March Madness for Dummies

March Madness is one of the most intense and thrilling sporting events. March Madness gathers the best college basketball teams across the nation to compete in a single-elimination style tournament. Sixty-eight total teams compete for the NCAA Championship trophy. 

March Madness will tip-off this year on March 19, when the first of seven nail biting rounds will play out. If you’re curious about which teams will face off this year, the NCAA will reveal the brackets on March 17, which is known as Selection Sunday. 

Teams are selected in two ways. The 32 conference winners automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament.The second way that a team can enter the competition is through an invitation. On Selection Sunday, they vote for 36 teams that will compete in the tournament. These teams are the ones that were unable to win their conference, but had an impressive run throughout the past season. The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Committee bids on the high performing teams that were unable to win their conference. By these two methods,  the 68 teams are selected to play in March Madness. This year March Madness will be held at Glendale, Arizona. Games will be streamed through TNT, CBS, TBS, and truTV are the channels that will provide the games for this year's showdown. For this year's competition the favorites to win are UConn, the Houston Cougars, and the Purdue Boilermakers.

What makes March Madness so special is the unpredictable nature of each game. Upsets are constantly happening, underdogs snatching victory from the clutches of powerhouse teams. No matter how sure one is of their team winning, each year proves just how difficult it is to predict the outcomes. 

Nevertheless, fans will try. March Madness tradition is to set up a bracket, which is basically a sheet of predictions week to week. Making your own March Madness bracket is a fun and competitive way to involve yourself in the excitement. 

Another great way fans celebrate March Madness is by setting up watch parties with friends and family. There’s nothing better than bonding with those you love over a shared passion. However, if you are interested in watching one of the games in person, click here to see the lineup and schedule for the first round of the tournament.

March Madness is sure to be jam packed with electric moments this year, captivating fans of basketball across the country. From buzzer beaters to Cinderella stories, college basketball is as good as ever. And as fans eagerly await for the games to begin, one thing remains certain. March madness is LIFE.