By Zach Backiewicz, ’19
For many students, the month of March represents the ability to relax from school over spring break and the final turning point of the school year. However, for basketball enthusiasts or sports fans in general, March means madness.
The NCAA Basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, is possibly the most hyped up and exciting sports event of the year. Spanning for roughly two weeks, 68 division basketball programs will have the opportunity to complete their season goal of winning a national championship.
This popular sporting event is much more than just a bunch of basketball games. For many including myself, March Madness is a time of competition within your friends, family or just anyone at random to see who has the perfect bracket. Every year I gather with my friends and watch the annual selection show to see which teams made the cut and who their competition will be throughout the tourney. From that point forward, it’s all business to create the perfect bracket.
During the school days leading up to March Madness, students will be constantly switching between school work and basketball, making small or large changes to their brackets. For students, this is so much more than just a basketball tournament. Every year there are always a few students who decide to create one large bracket competition, which as many as 50 people can compete in to win a cash prize and bragging rights. For the few weeks that the sporting event lasts, basketball will be a pivotal topic of conversation as many feel anxious about whether or not they will win their competitions.
While March Madness brings lots of fun with creating the brackets and competition, the overall event itself is also spectacular. Every year there seems to be one “Cinderella team,” a team that was ranked pretty low in the bracket but somehow managed to make an amazing run in the tournament, often times ruining many people’s brackets. I have personally felt the pain as one of these teams have upset my pick for the national championship winner. The realization that your bracket is ruined is one of the most depressing feelings. But in the end, it’s just a game and you will continue to follow the rest of the teams throughout their journey.
March Madness offers a perfect outlet for students to relax and enjoy themselves over spring break and throughout the entire month of March. Whether or not your bracket stays perfect during the event, the process and time spent engaged in the event will for sure bring a sense of happiness and enjoyment to anyone.