Fun Facts about March Basketball Season

March College Basketball has a long-standing history and is packed with statistics. Here are some fun facts that make filling out a bracket so entertaining and frustrating at the same time:

• The odds of a perfect bracket are astronomical: If you guessed every game randomly, the odds of a perfect bracket are about 1 in 9.2 quintillion.
• The lowest seed to win the championship was #8 seed Villanova Wildcats in 1985, defeating the heavily favored Georgetown Hoyas in what is often referred to as the “Perfect Game.”
• Cinderella teams are the heart of these basketball games. Here are some memorable examples: 
  • Butler Bulldogs (2010 & 2011 championship games)
  • George Mason Patriots (Final Four in 2006)
  • Saint Peter’s Peacocks (Elite Eight in 2022)
• Legendary coach John Wooden led the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball to 10 national championships in 12 years (1964–1975), one of the most dominant runs in sports history.
• Warren Buffett once offered $1 billion for a perfect bracket challenge tied to the tournament. Nobody even came close.
• Office pools reign supreme with an estimated 60–100 million people filling out brackets each year.
• Most common bracket mistakes people make:  
  • Picking too many upsets.
  • Choosing a champion based only on reputation.
  • Picking all #1 seeds to finish in the last four positions.