It is that time of year again – brackets are made, games are watched, team statistics are debated. March Madness creates a new frenzy for basketball fans everywhere. 67 games are played for men and women, creating a staggering total of 134 games. The struggle to watch all the upcoming games begins on March 19th for men and March 20th for women. 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began March Madness, a comprehensive basketball tournament for Division 1 college teams in 1939. However, the term “March Madness” was not associated with the NCAA tournament until a reporter used it in 1982. The tournament begins with 68 teams, and is whittled down to the final two teams by the first week of April. Originally, only the top eight teams got to compete in the tournament. Then in 1951 the team number grew to 16, and an additional 16 teams were added in 1975. The 64 teams we know today were instituted in 1985.

South Carolina University, the 2022 women’s March Madness champions, are leading the women’s standings for the 2023-2024 season with an undefeated record. Head coach Dawn Staley, a University of Virginia alum, has won 2 NCAA championships and is on the hunt for a third. Ohio State, Stanford, Iowa (2023 runner-up) and Texas are also in the fight for a title. These teams make up the top five of women’s NCAA ranking so far this season. Last year’s champions, Louisiana State University, are ranked 13th, with a 22-4 record. 

On the men’s side of the bracket, the University of Connecticut (UCONN), is leading the pack with 24 wins and 3 losses. UCONN also won the championship title last year, which puts them well on the way to back-to-back championships. Second and third places are taken by Houston (23-3) and Purdue (24-3), neither of which has ever won the championship title. Seven other programs have won back-to-back titles, but only University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has completed the feat multiple times. 

Read more about NCAA March Madness on the Woodgrove Outlander website.