March Madness

In less than a month, the most talked about event in college basketball is starting, March Madness. March Madness is a National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, basketball, single elimination tournament that decides the national champion of men’s NCAA Division 1. Since it is a single elimination event, anything can happen. This is what makes March Madness so exciting to watch; anyone has a shot.

“March Madness has to be one of the best times of the year because you’re given the opportunity to watch people who love the game play for an honor as you cheer them on,” Becca D., junior.

The 73rd edition of the basketball tournament is going to start on the 15th of March, this is the First Round, and it will last until the 16th. The Second and Third rounds will be held March 17th through the 20th. After that, the teams from the West, Southeast, East, and Southwest regions will compete in the Regionals. Then, the Final Four will take part of April 2nd and 4th.
This year, something new is happening. Instead of having sixty-five schools participating, March Madness will involve sixty-eight schools. This means more teams to cheer on, more games to watch, and even more upsets. Last year, one of the biggest upsets was Northern Iowa, who had a ninth seed, beating Kansas, who had a first seed.

In the championship game last year, it was Butler, the little school of only 4,500 students, taking on Duke, who was almost everyone’s top pick when it comes to college basketball. Butler who had the fifth seed, and Duke who had the first seed. In the end, Duke became the champs, making it their fourth NCAA National Championship title.

Written by: Paige Amoss