March Madness: Brackets and Bonding

March symbolizes the start of spring, warmer weather and longer days. For others, it’s the most anticipated month of college sports, March Madness. March Madness is the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball tournament compiled of 68 teams. This annual tournament culminates in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship. Each year March Madness captivates and unifies fans, regardless of basketball affinity. 

Breaking Down The Bracket System

The tournament is structured in a bracket system, with the formation of the bracket being dependent on teams’ regular season performance. The bracket starts with 68 teams, with the First Four determining which 4 teams will enter the main bracket. Once 64 teams are established, the teams are separated into four regions and are seeded 1-16, and compete based off of these seedings. The single elimination tournament goes as follows: First Round (64 teams), Second Round (32 teams), Sweet 16 (16 teams), Elite Eight (8 teams), and the Final Four (4 teams). Once the Final Four teams are established they compete in the Semifinals and then the final two teams compete for the championship title. This tournament is purely madness as it spans a month, with any team able to win at any moment.

Attending Round 1 of the tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina. We watched Florida vs. Norfolk State, and Oklahoma vs. UConn.

An Interactive Spectator Experience

What makes March Madness so captivating is how interactive it is. Spectators can fill out a blank bracket and follow along throughout the tournament, cheering every game for the team they picked. This year my family did our brackets the old-fashioned way and printed our brackets. My bracket picks were a combination of gut instincts and regular season statistics. Although many of my teams did not advance like I predicted, I am excited to see that my final four team predictions are correct (even if that means my rival teams, Florida and Duke, could be in the final two).

My 2025 bracket.

More Than A Tournament 

Even if your team isn’t in the tournament, March Madness brings people together like few other events. It is a cultural event that fosters connections. Between updates on social media, office pools, or family and friend gatherings, March Madness builds a strong sense of community no matter where people are. Underdog wins and last second buzzer-beaters are what unites fans from all walks of life, even if it's only for a few weeks.

A question for the comments: Who do you think will win the National Championship?