\ud83d\udcd6 The history<\/h3>\n
The NCAA Division I men\u2019s basketball tournament <\/strong>started in 1939 with just eight teams. The field grew to 16 teams in 1951, doubled again to 32 in 1975 and reached 64 teams in 1985.<\/p>\n The term \u201cMarch Madness\u201d was first used in 1939<\/strong> for an Illinois high school basketball tournament but it wasn\u2019t associated with the college tourney until broadcaster Brent Musburger<\/a> used it during his 1982 coverage.<\/p>\n The first women\u2019s NCAA tournament <\/strong>began in 1982 \u2014 notably 43 years after the men\u2019s debut \u2014 with 32 teams. The field expanded to 64 teams in 1994, and last year was the first tourney to feature an expansion to 68 teams<\/a>. Better late than never.<\/p>\n All 361 women\u2019s and 363 men\u2019s Division I NCAA squads<\/strong> have the goal of playing in March (and<\/em> in April\u2019s title games), and there are a couple of ways they can get there.<\/p>\n A committee of 12 members makes the final (fairly subjective) decision<\/strong> on the aforementioned \u201cat-large\u201d teams using the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET)<\/a>. There are sure to be some disappointed squads who don\u2019t get in, so prepare yourself for some, ahem, colorful<\/em> reactions tonight.<\/p>\n After Selection Sunday, the stakes skyrocket in the single-elimination tournaments.<\/strong> Teams are broken up into four regional brackets \u2014 the East, West, Midwest and South \u2014 each with at least 16 teams. Lose one game and it\u2019s sayonara to your season, a dynamic that always brings exciting and shocking upsets.<\/p>\n SOURCE: NCAA<\/p>\n <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n One of the best parts of March Madness?<\/strong> The brackets<\/a>. While it\u2019s fun to sit back and witness college basketball at its best, it’s even better when bragging rights (and money) are on the line.<\/p>\n Millions of people are expected to fill out a tournament bracket this year<\/strong> despite the one in 9.2 quintillion<\/a> chance of making 100% perfect picks. People from all walks of life join in on the fun, including former President Barack Obama<\/a>, Jimmy Fallon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and J-Law<\/a>, to name a few.<\/p>\n With over 80 years of history and a whole lot of fanfare,<\/strong> there are, of course, noteworthy March Madness records and iconic moments we have<\/em> to revisit each year.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfc6 Winning dynasties: <\/strong>UConn\u2019s women\u2019s basketball team holds the record for the most national titles with 11, and head coach (HC) Geno Auriemma \u2014 who\u2019ll dance for the 34th (!!!) consecutive time<\/a> this year \u2014 has been at the helm for all of them.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc8e Most magical Cinderellas: <\/strong>Everyone loves an underdog. And last year, the men\u2019s squad from Saint Peter\u2019s University became the first No. 15 seed to ever<\/em> make the Elite Eight. Their run stole both hearts and top spots on trending lists<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude22 Upset city: <\/strong>In 2018, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) gave us the biggest upset in men\u2019s March Madness history. Five years ago, the Retrievers beat No. 1 Virginia by a whopping 74\u201454, becoming the first and only men\u2019s No. 16 seed to take down a No. 1 seed.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude05 Coming in clutch: <\/strong>As for buzzer-beating thrillers, Villanova put on a show in 2016 when Kris Jenkins hit a game-winning three-pointer<\/a> to push the Wildcats past UNC 77\u201474 and take home the national title. Then in the 2021 semis, Gonzaga\u2019s Jalen Suggs sunk a deep<\/em> three at the buzzer to snatch the Zags a 93\u201390 overtime dub from UCLA. Instant classic<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Madness will crisscross the country from March 14th to April 3rd, <\/strong>with the men\u2019s tournament culminating in Houston, TX, while the women\u2019s tourney will crown their champ just up the road in Dallas. Yeehaw.<\/p>\n All eyes will be on the Selection Shows tonight. <\/strong>As mentioned, the fellas\u2019 bracket will drop on CBS at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the women\u2019s on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET. In Canada, both shows should be on TSN+.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
\ud83e\udd14 How it works<\/h3>\n
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\ud83d\udcc8 Bracketology<\/h3>\n
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\ud83c\udfc0 A mad legacy<\/h3>\n
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\ud83d\udcfa How to watch<\/h3>\n
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