All The Fun Facts & Events of March Madness

Here are all the fun facts and events related to March Madness, the annual college basketball tournament in the United States:

1.  The first NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was held in 1939, with only 8 teams participating.

2. The tournament has expanded over the years and currently features 68 teams.

3. The tournament is known for its upsets and underdog victories, with some of the most famous ones being the 1985 Villanova Wildcats and the 2018 UMBC Retrievers.

4. The phrase "March Madness" was coined by sportscaster Brent Musburger in 1982, and is now a registered trademark of the NCAA.

5. The tournament generates significant revenue for the NCAA, with a reported $933 million in revenue in 2019.

6. The tournament is known for its buzzer-beaters, or shots made at the very end of the game, such as 1992 shot by Christian Laettner of Duke University.

7. The championship game of the tournament is known as the Final Four and is played in a different location each year.

8. The tournament is a major event for sports betting, with an estimated $8.5 billion in bets placed on the 2019 tournament.

9. In 2020, the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the first time in its history that it was not held.

10.The tournament has become a cultural phenomenon, with many people filling out brackets predicting the winners of each game and participating in office pools.

11. The selection of teams for the tournament is known as Selection Sunday, and takes place on the Sunday before the tournament begins.

12. The tournament is known for its passionate fans, with many schools and regions having their own unique traditions and chants.

13.  The tournament has produced many notable NBA players, including Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Magic Johnson.

14.  The tournament has also inspired many movies and TV shows, such as the movie "Hoosiers" and the TV show "One Tree Hill."

15.  The tournament has a significant impact on local economies, with host cities benefiting from increased tourism and spending.

16. The tournament features both men's and women's basketball, with the women's tournament also featuring 64 teams.

17. The championship trophy for the men's tournament is called the NCAA National Championship Trophy, while the women's trophy is called the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Trophy.

18. The tournament is broadcast on multiple TV networks, including CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV.

19. In 2019, the University of Virginia won its first NCAA men's basketball championship, while the Baylor University women's team won its third championship.

20. The tournament has become a major social media event, with millions of people sharing updates, highlights, and commentary on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.

21.  The tournament has a rich history of buzzer-beaters, with some of the most famous shots being made by players like Lorenzo Charles, Bryce Drew, and Mario Chalmers.

22.  The tournament has a unique impact on workplace productivity, with many employees taking time off or following the games on their computers.

23.  The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has been called the "Greatest Show on Earth" by sports columnist Dan Wetzel.

24.  The tournament has its own official app, which allows fans to track scores, stats, and bracket progress in real-time.

25.  The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is the third most-watched sporting event in the United States, after the Super Bowl and the World Series.

26.  The tournament has produced some of the most iconic moments in college basketball history, such as the "Fab Five" of Michigan and the "Phi Slama Jama" of Houston.

27.  The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament has been held since 1982, and has grown in popularity and coverage over the years.

28.  The tournament has a significant impact on gambling, with an estimated 47 million Americans participating in brackets or other forms of betting.

29.  The tournament has inspired many famous quotes and sayings, such as "Survive and advance" and "The road to the Final Four."

30.  The tournament is a major event for advertisers, with companies spending millions of dollars on TV commercials and sponsorships to reach a large and engaged audience.

Overall, March Madness is a highly anticipated event in the United States, with its unique blend of basketball, betting, and cultural significance making it a beloved tradition for many Americans.