It is officially that time of the year: March. The weather is getting warmer, spring break is coming up, and of course, March Madness is about to begin.

The time has come for stalking conference standings, getting up for Selection Sunday, creating brackets that have zero chance of busting and anticipating getting into the infamous Division I college basketball tournament. 

For those unfamiliar with the fundamentals of the tournament, here is a simple yet effective breakdown of terms, dates and the basic knowledge needed to enjoy the madness of the coveted American tournament.

What is March Madness?

March Madness refers to the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s and women’s basketball tournament, which begins in March. There are 68 men’s and 68 women’s teams from universities around the U.S. that compete for the national championship in this single-elimination tournament.

The excitement and unpredictable nature that followed Cinderella tales, buzzer-beaters and bracket-busting upsets became the tournament’s hallmark and gave birth to the term madness.

How does the tournament work? 

The tournament begins on a day called the First Four. The four teams selected are usually referred to as the last four in, meaning they barely qualified and have a lot to prove.

The two winners of the First Four brackets are then placed into the official full bracket with the best of the best. After the First Four competitions take place and the winners are decided, the bracket moves into the Round of 64. 

Continuing through the bracket, the winners move into the Round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and lastly, of course, the NCAA championship round. In summary, this tournament is a battle in which teams must win six — possibly seven, if in the First Four — consecutive games to hoist the trophy and be crowned national champions. 

Selection Sunday: How are teams selected? 

The tournament selection process takes place on Selection Sunday, when the NCAA tournament committee thoroughly identifies the 68 teams that will be offered a bid into the tournament. There are two ways for a team to get into the tournament. 

A team either has to win its competitive conference, or if a team doesn’t win their conference tournament, they can still be selected by the committee for being considered an at-large team based on overall performance throughout the season.

The bracket

Arguably the biggest reason most fans engage in the tournament is due to the competitive nature of creating a bracket. Apps and websites offer bracket creation, such as ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge, Yahoo Sports, NCAA’s website and more. 

To start, fans pick and choose which teams they think will win each game of the first round and then work their way through the bracket, which automatically advances to the next rounds and so on.

This bracket system gives fans the opportunity to test their knowledge of which teams they believe will or will not advance. Very often, people who don’t follow college basketball still create accurate brackets, which shows that everyone, no matter if their team is in the tournament or if they know much about college basketball, has something to root for.

Not to mention, the odds of predicting a perfect bracket are nearly impossible; this idea adds more fun and engagement from viewers all across the country.

The madness: Upsets, Cinderella teams 

One of the most thrilling parts of the tournament is rooting for the underdog. Obviously, in a 64-team bracket there will be teams that dominated all season and received heavy attention from notable media outlets.

In contrast, there will always be teams that some people have never heard of or know very little about. That is what the Cinderella story is all about. For reference, one of the most famous Cinderella stories of recent history was the magical run Loyola Chicago made back in 2018.

The Ramblers were chosen as the No. 11 seed for the tournament, which meant they were up against No. 6 seed Miami. The Ramblers were given narrow odds to win but pulled off a 64-62 victory.

However, through living the underdog mentality and showing extreme passion and grit, the Ramblers pulled off an impeccable run all the way into the Final Four. Moments like these, and many others, are reasons why fans all across the nation partake in following the big dance. 

The women’s tournament

As for the women’s March Madness tournament, the same structure and rules apply. Despite being historically overlooked in comparison to the men’s tournament, women’s basketball made enormous leaps over the last few years in viewership and bracket involvement.

According to ESPN Press Room, “NCAA Women’s March Madness (57 games) across ESPN platforms averaged 2.2 million viewers, up 121% from the 2023 tournament, making it the most-watched women’s NCAA Tournament since ESPN acquired exclusive rights in 1996.” 

The great part about the format of the tournament is that no matter the tournament, the upsets and the competitiveness are always just as exciting, now engaging an ample number of fans in both men’s and women’s college basketball. 

Key terms to know while watching

• Seed: A team’s given ranking in the tournament based on how well they played throughout the season and conference tournament — No. 1 being the highest and No. 16 being the lowest. 
• Bracketology: The science or strategy behind placing teams in certain seeds along with predicting matchup outcomes.
• The Big Dance: Another phrase for the tournament, like March Madness. 
• Upset: When a lower-seeded team beats a higher-seeded team. 
• Busted bracket: An individual’s bracket had a team winning that lost, therefore busting the perfect bracket.

How to watch March Madness

The games are nationally broadcast on platforms such as CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV. There are also alternative viewing options, including the free March Madness app. 

Starting March 16, Selection Sunday kicks off the iconic tournament, continuing through March to the National Championship April 7 in San Antonio, Texas.

Reach Joe Demyanovich at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @JoeDemyanovich.