
- What mascot would win in a fight
- What team has the cooler jersey – seriously, here’s a pretty thorough analysis
- Which place would you rather visit
- Which team would win at football
- Which team has the tallest player
Traditionalists and those really into March Madness might laugh at you for your unique picking strategy, but remember, March Madness is anything but predictable. Either way, have fun with your brackets.
It really is Madness
The Big Dance features a whopping 68 teams. Compare that to the playoff structure of the NFL, MLB or even the NHL or NBA – the depth just doesn’t compare. Add in the factors that it’s a one-and-done format, lots of these teams are playing each other for the first time, and there’s giant schools versus tiny schools – it really is pure madness. Here are some other crazy facts:
- Because of the talent at the tournament – many of the elite players you will only get a chance to see over one or two years
Easy to find a new team to root for
With 68 teams total, it’s easy to find a good back-up team or two to root for. With the fast-paced do-or-die format, you might be forced to pick another team to cheer for if your team’s run comes to an abrupt, short end. Here’s a few ideas for ways to pick a new team to cheer for:
- An underdog
- A team with a player you like
- The team with the best social media account – here’s one of our favourites
- The closest team to where you live
- ANY team that plays the team that beat your team
There you have it. Enjoy the Big Dance. It’s March Madness time, baby!
