Every March, millions of people suddenly transform into college basketball experts. Offices, classrooms, and group chats buzz about brackets, predictions, and arguments. Whether you are a die-hard basketball fan or someone who could not name a single player, March Madness has a way of pulling everyone into its chaotic energy. But if you are like me, you don’t have a clue what’s going on.

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness, is a single-elimination competition featuring 68 college teams. It begins with the First Four play-in games, followed by the Round of 64, and continues through to the championship. But the real talk is in the brackets.

Pentucket senior Luke Zavaski says, “It’s the single most entertaining run for a national championship in college sports.”

The odds of filling out a flawless bracket are unbelievably low: 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to mathematicians. Yet every year, millions try their luck. You are more likely to choose the correct singular grain of sand on planet Earth than to make the perfect bracket. ESPN’s Tournament Challenge drew over 20 million entries in 2024, and major companies like Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway have offered million-dollar prizes for anyone who picks every game correctly.

And then, there are the upsets. In 2018, UMBC, a No. 16 seed, stunned the basketball world by defeating No. 1 seed Virginia, the first-ever upset of its kind. It’s these moments that obliterate brackets and keep fans glued to their screens. Pentucket senior James Nightingale says, “America loves the underdog story, and March Madness is where underdogs become champions.”

The American Gaming Association estimated that $2.7 billion was wagered on the 2024 tournament, with casual office pools making up a big chunk of the action. But beyond the money, it is about bragging rights. This doesn’t mean making a bracket off of statistics; some people build a bracket on a theme, but the person who knows nothing about basketball picks based on mascot names? Somehow, they are leading the pool.

I have found that March Madness is more than a tournament; it’s an annual ritual for the sports community. Making underdogs household names and fueling debates for weeks. It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement, even if you still have no idea what’s going on.