March Madness has made its place in the family household since 1939 when the first official NCAA tournament was held. This tournament hosted eight teams, with the University of Oregon winning over Ohio State University with a score of 46 -33. Since then, the Division I NCAA tournament has expanded to 68 teams, with games occurring across America. As March Madness became a household name, new betting and strategy methods developed. Unique ways of approaching the bracket are compiled below.

Name of College

Sometimes, a unique name just seals the deal! A bracket maker can use the method of advancing the team with a more interesting name. This would allow for there to be less bias in a team with a higher seed who is predicted to win. College names such as Boise State, Chattanooga, and Norfolk State have too unique of a name to pass by.

Seed Number

According to student opinion, filling out a March Madness bracket by seed number is the most popular option. The NCAA will evaluate each of the 68 teams for ethics and skill in the current season. From here, each team is strategically placed in the official bracket. Bracket makers can avoid upsets by picking the lowest-seeded number associated with a team to win every game through the final round of the bracket.

Favorite Color

Sometimes, a favorite color seals the deal! A bracket maker can use the method of advancing the team with the preferred school color. Sometimes, the baby blue-white jersey combination is much favored over an orange-green jersey combination. According to a student poll, picking the advancement of NCAA teams by color is the second-most popular way of deciding which teams will advance in the March Madness tournament.

Favorite Mascot

A mascot can make or break a team. Whether you are someone who prefers watching a certain animal boost a team’s spirit or you just like the mascot’s name, this option would work for you! Take Virginia Tech’s HokieBird or New Mexico State’s Pistol Pete, for example. How could you not enjoy their personality?

Connections to the College

Ties to a college are another common deciding factor when it comes to deciding the advancing team. This method may not work for all of the decisions, but it may work for a few. Whether it be family ties or ties of a friend, a college may mean more than just a name on a bracket.

Worst Seed Number (Upset)

It is possible for an upset to mess up the majority of betters’ brackets. If a team is known to win, usually a large portion of bracket makers will bet for this team to win. Sometimes, like the famous UMBC victory over Virginia Tech, a bracket maker’s chances of predicting a perfect bracket are ruined. An upset can be a smart consideration when predicting a March Madness bracket.

Proximity to College

In many cases, a college means more if it is within closer proximity to where you currently live. Using proximity to your benefit can be a useful method if you do not know much about the teams. Also, a college’s sentimentality can be greater if you have local connections with a college participating in March Madness.

Now is the time to begin planning how you will fill out your March Madness bracket. Heidi Maurer believes that the best method is to “take a guess and hope for the best,” but others such as Michael Kuhns believe it is best to study the competing teams and advance the one with a good “man-to-man defense and one that rebounds well.” Whether you have participated in March Madness before or are trying it out for the first time, there is always room for you to change the method by which you fill out your bracket!

Sources:

ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-01-23/2023-march-madness-mens-ncaa-tournament-schedule-dates-times

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/bracketology/

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/bracketology/ncaa-bracketology-2023-march-madness-men-field-predictions

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2021-03-14/march-madness-history-ultimate-guide