With March just around the corner, people are excited to start their March Madness brackets, scouting different teams, using different strategies, and trying new ways to make the best bracket. It’s already time to start thinking about March Madness brackets.
Every March, men’s and women’s college basketball teams compete in the annual NCAA Division I tournament, featuring 68 teams and six rounds of games where the winners advance and the losers are out. Every year, people make brackets to predict the winning team. The main goal is to predict upsets and hope to advance to the next round.
“March Madness, I think, is just another reason to involve yourself in a competition, and it’s kinda like doing fantasy. It’s fun to use different reasons to go far and to compete against different people around you, and there’s also a chance of winning something in the end,” Ava Muzumdar (12) said.
Some reasons people love watching March Madness are the suspense, upsets, and thrill of all the games. Watching different teams of all skill levels compete is something anyone can enjoy, and making brackets to predict the winner is a popular way for fans to enjoy it.
“The team that I root for doesn’t often make it, but it’s always fun to see the lower double-digit teams go far and to see everyone’s predictions and to see if they’re accurate,” Muzumdar (12) said.
When making a March Madness bracket, there are many things to consider when deciding which team to win. Some factors include seed number, favorite team, or even best players.
“I think people normally look for high-scoring players and teams with highest points on wins and losses,” Hannah Smith (10) said.
Sometimes, fans who don’t know enough about the teams competing often use creative strategies like flipping a coin or choosing the team with their favorite color to determine who they pick for their bracket.
“Be optimistic and look for whatever team has the best colors and vote for them,” Smith (10) said.
When making a bracket, people’s main goal is to make a successful one. The best thing people can do to create one is to research beforehand.
“I always do a little bit of research 2 weeks down, looking through some of the top teams to see if they’re actually what they’re all out to be,” Muzumdar (12) said.
As the time to start 2026 March Madness brackets arrives, thrill and surprise come with it. As thousands of people make their brackets, the true goal is to compete with others and, most importantly, have fun.
